Bluetooth problems on your Mac: 4 practical solutions in a row

Do you have problems connecting Bluetooth devices to your MacBook or iMac? Or is bluetooth not available at all? We help you out with practical tips.

Bluetooth not available on your Mac? You can do this

Every iMac and MacBook has a built-in bluetooth connection, so you can connect other devices to it. From headphones to mice, trackpads and keyboards, bluetooth is still one of the most common ways to pair devices with your MacBook Air, MacBook Pro or iMac.

Very annoying if bluetooth is not available or does not respond properly on your MacBook or iMac. In this article, we list four tips that will help you. Also try to go through them in this order for the highest chance of success.

Before you start: Make sure your Mac is updated to the most recent version of macOS. A possible bug can throw a spanner in the works, which Apple often fixes quickly with an update. Also always check that your bluetooth devices are working, otherwise you will look for a problem with your Mac when in reality it lies elsewhere. Test this, for example, by briefly connecting your Bluetooth device to another device.

1. Switch bluetooth off and on

We start easy. Sometimes it can help to simply turn bluetooth on and off on your Mac. You do this as follows.

1. Click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen;
2. Go to ‘System Preferences’ and choose ‘Bluetooth’;
3. Click on ‘Turn off Bluetooth’;
4. Wait a while and turn on Bluetooth again.

Then try to pair your devices again. Still not successful? Then proceed to step 2.

2. Restart your Mac

Before moving on to steps three and four of this tip, we recommend that you simply restart your Mac. Sometimes this can be enough to solve connection problems.

So save yourself the extra effort and restart your Mac to be sure and then check if bluetooth works as it should again.

3. Reset the macOS Bluetooth module

It may happen that bluetooth can no longer be switched on. The switch will then stop responding when you click it. In that case, you have to reset the macOS bluetooth module. Fortunately, that sounds a lot more technical than it is. Follow the steps below and it will be done in seconds.

1. Click on the Apple icon at the top left of the screen and choose ‘System Preferences’;
2. Click on Bluetooth and tick the box ‘Show Bluetooth in menu bar’;
3. Now hold down the ‘Shift’ and ‘Option’ keys and now click on the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar;
4. Click on ‘Reset Bluetooth module’ in the menu.

You then need to pair all your bluetooth devices again.

4. Delete Bluetooth ‘.plist files’

Still not working properly on your Mac? Then you can also delete the temporary bluetooth files from macOS. These are automatically reinstalled upon restart. Reinstalling these files can solve problems. You do this as follows.

1. Open the Finder;
2. Click on your MacBook or iMac under ‘locations’ in the left column;
3. Click on Macintosh HD> Library> Preferences;
4. In the window, find the file ‘com.apple.Bluetooth.plist’;
5. Delete the file, enter your password where necessary to confirm your choice;
6. Shut down your Mac and wait a while to restart it.

Bluetooth still doesn’t work: now what?

Bluetooth should work again after performing the above four steps. Still having trouble pairing devices with your Mac? Then see if the problem lies with a specific device or if no device can be paired anymore.

Also, the problem could be related to your Mac’s hardware. In that case, we recommend contacting Apple Support (via this link). They can then schedule a repair appointment.