How to Turn On Bluetooth on Windows 10 and 11

Bluetooth lets computers, cell phones, and other devices, like headphones, keyboards, speakers, cars, and more, connect wirelessly. You might want to use Bluetooth on your Windows device to listen to music with headphones, connect a keyboard and mouse, or send files from one computer to another. Here's how to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10 and 11 and how to pair a Bluetooth device.

How to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10

1. Click the Windows Start button in the lower-left corner of the screen.

2. Choose Settings.

3. Select Devices.

4. Select Bluetooth & other devices.

5. Select Bluetooth and toggle the switch on.

Another way to quickly turn Bluetooth on or off is to use the Windows 10 Action Center. This is how:

1. Click on the speech bubble next to the clock in the bottom right corner of your screen to open the Action Center.

2. Click the "Expand" button if you don't see a list of action tiles.

3. Click the Bluetooth tile to turn Bluetooth on or off. If the background is blue, it means that it is on.

How to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 11

Turn on Bluetooth via Windows Settings

1. Click on the Start Menu and type Settings to search for Settings.

2. Click on Settings to launch the application.

3. Select 'Bluetooth and devices' from the list of tabs on the left side of the screen.

4. Enable Bluetooth by clicking the toggle next to the Bluetooth label.

When you wish to add a new device, the option to activate Bluetooth through settings is conveniently located here.

Enable Bluetooth on Windows 11 via Action Center

1. Click on the 'Action Center' in the lower-right corner of the Desktop.

2. To enable Bluetooth, click the Bluetooth icon in the Action Center's top row of quick actions. Once enabled, it should acquire a darker hue based on the color scheme of your computer.

Although the Bluetooth action is available by default in the "Action Center," you can add it if you accidentally removed it or if it is not present.

To add Bluetooth to the 'Action Center':

1. Launch the 'Action Center' and click the pencil-shaped 'Edit quick settings' icon at the bottom left of the dialog.

2. All the tiles will now fade, and 'Done' and 'Add' will appear as new options. Select 'Add'.

3. Select Bluetooth from the list of toggle options.

4. Click 'Done' at the bottom to save the modifications.

The Bluetooth option will now be added to the 'Action Center,' where it can be activated as above.

How to pair a Bluetooth device on Windows 10

Make sure your Bluetooth device is on and that it is discoverable. Different devices have different ways to make the device discoverable. 

1. Click the Start button.

2. Click Settings.

3. Select Devices.

4. Select Bluetooth & other devices.

5. Click Add Bluetooth or other device.

6. Click Bluetooth in the window that pops up.

7. Pick the device and follow any other instructions that come up, if any.

8. Click Done.

How to pair a Bluetooth on Windows 11

Once Bluetooth is turned on in Windows 11, the next step is to pair devices so they can talk to each other without any problems. Devices that have Bluetooth can be connected to your computer in a fairly simple way.

1. Make sure that Bluetooth is turned on on both the computer and the device you want to pair, and that the device you want to pair is in "Pairing Mode" before going any further.

2. Open Windows Settings and use the menu on the left to find the "Bluetooth & devices" settings.

3. Click the 'Add device' option at the very top.

4. A window called "Add a device" will show up with three options. Pick the one that matches the thing you want to connect.

5. After you choose the type of device, your PC will start looking for Bluetooth devices nearby. Pick the item you want to go with it.

6. If the pairing works, a message will show up in the window to let you know. Also, the device will be linked.

There are two kinds of wireless devices: ones that connect right away and ones that need a password to connect. The Bluetooth speaker we just paired worked right away with just one click.

Let's now try to get in touch with a phone. Turn on Bluetooth on the phone, and then choose it from the list of devices.

Now, both the computer and the phone will show the PIN. Make sure the PIN is the same on both devices, and then click "Connect" on the computer and "Pair" (or something similar) on the phone to finish pairing.

When Bluetooth is turned on, you only have to pair a device once, and it will connect automatically whenever it is in range.

Now that you know how to connect and pair Bluetooth devices, you should connect your PC to the ones you use the most.

How to troubleshoot Bluetooth issues

You may often have trouble finding the Bluetooth option, pairing or using other devices, or dealing with other problems that are similar. There are many things that could go wrong. In the sections that follow, we list the best ways to fix the most common Bluetooth problems in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Can’t Turn On Bluetooth?

This is a common problem that most users have, since they can't turn on Bluetooth. This could be caused by a number of things, and the steps below will help you figure out what's wrong and fix it.

1. Check if Your PC Supports Bluetooth

To find out if your device supports Bluetooth, look for "Device Manager" in the "Start" menu and then run the app.

Next, look in the list for the Bluetooth item.

If there is no "Bluetooth" option, double-click "Network Adapters" and make sure "Bluetooth" is listed.

If "Bluetooth" wasn't listed in "Device Manager," your computer doesn't have Bluetooth Support, and you can't use the feature without a Bluetooth adapter or PCI card. If your computer supports Bluetooth, use one of the solutions below to fix the problem that's keeping you from connecting to Bluetooth.

