Bluetooth is a very common technology and you won’t find it until it has a problem. For example, when you’re listening to a song and it’s going well until your AirPods suddenly disconnect. Most of the time, it’s a relatively easy fix, but sometimes it can be a little tricky.
One of the most perceived troublesome issues is when Bluetooth suddenly just doesn’t work on a Mac, but are you really sure it’s a Bluetooth problem? If the problem isn’t clearly indicated, it’s time to troubleshoot Bluetooth on your Mac.
Here’s how to fix your macOS Bluetooth problems.
1. Bluetooth not available? Restart your Mac
Yes, this is a simple action you hear about all the time, but there’s a reason for it. Because restarting will usually fix a range of problems on your Mac, including Bluetooth issues.
Restarting your Mac at Apple menu > Restart Mac will solve almost all Bluetooth problems, especially those where the Bluetooth module has crashed and left your computer unresponsive. According to Apple, removing any USB device can help, so you can try that first.
You should also check out our introduction to using Bluetooth on macOS to make sure you’ve understood how it works before you continue.
2. Check your Mac’s Bluetooth device settings
To connect to your Mac, your Bluetooth device needs to be turned on and fully charged. This may sound obvious, but it’s worth checking before getting serious about fixing a problem that doesn’t actually exist. If you haven’t paired the device before, make sure you’ve done so correctly (and that it’s visible on your Mac).
If you’re trying to get a Bluetooth speaker or other audio device to work properly and have paired it and want to know why you can’t hear anything, then you need to make sure that you select it as Main Out, Sound > Output in System Preferences>.
The same goes for Bluetooth headsets with a microphone: go to the Input tab and select your Bluetooth device here. your Mac will remember your selection the next time you connect a wireless audio device.
You can also click on the “Volume” button in the menu bar and select the audio device here. If you don’t see this button in the menu bar, you may need to enable it. Go to System Preferences > Sound > Output and then select Show volume in the menu bar at the bottom of the window.
3. Disable and re-enable Bluetooth
To reset Bluetooth without restarting your entire Mac, go to System Preferences > Bluetooth and click Off. You can also toggle Bluetooth on and off by clicking the menu bar icon – click ‘On’ to try again. If you are unable to use AirDrop on your Mac, toggling this setting will usually solve your problem.
You can also try to cancel the Bluetooth process altogether, although this doesn’t always work. Open Terminal and enter your administrator password. This will terminate and restart the background process, allowing you to retry.
4. Pair your Bluetooth device with your Mac again
If you have paired the device before, another option is to let the Mac forget about it and restart it. You can find all your currently paired Bluetooth devices under System Preferences > Bluetooth.
Find any that are causing you problems, select them and click X.
Now you need to pair the device again, which in most cases involves pressing and holding a button until the light flashes. If you are unsure, consult your device’s manual.
5. Reset your PRAM and/or SMC
Although it is a more complex process, resetting your Mac’s PRAM or SMC is one of the most commonly recommended fixes for a range of problems. When it comes to Bluetooth, the System Management Controller (SMC) is far less likely than PRAM or NVRAM. That said, resetting both won’t do any harm, as an underlying issue could cause Bluetooth problems on your Mac.
People often perform both steps at the same time, which is why they are listed here as they are. Please see our detailed guide on how to reset PRAM and SMC to perform this process, regardless of which type of Mac you use.
6. Delete some key PLIST files
macOS stores information about your Bluetooth device in two files on your hard drive: one for you personally, and one for all users on your Mac. It is often recommended to delete these files when experiencing Bluetooth problems, as it will force macOS to create new files when the computer restarts.
Both of these files are PLIST files, which are used throughout the operating system to store application data in XML format. To delete and recreate these files.
- Open the Finder and click Go > Go to Folder from the menu bar. 2.
- Type or paste / Library / Preferences. 3.
- Find the file called com.apple.Bluetooth.plist and drag it to the Trash. 4.
- Click Go > Go to Folder in sequence and type or paste ~ / Library / Preferences / ByHost. 5.
- Find the file starting with com.apple.Bluetooth followed by a number and letter (ending with .plist) and drag it to the Trash.
- Disconnect all USB devices and turn off your computer. 7.
- Turn off your Bluetooth device and restart your Mac. 8.
- Enable Bluetooth on the device and try to pair it again.
7. Reset your Mac’s Bluetooth module
As a last resort, you can try resetting the Bluetooth module to factory settings. This means you will lose all existing pairing connections. If you are still experiencing problems after trying all of the above, it will cost you very little to get the device working again.
If there is no Bluetooth icon in the menu bar, go to System Preferences > Bluetooth and check Show Bluetooth in menu bar. Now hold down Shift + Option and click on the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar. In the menu that appears, select Debug > Reset Bluetooth module. You can now try to pair the device again.
The final tip here is to start re-pairing your device based on importance. For example, you don’t want to pair your headset just to find out that the mouse and keyboard you rely on are still faulty. Once you’ve connected the important hardware, you can focus on other issues.
Still having problems with Bluetooth?
After deleting system files, resetting PRAM and restoring your Mac’s Bluetooth module to factory settings, most problems should disappear. If there are still problems, the Mac may be experiencing a hardware issue, although you may also want to try installing a fresh macOS.
The best option is to buy a dedicated USB Bluetooth adapter and use it instead. Older Apple computers are more likely to have problems than newer ones, so the price of a repair is usually not worth it compared to the price of a USB dongle. a USB Smart Bluetooth 4.0 adapter is still a better value.
If you have recently purchased a Mac that is still under warranty, or if you have purchased Apple Care on your Mac, then you should make an appointment with Apple. A technician will look into the problem and fix it for free. This may indicate a larger hardware problem with your system, so it’s a smart thing to do. If you’re keen to fix the problem but it’s not fixed, take it to Apple and pay for the repair.
