Bluetooth has always been a problematic technology, very convenient for many uses, but not always perfect.
Bluetooth allows you to connect two devices wirelessly so they can transfer data from one to the other.
While in theory the connections with Bluetooth are extremely simple and you only need to activate it on the devices to be connected to be able to then associate them, it often happens that this "pairing" does not work, is denied, refused or ends with error.
The problems of bluetooth connection between smartphone and speaker / earphones / smartwatch or even in the connection between smartphone and PC or between PC and other accessories.
If Bluetooth does not connect, then, let's see here what can be the causes and all the things to do to solve the problem .
First of all, let's do a quick summary of what Bluetooth is and why it is so problematic from a technical point of view.
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless connection protocol that is easy to install on almost any device.
It is a small, inexpensive hardware component, whose best feature is that it requires little energy to feed itself.
In simple terms, Bluetooth connects a "master" device, such as the mobile phone, which controls a "slave" device, such as Bluetooth headphones.
The master transmits the content to the slave in short bursts and the slave can send command requests to the device.
The problems of bluetooth technology, always in a nutshell, are of two types.
The first concerns the limits of the technology itself, which does not have a generic communication band like Wi-Fi, but uses the specific profiles of the device, which change from manufacturer to manufacturer.
In addition, the band is super crowded and if we put that bluetooth antennas are very low power, bluetooth can have mediocre and poor performance on less expensive devices.
The other reason is related to the software that manages bluetooth, which is never bug-free, which changes depending on the electronic device, without documentation and without support.
How to solve connection problems with the Bluetooth of the mobile phone
Going on the practical, in case you are unable to pair and associate an external device such as wireless earphones or a portable speaker, to the smartphone, before thinking that the device is broken, you must see if the failure to connect depends on the bad software configuration phone or device itself.
1) First of all, let's make sure that Bluetooth is enabled on both the smartphone and the other device and, of course, that they are turned on.
On devices with battery it would be good to make sure that it is fully charged.
When the smartphone sees the presence of a Bluetooth device, this does not give notification, so you have to open the connection settings.
On both Android and iPhone, you will find Bluetooth options in Settings and you can search for nearby bluetooth devices.
In some cases, the detected devices have a name that makes them recognized, in other cases the Bluetooth address is read, which is made up of characters and numbers.
In this case, if you are unable to connect Bluetooth, there is almost certainly a problem on the device and not on the smartphone.
2) If the device is not really detected by the cell phone's bluetooth search, in the meantime try to bring it as close as possible.
If the search does not detect any nearby Bluetooth device or if you try to pair the device from the list of those detected but there are errors in the pairing that is not established, the first solution to try is to disable bluetooth on the phone and then reactivate it after 10 seconds .
Even better, try rebooting the phone to reset any configuration errors in memory.
Another precaution to use is to disable the NFC and Wifi connections on the mobile phone and try the connection again.
3) What really can solve the problem of bluetooth on a smartphone is the reset of the connection by removing all the devices associated with the phone in the past .
To do this, tap the Connections option in Settings, tap on Bluetooth and get to see, when Bluetooth is active, the list of devices associated with that device.
Tap the gear icon next to each paired device and select the option to unpair it from the phone.
Then repeat the same operation for all the devices.
4) Clear the Bluetooth cache (Android)
If Bluetooth worked first and then no longer, the Bluetooth cache may be damaged.
Clearing temporary cache files can remove damaged files and allow Bluetooth to connect again.
This process will not affect any of the other phone data.
To remove the Bluetooth cache on an Android smartphone, go to Settings, tap on Apps to bring up the list of applications.
Here, press the button with three dots to show the system processes / apps.
You can now find the app that manages Bluetooth, touch it and then go to clear the cache and data saved in memory.
5) Reset network connections (Android)
Another way to reset bluetooth connections is to use reset network settings.
Also in the Settings of the phone, under the item System (we speak here of Android), you will find the option of Reset the phone, also called in some cases "Reset".
By tapping the Reset, you can choose not to reset the phone completely, but only to reset the network.
Restoring the network connections deletes all the saved wifi networks and the various passwords, also resetting bluetooth to the initial settings.
