Try these tips if you’re having Bluetooth problems on your Mac and can’t connect accessories, AirPods, or other wireless devices, or send files to an Android phone or Windows PC.
Bluetooth is just one of the few wireless technologies baked into your iOS devices and Macs. It’s used for short-distance data transmission, and is very power efficient, making it an excellent option for third-party accessories like speakers, mice, headsets, AirPods, and even the Apple Watch to connect to your other devices.
Unfortunately, Bluetooth on the Mac can sometimes be a bit flaky. When Bluetooth problems occur, you can follow some of these troubleshooting steps to fix them.
Signs of Mac having Bluetooth problems
- On my old MacBook Pro, I sometimes see the Bluetooth icon has a zigzag line across it. It says “Bluetooth Not Available,” and the devices won’t connect.
- When your Mac’s Bluetooth fails to work, you cannot transfer files via Bluetooth to an Android phone, Windows PC, or other compatible devices.
- Other Bluetooth devices like Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, third-party accessories, AirPods, and headphones can’t connect or fail to stay connected.
- The Bluetooth connection is slow and often disconnects.
- When listening to music via AirPods or other Bluetooth buds, the audio stutters, disconnects, or has experiences interferences.
- The wireless mouse pointer feels erratic with significant latency.
Here are some reliable solutions to fix this.
1. Bring the devices closer
The range of Bluetooth on Mac is about 30 feet (9 meters). So, if the distance between your Mac and your Bluetooth devices exceeds this, bring them closer.
2. Make sure the Bluetooth devices are charged
When you’re trying to pair a wireless keyboard, mouse, or headphones via Bluetooth, but it fails repeatedly, take a minute to ensure the device is charged. If the mouse or keyboard uses replaceable AAA or AA batteries, swap them with new ones.
Also see: How to check the battery levels of connected Bluetooth devices on Mac
3. Enable and disable Bluetooth on both devices
If the Bluetooth icon on your Mac has a line through it or is gray and unclickable, skip to the next solution. But if it’s clickable, use the Bluetooth icon in Mac’s menu bar or Control Center to turn off Bluetooth. If you can’t find the Bluetooth icon here, turn it off from System Settings or System Preferences. After about 30 seconds, enable Bluetooth again.
Now, do the same on the Bluetooth device. If the device has no obvious button or option to disable and enable Bluetooth (like AirPods, keyboard, mouse, etc.), restart it or put it in their charging case.
Note: You can’t turn off Bluetooth on your iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro, and Mac Studio if you’re using only a wireless keyboard and mouse. So, either connect them via cable, use a wired mouse and keyboard, or just restart your computer.
4. Restart your Mac and Bluetooth device
When your Mac’s Bluetooth is unavailable, not connecting, shows a grayed out icon, fails to show as an available device, and such, restart the computer, and it should smooth things out.
While your Mac restarts, make sure you turn off the other Bluetooth device and turn it back on after a minute. The steps to do this depend on the device. But most keyboards, mice, headphones, and wireless devices have a power button. If not, you can take out their removable battery and reinsert it. For some devices like AirPods, put them in their case for 30 seconds and then take them out.
5. Disconnect Bluetooth devices you don’t need
If multiple Bluetooth devices are connected to your Mac, consider removing some. As a rule of thumb, you can reliably connect 7 to 10 Bluetooth devices. But for a decent experience, it’s strongly recommended that you disconnect the Bluetooth peripherals you don’t need.
Note that things like AirDrop and Unlock Mac with Apple Watch use Bluetooth to communicate, but you don’t have to count those as connected devices.
6. Disconnect unnecessary hardware from Mac
If USB dongles, pen drives, printers, and other such hardware are connected to your Mac, consider unplugging them. Now, see if Bluetooth works well on your Mac or not. If yes, the problem may have been caused by external hardware interference.
7. Check the Bluetooth device for problems
If the Bluetooth device you’re trying to connect, like the wireless keyboard or mouse, comes with a dongle that plugs into your Mac, try using it with a different USB port of your Mac. If you’re connecting via a USB hub, try connecting directly.
In case the problem continues, use that Bluetooth device with a different laptop or TV and see if it works there. In some cases, the problem may lie there instead of your Mac.
