macReports

Apple iOS Mac OS X Reports , Help and News

  • How to
  • News
  • Not working?
  • Tips and Tricks
  • Guides
You are here: Home / Not working? / Mac Bluetooth Not Working? Fix

Mac Bluetooth Not Working? Fix

Last updated on December 4, 2018 By Serhat Kurt Leave a Comment

Bluetooth has become an important part of our lives. However, it is a reliable technology. It is rare but sometimes you may have Bluetooth problems. Several Mac users have reported that they occasionally encounter a random loss of Bluetooth functionality. Users further have said that Bluetooth menu displays a “Bluetooth: Not Available” error (see image below). You may run into problems establishing a Bluetooth connection or using a Bluetooth accessory. And this will cause your Bluetooth devices and accessories to stop working.  And furthermore, several macOS and iOS services (AirDrop, Handoff, Continuity etc) will not work properly if you are having issues with Bluetooth.

Bluetooth Not Available

Bluetooth technology lets you wirelessly connect various hardwares (keyboard, mouse, trackpad, headset etc) to your Mac by associating them with your computer (also called pairing). Once paired, your Mac connects to these tools if Bluetooth is working.

This article explains what you can do to troubleshoot when Bluetooth is not working.

Here is what you can do when Bluetooth is not working

Bluetooth settings can be accessed by going to System Preferences > Bluetooth

Please try each step until your issue is resolved. After each step, check to see if Bluetooth is working.

Please also note that performing some of the methods below will cause you to temporarily lose connection to your connected devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse etc). So you may want to use a wired device.

See also: Unable to turn on Bluetooth

If you do now see the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar, go to System Preferences > Bluetooth and check the “Show Bluetooth in menu bar”.

  1. You may think that Bluetooth seems to be not working because your Bluetooth device stopped working. It is simple that your device battery is running very low, if it uses battery. Make sure that your Bluetooth accessories has enough battery life. You may want to change the batteries or charge the device.
  2. Make sure that Bluetooth device is turned on.
  3. Make sure that your Bluetooth device and Mac are close to each other.
  4. Restart your Mac. Simply restarting your Mac may fix your problem.
  5. Disable and enable Bluetooth. Disable Bluetooth and wait several seconds and then turn it on.
  6. Remove all USB devices (mouse, keyboard etc) and then reboot your Mac and then reconnect them.
  7. Remove current Bluetooth preferences then reboot your Mac. Here is how:
    1. Close any app that is trying to us Bluetooth device with your Mac
    2. In Finder, press the Command+Shift+G keys together. This will reveal the “Go to the folder:” window, then enter the following and hit go.
    3. /Library/Preferences/ (not ~/Library/Preferences/)library preferences bluetooth preferences
    4. Try the find the “com.apple.Bluetooth.plist” and “com.apple.Bluetooth.plist.lockfile” files. And delete these files. This files could be corrupted and cause problems. You may be asked for a admin password. (if you want, copy these files to somewhere else as a backup before removing).
    5. Restart your Mac.
  8. Reset your Mac’s SMC. This is done differently depending on the Mac models. Apple’s documentation explains how this is done.
  9. Reset your Mac’s Bluetooth module. Here is how:
    1. Press and hold the Shift + Option (Alt) keys
    2. While holding these keys, in the menu bar, click the Bluetooth icon
    3. Click Debug
    4. Click Reset the Bluetooth module (see the image below)reset the Bluetooth module
    5. Then reboot your Mac

If none of the methods above work, you may want to contact Apple support. You may also want to make a Genius Bar reservation.

See also: iPhone Not Connecting To a Car Stereo Using Bluetooth

Filed Under: Not working? Tagged With: Mac, macOS

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Support macReports

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Got a tip for us? Email us

Recent Comments

  • Richard Nichol on What Does Alarm Clock Icon On An App Mean (iPad)?
  • Angry mole on macOS Mojave Freezes or Stops Responding, Fix
  • jotighe on What Does Arrow Icon Mean? Location Services Explained
  • BOOBOO on How To Record Your Face and Screen On Your Mac
  • Gavin on Google Maps Not Working? Fix

Latest Posts

How Do I Password Protect My Files & Folders In macOS?

This articles explains how you can password protect your folders and files on your Mac. You can assign passwords for files and folders. Everyone must enter to open the file or folder because the contents of your locked files or folders will be hidden. Important note: Although password protecting requires different steps for different file and […]

Apple Support: How To Get Help

This article explains how you can contact Apple Support, if you face problems relating to its products and services. Depending on your locations, your support options and Apple warranties might differ. This warranty provides hardware and software support. Most Apple devices come with a 90 day complimentary technical support warranty and a one year limited, hardware […]

Mac Spotlight Search Not Working? Fix

Spotlight Search on your Mac lets you find apps, contacts, documents and many other things. I use it all the time as it makes easy to find whatever I need. This short article explains how you can troubleshoot If you’re having problems using Spotlight. Here is what you can do to get Mac Spotlight search working again. If […]

How To Install Apps On Older Devices Running Older Versions Of iOS

So you own an older iOS device. And you are very happy with your device because it still works like new. However, your device may be too old for a lot of apps as they may require the latest version of iOS to run properly. It could be such a pain to download apps. This […]

Yellow Battery Icon? What Does It Mean?

This short article explains why the iPhone battery icon in the status bar is sometimes yellow. We get a lot of questions from our users wondering why the battery icon has suddenly turned yellow. The reason your battery icon is yellow on your iPhone is because you have enabled “Low Power Mode”. This does not mean […]

Pages

  • Apple Complaints
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Statement
  • Support macReports
  • Terms of Use

Tags

AirPods Apple Car Apple Company Apple ID Apple Music Apple Store Apple Support Apple TV Apps App Store Backup Black Screen Bluetooth FaceTime iCloud iMessages iOS iOS 9 iOS 9.3 iOS 10 iOS 11 iPad iPhone iPod touch iTunes Mac macOS Mail Mail App Mail not working Maps Messages Mojave Notifications OS X Pages Patent Private Browsing Safari screenshot Siri Spotlight Search Turkey Wi-Fi Windows

Copyright © 2019 / macReports