6) Clean the system cache partition (Android)
This is a slightly more complicated solution, because it requires you to turn on the phone in Recovery mode.
To do this, turn off the smartphone, then turn it on while holding down the power buttons and the one to lower the volume.
Using the volume keys, go to the word Wipe cache partition and press the power key to select it.
After the phone restarts, try the Bluetooth connection again.
7) Safe mode (Android)
The other installed apps can affect Bluetooth, so if you try to start the Android phone in safe mode and Bluetooth works, then it is the fault of some app to identify.
Safe mode disables all downloaded apps and forces the phone to operate at a basic level.
On some Android smartphones, to restart it in safe mode, you can press and hold the shutdown button and then select the option.
In other cases it is necessary to look for a specific guide for the model or brand.
8) Factory reset
If you have tried everything and if your phone's Bluetooth doesn't work with anything, you may need to reset your phone to its original factory settings.
To do this, go to Settings and use the Factory Reset button in the System options.
How to troubleshoot Bluetooth problems on your device
In bluetooth devices there is no way to make configurations, but if it does not pair with any smartphone, you can correct the problem by making a reset.
Usually the reset of the Bluetooth connection is done using a hidden button to hold down with the pen or by pressing and holding two buttons together until a light flashes.
The keys to be pressed and the Bluetooth reset modes depend on the device you want to connect, therefore you will need to consult the instruction manual.
How to solve Bluetooth problems on PC
On Windows 10 and Windows 7 PCs, bluetooth can be configured from the Device Manager of the Control Panel .
By finding Bluetooth in the list, you can check if the device is working properly or if there is an error.
In the latter case, usually, the problem is solved simply by installing the correct updated driver.
In another article we had already seen how to update the Bluetooth USB Driver for Windows 7 and 10 with external stick.
If it's integrated into your PC, just go to the laptop manufacturer's website and look for the Bluetooth driver.
In other articles we have seen the guide for:
- Transfer files and photos via Bluetooth from Android to Windows 10 PC
- Add Bluetooth to your PC with an adapter
Bluetooth allows you to connect two devices wirelessly so they can transfer data from one to the other.
While in theory the connections with Bluetooth are extremely simple and you only need to activate it on the devices to be connected to be able to then associate them, it often happens that this "pairing" does not work, is denied, refused or ends with error.
The problems of bluetooth connection between smartphone and speaker / earphones / smartwatch or even in the connection between smartphone and PC or between PC and other accessories.
If Bluetooth does not connect, then, let's see here what can be the causes and all the things to do to solve the problem .
First of all, let's do a quick summary of what Bluetooth is and why it is so problematic from a technical point of view.
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless connection protocol that is easy to install on almost any device.
It is a small, inexpensive hardware component, whose best feature is that it requires little energy to feed itself.
In simple terms, Bluetooth connects a "master" device, such as the mobile phone, which controls a "slave" device, such as Bluetooth headphones.
The master transmits the content to the slave in short bursts and the slave can send command requests to the device.
The problems of bluetooth technology, always in a nutshell, are of two types.
The first concerns the limits of the technology itself, which does not have a generic communication band like Wi-Fi, but uses the specific profiles of the device, which change from manufacturer to manufacturer.
In addition, the band is super crowded and if we put that bluetooth antennas are very low power, bluetooth can have mediocre and poor performance on less expensive devices.
The other reason is related to the software that manages bluetooth, which is never bug-free, which changes depending on the electronic device, without documentation and without support.
How to solve connection problems with the Bluetooth of the mobile phone
Going on the practical, in case you are unable to pair and associate an external device such as wireless earphones or a portable speaker, to the smartphone, before thinking that the device is broken, you must see if the failure to connect depends on the bad software configuration phone or device itself.
1) First of all, let's make sure that Bluetooth is enabled on both the smartphone and the other device and, of course, that they are turned on.
On devices with battery it would be good to make sure that it is fully charged.
When the smartphone sees the presence of a Bluetooth device, this does not give notification, so you have to open the connection settings.
