bluetooth not working

Question

Wireless Bluetooth is not working and i also don't have the little bluetooth icon

Answer 1

1

Open the Settings App (gear icon on your Start Menu)

Go to System - Troubleshoot

Click 'Other Troubleshooters'

Run the Bluetooth troubleshooter from the resulting page

Check if Bluetooth is then working

2

If not, open Device Manager (accessible by right clicking your Start Button)

At the top of Device Manager, choose View - Show Hidden Devices

Does that show hidden Bluetooth device(s)

if so, right click and uninstall that

Restart your PC

Check if Bluetooth is then working

3

If Bluetooth is still not working, go to the support page for your PC on the manufacturers website, then from there, download and install the Bluetooth device drivers they recommend.

If you have any difficulty locating that support page, click your Start Button, then just type msinfo and press Enter, please provide a screenshot of the resulting System Information window.

Answer 2

Follow these steps in order on Windows 11.

1. Check basic Bluetooth conditions

• Confirm the PC actually has Bluetooth hardware (many desktops do not).
• Make sure the Bluetooth device (mouse, earbuds, etc.) is powered on, charged, and close to the PC.
• If the device is sluggish or unresponsive, move it away from other USB 3.0 devices that might interfere.

2. Make sure Bluetooth is turned on

• Press Windows logo key+I to open Settings.
• Go to Bluetooth & devices.
• Ensure Bluetooth is turned on.

3. Remove and re-add the Bluetooth device (if it appears but won’t connect)

• In Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices:
  1. Tab to the device category (for example Input, Audio, or Other devices), then select the problematic device.
  2. Choose More options > Remove device, then confirm with Yes.
  3. Pair the device again (see Use a screen reader to pair a Bluetooth device in Windows).

4. If the Bluetooth icon is missing: check Device Manager

• Press the Windows logo key, type Device manager, then press Enter.
• In Device Manager, locate Bluetooth.

If Bluetooth is present:

5. Update the Bluetooth driver automatically

• In Device Manager:
  1. Expand Bluetooth.
  2. Select the Bluetooth adapter.
  3. Open its context menu and select Update driver.
  4. Choose Search automatically for updated driver software and complete the wizard.
  5. Restart the PC if prompted and test Bluetooth again.

6. Reinstall the Bluetooth adapter

• In Device Manager:
  1. Expand Bluetooth and select the Bluetooth adapter.
  2. Open its context menu and select Uninstall device.
  3. Confirm Uninstall.
  4. Shut down the PC completely, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on so Windows reinstalls the driver.
• If the driver does not reinstall automatically:
  1. Open Device Manager again.
  2. Press Alt+A and select Scan for hardware changes.

7. Make sure the latest Bluetooth driver is installed (manual method)

• If automatic update did not help:
  1. Go to the PC manufacturer’s website and download the latest Bluetooth driver for Windows 11.
  2. If it is an .exe file, run it and follow the prompts.
  3. If it is a set of files with .inf and .sys, use Device Manager > Bluetooth adapter > Update driver and point it to the downloaded files.

If Bluetooth does not appear in Device Manager at all and there are no unknown devices, the PC may not have Bluetooth hardware or it may be disabled at a lower level (for example, in firmware). In that case, check the PC manufacturer’s documentation.

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References:

• Use a screen reader to fix Bluetooth problems in Windows
• Troubleshoot Bluetooth not connecting in Windows