Bluetooth is a quick and easy way to share data between devices within a short range. It allows you to play music from your phone to wireless speakers or headphones and easily share pictures with friends and family using an Apple feature like airdrop.
Unfortunately, Bluetooth has a reputation for having a somewhat unreliable connection, be it on a phone or a computer.
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Jim Y. is growing increasingly frustrated with his Bluetooth devices, so he wrote to me and asked this question:
"Kurt, I have an iMac desktop computer with a Bluetooth trackpad and Bluetooth keyboard. Often I am connected to the Mac via a Bluetooth connection but from time to time the trackpad and keyboard lose the Bluetooth connection and I must plug both to my Mac to continue. There is no pattern as to when the Mac decides to cancel the Bluetooth connection to the trackpad or keyboard except both lose the Bluetooth connections at the same time, which leads me to believe it is a problem with the Mac. Any suggestions?"
There are several common factors that, regardless of your device, might disrupt the connection. In the case of Jim Y. and his keyboard, it might be because of the following:
Often, no matter the device, there might be simple solutions to these problems, such as:
Regardless of the device you're experiencing problems with, there are a few simple steps that could solve your problems:
There is a chance the problem is with the device you're trying to connect to, and not your computer or phone. Try connecting your computer or phone to a second device. If the connection works, then the Bluetooth in your computer or phone might not be the source of the problem.
Sometimes simply restarting your computer, or turning your phone, as well as the device you wish to connect to, on and off, is all it takes to get your Bluetooth up and running again.
Regardless of the device you are having trouble with, if you are using older software or if there is a pending update, it may affect the performance of your Bluetooth connection. See here for a step-by-step guide on how to make sure all your devices are up-to-date.
In some cases, however, there might be ways of troubleshooting unique to your specific device.
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This seems like a simple step, but sometimes the root of Bluetooth connectivity problems is simply the fact that it isn't turned on.
If Bluetooth is turned on, try turning it off for a few minutes, then turning it back on again and see if your connection has improved.
If you can see that the devices are paired up, yet they still aren't connecting, an easy way to solve the problem is simply by temporarily disconnecting the device, then reconnecting it.
Once the task is completed, you'll need to re-connect the device by following the very same steps, then see if Bluetooth is now connected.
It's important to double-check that Bluetooth is present in your device's settings. If it is missing in the settings, your device or the software currently running might not support Bluetooth. However, there might be a way to solve this problem.
If no result comes up, it might still be possible to download new software by directly visiting your computer manufacturer's website.
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If Bluetooth is turned on, try turning it off for a few minutes, then turning it back on again and see if your connection has improved.
Once the device is deleted, you'll need to re-connect the device by following the mostly same steps, then see if Bluetooth is now connected:
Sometimes, it might take rebooting the whole Bluetooth module to fix any connectivity problems.
You may need to remove all devices before resetting your Bluetooth module.
If you do remove all devices, then you will have to reconnect all your devices manually once completed.
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If Bluetooth is turned on, try turning it off for a few minutes and then turning it back on again.
In some extreme cases, fixing your Bluetooth connection might require you to reset your network settings.
Note if you don't have a System option in Settings, Tap General Management, and tap Reset
Just keep in mind doing this will clear all Bluetooth connections your phone has made with any devices. So if you choose to do this, you will be required to re-connect every device.
Unfortunately, several malicious apps find their way into the Google Play store, which might cause interference with your Bluetooth connection. To see if any apps might be causing a problem.
To determine which app is causing the problem, you will have to check the apps one at a time.
Note settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer.
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If Bluetooth is turned on, try turning it off for a few minutes and then turning it back on again.
If your phone is connected to too many devices via Bluetooth, it might cause trouble connecting to the device you are hoping to use at the moment. So, you might want to consider deleting other devices from your phone.
Before resetting your phone, make sure your phone is properly backed up.
Did this article help you solve any of your Bluetooth issues? We'd love to hear from you.
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