How do you fix your Bluetooth pairing problems?
Bluetooth is a popular method of wirelessly transferring data between two devices such as your phone and your headphones, your media player and a speaker, or your iPad and a keyboard. It’s one of the most widely used wireless technology in the world, according to the Bluetooth Special Interest Group.
Bluetooth is all great when it works. But if you’re someone who likes to play around with these kinds of connected gadgets, you know it can be frustrating when there’s a hang-up pairing the two.
What you can do about Bluetooth pairing failures.
1. Make sure Bluetooth is turned on
You should see the little Bluetooth symbol at the top right of the screen if you have an Android device. For iOS and iPadOS, you’ll need to go into the settings to enable and disable Bluetooth. Windows users will find Bluetooth in Settings > Devices > Bluetooth (or you may have a shortcut on your taskbar). Mac users will find a Bluetooth status icon on the menu bar.
2. Determine which pairing process your device employs
The process for pairing devices can vary. Sometimes, for example, it involves tapping a code into your phone or computer. Other times, you can just physically touch your phone to the device you want to pair it with (you’ll see this option with phones and devices that have NFC, or Near Field Communications, as a feature. It’s commonly found on Android phones).
If you’re not sure how to pair a device, refer to its user guide; you can usually find one by searching online.
3. Turn on discoverable mode
Let’s say you want to pair your phone with your car’s infotainment system so you can enjoy hands-free calling, texting and navigation. First, go into your phone’s settings and tap on Bluetooth; doing so makes the phone visible to the car. Then depress the buttons on your car’s infotainment system, usually on the steering wheel or centre stack, to get it looking for the device.
Once it finds your phone, the car may ask for a numeric code that you’ll need to confirm or input on your phone. After you do so, the devices should be paired. Keep in mind your phone or your car may only stay in discoverable mode for a few minutes; if you take too long, you’ll need to start over.
If your device is new, it will often be in pairing mode when you first turn it on. A good indicator that a device is in pair mode is if it blinks. If the device has been paired with another device, you’ll need to turn on pairing mode.
4. Make sure the two devices are in close enough proximity to one another
While you wouldn’t think someone might try to pair an iPad with a keyboard if the two weren’t sitting right next to each other, it’s probably worth noting that you should make sure any devices you’re trying to pair are within five feet of one other.
5. Power the devices off and back on
A soft reset sometimes can resolve an issue. With phones, an easy way to do this is by going into and out of aeroplane mode.
6. Remove old Bluetooth connections
If you’re having trouble pairing your phone with the speaker, it could be because the speaker is trying to connect with another phone, laptop or tablet. Some older speakers and headphones are very simple; they just try to connect with the last thing they paired with. If your headphones or speaker were previously paired with another phone, laptop or tablet, turn off that other device or Bluetooth. And if you are no longer planning on using your headphones or speaker with that device, unpair it to prevent future issues. In iOS settings, you can remove a device by tapping on its name and then Forget this Device. In Android settings, tap on a device’s name, then Unpair. After removing a device, start at step 1 on this list.
Some speakers and headphones can store pairing for multiple devices. However, there is a limit to the number of devices’ pairing information that they can store. If you’re having trouble pairing headphones or a speaker that have been paired to many devices in the past, you may need to reset your headphones or speakers to clear out all of the pairings so you can start fresh. Search “reset” and your device name for instructions from the manufacturer on your specific model.
7. Charge up both devices you’re trying to pair
Some devices have smart power management that may turn off Bluetooth if the battery level is too low. If your phone or tablet isn’t pairing, make sure it and the device you’re trying to pair with have enough juice.
8. Delete a device from a phone and rediscover it
If your phone sees a device but isn’t receiving data from it, sometimes it helps to start from scratch. In iOS settings, you can remove a device by tapping on its name and then Forget this Device. In Android settings, tap on a device’s name, then Unpair.
If you’re deleting the device from your car, you may need to turn off your car after deleting the device, open and close the car door, and wait a couple of minutes before trying to pair the device again.
We hope this guide has helped you with your Bluetooth pairing problems.