On both Android and iPhone, you will find Bluetooth options in Settings and you can search for nearby bluetooth devices.
In some cases, the detected devices have a name that makes them recognized, in other cases the Bluetooth address is read, which is made up of characters and numbers.
In this case, if you are unable to connect Bluetooth, there is almost certainly a problem on the device and not on the smartphone.
2) If the device is not really detected by the cell phone's bluetooth search, in the meantime try to bring it as close as possible.
If the search does not detect any nearby Bluetooth device or if you try to pair the device from the list of those detected but there are errors in the pairing that is not established, the first solution to try is to disable bluetooth on the phone and then reactivate it after 10 seconds .
Even better, try rebooting the phone to reset any configuration errors in memory.
Another precaution to use is to disable the NFC and Wifi connections on the mobile phone and try the connection again.
3) What really can solve the problem of bluetooth on a smartphone is the reset of the connection by removing all the devices associated with the phone in the past .
To do this, tap the Connections option in Settings, tap on Bluetooth and get to see, when Bluetooth is active, the list of devices associated with that device.
Tap the gear icon next to each paired device and select the option to unpair it from the phone.
Then repeat the same operation for all the devices.
4) Clear the Bluetooth cache (Android)
If Bluetooth worked first and then no longer, the Bluetooth cache may be damaged.
Clearing temporary cache files can remove damaged files and allow Bluetooth to connect again.
This process will not affect any of the other phone data.
To remove the Bluetooth cache on an Android smartphone, go to Settings, tap on Apps to bring up the list of applications.
Here, press the button with three dots to show the system processes / apps.
You can now find the app that manages Bluetooth, touch it and then go to clear the cache and data saved in memory.
5) Reset network connections (Android)
Another way to reset bluetooth connections is to use reset network settings.
Also in the Settings of the phone, under the item System (we speak here of Android), you will find the option of Reset the phone, also called in some cases "Reset".
By tapping the Reset, you can choose not to reset the phone completely, but only to reset the network.
Restoring the network connections deletes all the saved wifi networks and the various passwords, also resetting bluetooth to the initial settings.
6) Clean the system cache partition (Android)
This is a slightly more complicated solution, because it requires you to turn on the phone in Recovery mode.
To do this, turn off the smartphone, then turn it on while holding down the power buttons and the one to lower the volume.
Using the volume keys, go to the word Wipe cache partition and press the power key to select it.
After the phone restarts, try the Bluetooth connection again.
7) Safe mode (Android)
The other installed apps can affect Bluetooth, so if you try to start the Android phone in safe mode and Bluetooth works, then it is the fault of some app to identify.
Safe mode disables all downloaded apps and forces the phone to operate at a basic level.
On some Android smartphones, to restart it in safe mode, you can press and hold the shutdown button and then select the option.
In other cases it is necessary to look for a specific guide for the model or brand.
8) Factory reset
If you have tried everything and if your phone's Bluetooth doesn't work with anything, you may need to reset your phone to its original factory settings.
To do this, go to Settings and use the Factory Reset button in the System options.
How to troubleshoot Bluetooth problems on your device
In bluetooth devices there is no way to make configurations, but if it does not pair with any smartphone, you can correct the problem by making a reset.
Usually the reset of the Bluetooth connection is done using a hidden button to hold down with the pen or by pressing and holding two buttons together until a light flashes.
The keys to be pressed and the Bluetooth reset modes depend on the device you want to connect, therefore you will need to consult the instruction manual.
How to solve Bluetooth problems on PC
On Windows 10 and Windows 7 PCs, bluetooth can be configured from the Device Manager of the Control Panel .
By finding Bluetooth in the list, you can check if the device is working properly or if there is an error.
In the latter case, usually, the problem is solved simply by installing the correct updated driver.
In another article we had already seen how to update the Bluetooth USB Driver for Windows 7 and 10 with external stick.
If it's integrated into your PC, just go to the laptop manufacturer's website and look for the Bluetooth driver.
In other articles we have seen the guide for:
- Transfer files and photos via Bluetooth from Android to Windows 10 PC
- Add Bluetooth to your PC with an adapter