8. Unpair the Bluetooth device from Mac and pair it again
This is an excellent thing to do if you can’t re-pair a Bluetooth device or if it’s paired but doesn’t work properly.
- Open System Settings and click Bluetooth.
- Click the info icon ⓘ next to the concerned device.
- Click Forget This Device and confirm.
- Now, restart both your Mac and the Bluetooth device and pair them again.
9. Ensure devices have the latest software or firmware
If you repeatedly face Bluetooth issues on your Mac, it can be because of a bug in macOS. To address this, go to System Settings > General > Software Update and install the latest version of the software available for your computer.
Similarly, if the Bluetooth device you are trying to connect supports software, firmware, or driver updates, make sure you have the latest version.
10. Find and delete the Bluetooth property list file
Use the steps below to delete the Bluetooth system file on your Mac. This should refresh the connection and fix the ongoing Bluetooth problems.
1) Copy this address: /Library/Preferences/
2) Open a Finder window, and press the Command + Shift + G key, or click the word “Go” from the top menu bar and choose Go to Folder.
3) Paste the address you copied in step 1 and press the enter key or click Go.
4) Now, find and delete the com.apple.Bluetooth.plist file.
5) Next, copy this address and follow the same steps as above to go to it: ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost
6) Locate a .plist file with Bluetooth in its name and delete it.
7) Restart your Mac.
8) Open System Settings > Bluetooth and reconnect the device. It should work. Plus, other Mac’s Bluetooth issues should also be addressed now.
Note: If nothing works, you can go to ~/Library/Preferences/ search for Bluetooth, click Preferences, and delete the files that show up.
11. Reset the Bluetooth device
If your Bluetooth device has an option to reset, please do that. After that, you may be successful in pairing it with your Mac.
12. Reset Mac’s Bluetooth module
If nothing helps, go through our tutorial on resetting your Mac’s Bluetooth module.
- Open Terminal on your Mac running a recent version of macOS.
- Copy and paste this command in Terminal: sudo pkill bluetoothd
- Enter your Mac’s password when asked. Note that you won’t get visual confirmation when you enter the password in Terminal. Simply type the correct password and hit the enter key.
- Click the Apple icon and choose Restart to complete the Bluetooth reset.
13. Reset PRAM, NVRAM, SMC on Intel Macs
If the Bluetooth problem continues, go ahead and reset the NVRAM and SMC on your Mac. These solutions don’t apply to Mac with Apple silicon.
FAQs
What to do if you can’t transfer files from Mac to Android phone via Bluetooth?
Make sure you go to Bluetooth settings on your Android phone and change its visibility settings. After initiating the file transfer from your Mac, open the phone’s notification center and accept the incoming request. Here’s more on it: Unable to share files between Mac and Android phone via Bluetooth? Here’s how to fix it
What to do if you can’t transfer files from an Android phone to Mac via Bluetooth?
Go to System Settings > General > Sharing and make sure Bluetooth Sharing is checked. After this, retry sending the file from the Android phone to Mac.
Can I transfer files from Mac to iPhone via Bluetooth?
You can’t transfer files from Mac, Android, Windows, or other device to iPhone via Bluetooth. But you can use AirDrop from Mac or other Apple devices to send files to an iPhone. AirDrop uses a combination of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
How do I get Mac to recognize my Bluetooth device?
To get your Mac to recognize your Bluetooth device, go to System Settings > Bluetooth and Turn Bluetooth On. Now, enable Bluetooth or press the Bluetooth pairing button on the other device. In a few seconds, it will appear in Mac’s System Settings. From here, click Connect.
Press and hold the Command key and drag the Bluetooth icon from the menu bar onto the desktop to remove it.
How to turn on Bluetooth on Mac without the mouse?
Press Command + Space Bar to open Spotlight Search, and type Bluetooth here. Now, use the down arrow key to select Bluetooth File Exchange and press the enter key.
If Bluetooth is off, it will show a pop-up to Turn Bluetooth On. Press the enter key to enable Bluetooth.
How to turn on Bluetooth on Mac without a keyboard and mouse?
If your keyboard and mouse aren’t working, you can say Hey Siri on supported Macs and ask it to turn on Bluetooth. If your Mac doesn’t support Hey Siri or if Hey Siri is off, plug in a wired earphone, press its remote button to call Siri, and ask it to enable Bluetooth.
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