There is no denying that Bluetooth technology has made data sharing so much easier. Bluetooth is used mainly with features like continuity, transfer, file sharing, and more. And there are iBeacons and various other technologies that rely on Bluetooth LE.
Sometimes, a “Bluetooth not available” message appears on your Mac, and it won’t connect. In addition, some Mac users may find Bluetooth functionality affected, often after restarting or updating OS X.
The first noticeable sign is that it doesn’t detect any hardware that uses Bluetooth.
These can include a keyboard, mice, headset, or any other Bluetooth device that you use. When you open the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar in “About this Mac,” it marks the error: “Bluetooth Not Available.”
This error can be annoying if you’re a fan of wireless since you can’t connect anything.
Now, we’ll look at your Mac’s Bluetooth capability, where to turn this feature on, how to pair a new device and possible Bluetooth connectivity issues.
System Preferences of Macbook Pro
Do you know how to turn on Bluetooth, pair a new device on Mac? Are you aware of why the “Bluetooth Not Available Error” occurs in the first place?
Read on to discover all system preferences Bluetooth of your Mac followed by 7 Fixes of the “Bluetooth Not Available” Error!
Does Macbook Have Bluetooth?
Every new Mac you buy has Bluetooth. So there is no need to buy any extra hardware on your MacBook Air/ Pro or iMac to use Bluetooth.
Suppose you can’t see the Bluetooth in your panel of System Preferences. In that case, you probably have an old Mac which doesn’t support Bluetooth. You can buy an adapter for your device.
Make sure you purchase the one compatible with mac OS because mostly, these are made specifically for Windows.
How to Turn Bluetooth On?
To turn Mac Bluetooth On:
- Open the menu of the Apple icon in the left corner of your screen.
- Select System Preferences Bluetooth.
- Select Bluetooth in the menu bar.
- On the Bluetooth panel, there will be a Bluetooth icon on the left side.
- Here the Bluetooth will be Off. Click on the “Turn Bluetooth On” button.
We also suggest you check the box called ‘Show Bluetooth’ if it does not enable from this panel.
It has a Bluetooth icon at the top that allows you to access mac Bluetooth connections instead of hitting the panel.
Connect Devices Supporting Bluetooth Connection to Mac
Before a Bluetooth-enabled device can connect with the Mac, you must pair it first.
If you turn Bluetooth on any device back, you will be well-known for the idea of visibility.
It is now standard for multiple Bluetooth devices to appear in the same area.
So, it would be best if you paired the devices for security manually. You may do this when the device is visible.
Pairing New Devices
The features of this process vary depending on the devices you need to connect with.
Like macOS, many other OS such as Windows 10, Android, and iOS visible when you turn on the Bluetooth.
- When the device you are connecting to is in connecting mode. Its name should appear under the devices heading in your Mac’s Bluetooth settings.
- Click on Connect button.
- When pairing a Bluetooth device for the first time, you may have to confirm a PIN on both devices. If you need to enter the PIN manually (seen on older devices), this is probably 0000, 1234, or 1111.
- After this is done, you have connected your device to Mac by Bluetooth.
When both devices are powered on and within the limit of each other (around 9-10 meters), they connect automatically.
In case your devices don’t connect automatically, you can always do this manually.
You can see the devices you have previously paired with under Devices in the Bluetooth settings panel (besides the menu bar icon). After making sure the device is turned on, click its name to connect.
Remove Bluetooth Device
To remove all devices on Mac:
- Go to library preferences
- In system preferences, click the device name in the device list
- And select Uninstall.
Once you uninstall library preferences, the device will no longer connect automatically. Instead, you will need to pair it again to use it.
What’s the Root Cause of the “Bluetooth Not Available” Error?
All those who own a Macbook must have faced the random interruption of the Bluetooth function on their laptops.
What happens to your laptop that makes you aware of this dilemma? And more importantly, what’s the cure?
First things first, all the devices connected to your laptop via Bluetooth tend to stop working. From earphones to keyboards, the hardware becomes unresponsive.
The first thing any person would do will be to check for the Bluetooth settings in the respective devices.
While you are doing so, if a message stating “Bluetooth not available” pops up, it means that either your Macbook or your hardware is subject to some error.
As you have deduced that there is a problem, now is the time to find the culprit. First, you need to open the Apple System Profiler from the Bluetooth settings in the Hardware tab.
If it shows “No information found.”, then we’re afraid this could be a severe problem.
Simple disconnection problems can be solved by either replacing the device batteries or turning toggling the on and off the Bluetooth settings.
There are plenty of macOS-specific ways to solve the problem of Bluetooth not available.
For starters, you can start by deleting all your Bluetooth preferences and then reconnecting the hardware. Hopefully, this should resolve the issue.
However, if it does not, then you’re in for some more trouble! You’ll be required to do the reset at a larger scale according to the hardware attached.
In that regard, allow us to show some of the most successful methods to eliminate this dilemma.
7 Fixes of “Bluetooth Not Available” on Macbook
Everyone knows how crucial Bluetooth is in our daily lives. The fact that our system cannot function properly without it speaks volumes about its influence.
If the general methods are not working for your Mac and the “Bluetooth Not Available” issue is still occurring, here are seven measures you can take to reestablish the Bluetooth connection to your Mac.
Turn the Bluetooth Off and Back on
Begin by closing System Preferences and other apps that use or configure your Bluetooth device with the Mac.
To turn on Bluetooth on your Mac:
- Go to the Apple menu bar in the upper left corner of the screen.
