With Macs, like with any technology, there will be times when things don’t quite work as they’re supposed to. Many Mac users have reported issues with Bluetooth, ranging from connection problems to strange behavior with certain devices.
Luckily, there are a few things you can try to get things working again. In this article, we’ll go over eight different solutions to common Mac Bluetooth issues.
1: Restart Your Device
Sometimes the essential step could become the most effective solution to your issues. Rebooting will solve many issues related to your Mac, including Bluetooth.
You can restart the Mac by following these steps.
- Open the Apple menu on your Mac and select Restart.
- Next, confirm that you want to restart.
- Wait until your device restarts, and then try to connect to your Bluetooth device.
This method will help solve almost every Bluetooth problem, including when the Bluetooth module crashes and you experience an unresponsive system.
2: Check Bluetooth Device Settings on Your Mac
Another method if your Mac‘s Bluetooth is still not turned on is to check the Bluetooth device Settings. Your device must be switched on and have a battery to connect to the Mac. Although it sounds obvious, it’s worth double check the device setting before making great efforts to solve the issue. If you haven’t paired this device before, ensure you’re doing it correctly.
If you want to get a Bluetooth speaker or another audio device to work, then make sure it’s selected as your primary output under System Preferences > Sound > Output.
The same applies to Bluetooth headphones with microphones: select your Bluetooth device under the Input menu. Your Mac should remember your choice the next you connect a wireless audio device.
3: Turn Off The Bluetooth And Turn It Back On
This step may not sound like such an important step, but you could try it out as it often fixes the issue.
To reset your Bluetooth do these steps:
- Click the Apple icon and head to System Preferences. Then > Bluetooth and click Turn Bluetooth Off.
- Wait for 30 seconds and enable Bluetooth again.
4: Disconnect all USB Devices
Bluetooth connection problems often occur when you upgrade macOS or replace your devices’ batteries. This happens due to the possibility that new software issues could result from these changes. To solve them, try disconnecting all Bluetooth and USB devices and connecting them again.
Follow these steps to disconnect all USB devices.
- Go to System Preferences and then click on Bluetooth.
- Click on X to disconnect it.
- Restart your Mac Computer.
- Now you must wait for a few minutes and reconnect your devices.
The maximum number of devices a user can connect with Bluetooth is seven. You may encounter problems connecting three or four devices as few devices need more data than others.
5: Delete Bluetooth PLIST Files
Your Mac stores information about your Bluetooth devices in two files on your hard drive. When someone experiences Bluetooth troubles, deleting these files is frequently advised as it forces macOS to create new files when your computer restarts. To remove these files and recreate new ones, follow these instructions.
- Select GO from the Finder menu at the top of the screen, then open the Go to folder.
- Type in:/Library/Preferences and click GO.
- Search for a file com. apple. Bluetooth. plist file and delete it.
- Then again, click ‘Go to Folder’ and type or paste ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost.
- Search for a file that starts with com. Apple.
- Bluetooth followed by numbers and letters (ending in .plist) and dragged the file to the Trash.
- Then, Close your computer and unplug any USB devices.
- Turn off your Bluetooth devices and Restart your Mac again.
- Turn on Bluetooth on your devices, and try to pair them again.
- After restarting, it will automatically create new .plist files, which will fix the problem of Mac Bluetooth issues.
6: Avoid Any Wireless Interference
Other devices’ interference may stop Bluetooth devices from pairing and functioning correctly. You may follow these instructions to avoid this interference.
- Bring the Bluetooth device as close to Mac as possible.
- Set your router to the faster 5-GHz band for Wi-Fi rather than the more widely used 2.4-GHz band.
Bluetooth uses the 2.4-GHz band, which is at risk of overloading many connected devices.
- To do that, locate your router’s IP address and type it into a browser.
- Then Log in to your account, open the Wireless tab and change the band.
- You can check your router’s instructions for more information.
- Remove all items that can cause interference. According to Apple, items like microwave ovens, wireless video cameras, fluorescent lights, cordless phones, and power cables may cause interference and affect their working.
7: Ensure Devices Have The Latest Software Or Firmware
If you frequently experience Bluetooth problems on your Mac device, it may be caused by a bug in macOS.
To solve this issue: Go to System Preferences and then to Software Update. You can get the latest software version available for your PC.
Similarly, if the Bluetooth device you are trying to connect supports software, firmware, or driver updates, ensure you have the latest version.
8: Reset the Bluetooth Module
If the methods mentioned above don’t work, you can try resetting your Bluetooth module to its factory default settings. This means that you will lose all existing paired connections. But it will try to debug any issues on a deeper level so that it would fix your issue.
Follow these below steps to reset your Mac’s Bluetooth Module.
- Hold Shift + Option and tap on the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar.
- Then click Debug and select “Remove all devices.”
- Return to Debug and choose “Reset the Bluetooth module.”
- Now, Restart your Mac and pair your Bluetooth devices again.
Also Check: How To Improve Bluetooth Signal Strength
Conclusion
While some of the solutions above may require extra effort, most are easy to do and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. By following the instructions above, you should be able to fix most Bluetooth issues on your Mac.
We hope you found this article helpful. If you have any other questions or suggestions, feel free to comment below.
Maryam has been teaching IT as a school teacher for over a decade, and her main subject of choice is Internet safety, especially helping parents keep their families safe and secure online. When Maryam is not teaching or writing she is a big fan of the outdoors, the complete opposite of staring at a computer screen for hours.
