Bluetooth Not Working On Your Mac? Here Is The Fix

We have all been there when the Bluetooth on our Mac refuses to connect. Don't worry. We have created an easy to follow, step by step guide to help you fix this problem. We'll have your Bluetooth up and running by the end of the article.

There can be a number of reasons why Bluetooth isn't working on your Mac, and each problem has a separate solution. We have listed down all the possible steps you can take to fix this problem.

Restart Your Mac

Sometimes, the problem isn't as complicated as it might seem. The easiest way that it might be solved is by restarting your Mac. This method is not complex at all, and you have probably already tried doing it. If you're confused, here is how to do it.

1. Click on the Apple logo on the top left-hand corner of the screen.
2. Select "Restart."
3. Wait for your Mac to restart and check if the problem is fixed.

Unplug Your USB Devices

Devices connected to your Mac via USB may also cause interference with the Bluetooth. These devices can be anything from external hard drives to peripherals such as mouse and keyboard. Not all devices cause this problem, but there are a few that do. These devices usually send out a signal that interferes with other signals, like Bluetooth and even WiFi. We recommend unplugging each USB device to find the one that's causing the problem.

Reset PRAM and NVRAM

PRAM refers to Programmable Random Access Memory and NVRAM refers to Non-Volatile Random Access Memory. Both these forms of memory are responsible for critical tasks in your Mac, including dealing with wireless connections like WiFi or Bluetooth. It may be possible that the PRAM AND NVRAM are corrupted and if so, we should trying resetting them. Here is how to do it.

1. Turn off your Mac.
2. Hold down the Command, Option, P, and R keys together with one hand and use the other hand to click on the power button.
3. Release these keys when you either hear two sounds or the Apple logo appear twice.
4. Wait for your Mac to reboot.
5. Your Bluetooth should be working.

Reset The SMC

The SMC (System Management Controller) performs a similar task to the PRAM and NVRAM. Similarly, it also needs to be reset. Here's how to do it.

1. Shut down the Mac.
2. Hold the power button for 10 seconds.
3. Wait a few seconds and then turn on your Mac using the power button.

CleanMyMac X

Some downloaded programs can corrupt your Bluetooth. If you have recently downloaded an application, after which your Bluetooth stopped working, then that program might be causing it. Moreover, large and old files may also cause this problem. These files take up a lot of storage space while also causing multiple issues.

To combat this problem, we recommend downloading CleanMyMac X. This application helps free up storage as well as keep your device safe. It scans your Mac for useless files that take up unnecessary space and deletes them. It also detects malware or any other suspicious activity and informs you. We highly recommend downloading CleanMyMac X.

Delete Recent Downloads

1. Open CleanMyMac X.
2. Select "Uninstaller" located on the left-hand side.
3. Choose "Recently Downloaded Applications."
4. Click on "Uninstall".

Delete Large and Old Files

1. Open CleanMyMac X.
2. Select "Large And Old Files" from the left-hand side.
3. Click Scan.
4. Choose all the large and old files which are useless.
5. Click on "Remove".

Delete pList Files

Property List (pList) files store system files. These files contain data such as user preferences on your keyboards and mouse operation. pList files may become corrupted, causing problems with the Bluetooth network too. This problem is rare, but it can happen. In this case, we suggest deleting the plist files. Here is how to do it.

1. Close all background applications.
2. Open Finder.
3. Press the Command, Shift, and G keys all at once.
4. Enter "Library/Preferences/ByHost" in the search box.
5. Locate the "com.Apple.Bluetooth.plist file" and delete it.
6. Restart your Mac, as previously explained.
7. Check if Bluetooth is working.

Reset Bluetooth

If all the previous methods did not work, we recommend resetting Bluetooth. This is a simple process and the steps to carry it out are below.

1. Hold down the Shift and Option keys.
2. Click on the Bluetooth menu located on the top right-hand corner of the screen, while holding the keys.
3. Select "Debug".



4. Click on "Remove All Devices".
5. Select "Debug" once more.
6. Choose "Reset the Bluetooth Module".
7. Restart your Mac.
8. Pair all of your Bluetooth devices again.
9. Check if Bluetooth is working.

Conclusion

If none of those above methods work for you, then there might be a hardware problem with either your Mac or the bluetooth device itself. Both can best tested with another Mac.