- Select System Preferences.
- It will show Bluetooth in the menu. Select Bluetooth.
- On the left side of the Bluetooth panel, you will see the Bluetooth icon.
- If it says turn Bluetooth On, click the “Turn Bluetooth Off” button to enable it.
Primarily this method works to solve the issue. But if it does not work, try the following methods given below.
Reboot your Mac
If the “Bluetooth Not Available” issue hasn’t gone away, try rebooting the Mac.
- Shut the system down completely and restart your Mac as usual.
- To do this, go to the Apple menu bar and click on Restart.
After you restart your Mac, the ‘Bluetooth Not Available issue’ will be resolved. However, if this still didn’t work, it’s time for severe troubleshooting.
Remove all USB devices.
This can be another quick method to fix the Bluetooth unavailability issue on Mac.
Disconnect all USB devices to inject life back into your device’s Bluetooth system.
Doing this will require you to disconnect all external drives, i.e., USB mouse, keyboards, etc. And then restart your Mac.
Now, wait a few minutes before reconnecting the Bluetooth devices. These simple steps could be all that you would need to fix the problem.
Reset the SMC
Resetting the SMC is among the most popular options among users.
This method can help you get rid of all types of hardware-related problems.
There are many processes of reset SMC for different kinds of Macs you’re using. This includes removable battery macs, non-removable battery macs, and other Apple PCs.
They are:
How to Reset SMC on Macs with Detachable Batteries?
For removable battery devices, follow these steps:
- Shut down your laptop.
- Remove the battery.
- Hold the power button for ten to fifteen seconds.
- Put the battery back into place, followed by attaching the power adapter.
- Please turn on your laptop and restart it.
How to Reset the SMC With Non-removable Batteries?
For devices with non-removable batteries, here are five steps you need to follow:
- Shut down the laptop.
- Plugin your power brick.
- Press the Control, Shift, Option, and Power buttons for a few seconds.
- Let go of them simultaneously.
- In the end, reboot your device.
How to Reset the SMC on Other Apple PCs
For devices with removable batteries, follow these steps:
- Turn off your device.
- Remove the battery.
- Remove the power adapter.
- Press and hold your device’s power button for five seconds.
- Connect the adapter to the laptop after inserting the battery.
- Please turn on your laptop and restart it.
Clear Every single Bluetooth Preference
To clear Bluetooth system preferences, you can start by removing the .plist files. It will enable your Macbook to create a new list from scratch.
Plist files are files that store software user preferences for the connected hardware. Sometimes, these files might be bogus, and that could lead to the error you are facing.
Follow the simple undermentioned steps to delete these files:
For Macbook Pro:
- In system preferences, go to the main Apple menu bar.
- Click the Close button, which will turn off the device.
- Wait a minute and restart your Mac device.
- Now reconnect all Bluetooth devices.
For Mac PC’s App:
- Close all applications that may try to establish a connection between the Bluetooth device and the Mac PC.
- Now click on the Finder on your Mac OS X. Over there, search your desired folder by holding the Command, Shift, and G keys together.
- Clear all Bluetooth preferences and restart your Mac.
- Now you can reconnect all Bluetooth devices.
For Web:
- Delete the com.apple.Bluetooth.plist and com. apple.Bluetooth.plist.lockfile files.
- As you remove files from a system folder, you will need to verify your identity as the admin user.
- Clear all Bluetooth preferences.
- Now you can reconnect your Bluetooth device.
If the .plist files were causing your Bluetooth not available error, this method would fix it.
Additionally, in Bluetooth preferences, go to the folder. If you see other files with the same extension, delete them as well!
But deleting the two files mentioned above will most likely solve your issue. If it doesn’t, then go for the other files.
Reboot the Bluetooth Module
If nothing else works, you have to reset the Bluetooth module, which is aimed at debugging and the problem that might be there.
This method is among the most successful ways you can apply to solve Bluetooth issues.
Follow the following steps to reset the Bluetooth module:
- Long-press the Option and Shift keys together.
- Open Bluetooth settings from the menu bar.
- Select the Debug option and delete hardware.
- Reset the module by clicking on the Debug option for a second time.
- Reconnect all Bluetooth devices
When you reset the Bluetooth module, all Bluetooth devices will connect for sure.
Delete Downloads and Other Unnecessary Files
If you have recently downloaded a file, it might be the likely culprit behind this dilemma.
If the file would be corrupt, there is a high chance that it is the one interrupting the Bluetooth connection.
This could either be malware or even a file that does not support the running Bluetooth version.
Regardless, the ideal solution is to remove all such files so that the Bluetooth error is fixed.
You can also do this yourself, without any external software, via these undermentioned steps:
- Launch the Finder.
- While holding the Command and Shift keys, press the G key.
- Type these symbols in the search bar: ~ /
- Go to folder. Click download. It will lead you to your Mac’s default folder, where it places the download files without a described path.
- Now click the files you wish to remove.
Final Words
If even after all this doesn’t work on Bluetooth, you may have an actual hardware problem.
It is rare and usually does not occur. However, it can occur after the computer or hardware has been dropped or touched with water.
However, if not even a single solution works for you, contacting Apple Customer Care is the last option.
At Apple tech support, they will run some diagnostic tests to decide what’s going on and how to get a fix.
Nonetheless, the likelihood of your problem getting solved from the solutions mentioned above is relatively high! Usually, the same issues are causing a vast majority of the issues.
So, give these a shot and see whether they work for you or not!