2. Check for a Physical Key to Enable Bluetooth

Many computers have a physical button for turning Bluetooth on and off. If you can't get Bluetooth to work, make sure the key is in a position that lets Bluetooth work. Check the system's manual to find out where an external button to turn Bluetooth on or off is located.

3. Verify that the Flight Mode is Enabled

Before you try to turn on Bluetooth, make sure that "Flight Mode" is not on. When "Flight Mode" is on, you can't turn on Bluetooth.

Select "Action Center" from the Taskbar to see if "Flight Mode" is turned on. The new "Action Center" feature shows icons for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and speakers.

Look in the "Action Center" to see if "Airplane mode" is turned on. Any feature that is turned on will have a blue tile, and any that is turned off will have a white one. If "Airplane Mode" is on, click the tile to turn it off.

4. Run Bluetooth Troubleshooter

If the problem with Bluetooth hasn't been fixed yet, you can use the Windows 11 Bluetooth troubleshooter.

Start "Settings" with the "System" tab already open to run the troubleshooter. Now, scroll down on the right and click "Troubleshoot."

Next, from the menu, choose "Other troubleshooters."

Now, scroll down to the "Bluetooth" troubleshooter and click the "Run" button next to it.

The troubleshooter will start right away to find and fix all known problems that stop Bluetooth from working. During the troubleshooting process, you may need to make sure that a few changes are correct.

5. Check if Bluetooth Support Service is Running

Most of the time, the problem is caused by the "Bluetooth Support Service." By default, the service is not set up to run automatically because it is set to "Manual" instead of "Automatic." To fix the problem, change the "Startup Type" to "Automatic" and restart the service.

To open the "Bluetooth Support Service" app, look for "Services" in the "Start" menu and click on the right result.

Then, double-click the "Bluetooth Support Service" option to get to its properties.

In the properties window, go to the "Startup type" drop-down menu and choose "Automatic."

Now that you have changed the "Startup type," the service is not yet running. Under "Service status," click "Start" and wait for the service to start. Once the process has started, click "OK" at the bottom to save the changes and close the properties window.

Now, check to see if you can turn on Bluetooth.

6. Update The Bluetooth Drivers

If none of the above solutions worked, it's probably because of the Bluetooth driver. So, it's time to make some changes.

To update the Bluetooth driver, look for "Device Manager" in the "Start" menu and then run it.

Next, double-click the Bluetooth entry to make it bigger so you can see what devices it has.

Next, right-click the Bluetooth device option and choose "Update driver" from the menu that appears.

Open the window that says "Update Drivers." Now, you will be given two options: either let Windows find and install the best driver, or install the driver yourself. It's best to pick the first option and let Windows install the driver.

If an update is available, choose the first option and then follow the instructions on the screen to finish the installation.

I'm Unable to Connect to your Bluetooth Device

When people try to connect two Bluetooth devices, this is another problem they usually run into. The reason why this situation happened is pretty simple and easy to fix.

1. Check if Bluetooth is Enabled on the Device

Make sure the other device's Bluetooth is turned on if you can't connect to it. This is the most common mistake users make, trying to connect without having Bluetooth turned on. If this was the case, try connecting to the device again, and everything should work normally.

2. Check if the Device is in Range

Every Bluetooth device has a range, which is the maximum distance at which it can send and receive signals or stay connected. Check the manual that came with your device or system to find out how far it can reach. To fix the problem, just move the device closer and try to connect to it again.

Also, make sure there are no obstacles between the PC and the device you want to connect. For example, the connection would be broken if there was a wall between the two. After moving the device closer to the computer, try to connect it to the computer again.

3. Switch Bluetooth On / Off

Multiple users have fixed the problem by simply turning Bluetooth back on. If the other ideas didn't work, you should try this.

To turn Bluetooth back on, open "Settings" and then choose "Bluetooth & devices" from the list on the left.

To turn off Bluetooth, click the switch next to it.

Wait a few minutes after turning Bluetooth off, and then click the switch to turn it back on.

Now, check to see if you can link up with the other devices.

4. Reboot your computer

Most small problems can be fixed by restarting the computer. When you restart the computer, the operating system is reloaded, which can fix a number of bugs or errors. Errors with Bluetooth connections are the same.

After you restart the computer, make sure the error is gone and you can connect to the device.

5. Repair your device

If none of the other steps worked to fix the problem, the last step is to fix the device. If something went wrong during pairing, trying to connect the device would be hard. So, it is suggested that you connect the device again.

To fix a device, go to the "Bluetooth & devices" settings. There, you'll see a list of all the Bluetooth devices you've already paired. Choose "Remove device" from the three dots in the upper right corner of the device tile you can't connect to.

Note: If the device you can't pair with doesn't show up at the top of the "Bluetooth & devices" settings, choose "View more devices," click on the ellipsis next to the device, and then follow the steps in this section.

Click "Yes" in the window that comes up to confirm.

Follow the steps above to pair a Bluetooth device again after you've taken it out of pairing mode. Now you can hook up the thing to the computer.

It's time to get rid of devices with wires and switch to ones with Bluetooth. They are not only easier to use, but they also increase the device's range, making them a good choice for most people.