Bluetooth not working or device will not connect

Most Bluetooth trouble is cured by removing the device and pairing it again from the start, with the device properly in pairing mode.

What you seeBluetooth is turned off / Couldn't connect / Try connecting your device again / the Bluetooth switch is missing

Pairing a device the right way

1. Put the device in pairing mode. This is different from simply switching it on: usually hold the power or Bluetooth button for several seconds until a light blinks quickly or in two colours. The device's leaflet says how.
2. On the PC: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Add device › Bluetooth.
3. Choose the device when it appears, and confirm any code.

Keep the device within a metre, charged, and away from other phones or laptops it has paired with before; it may be connecting to one of them instead. Turn off Bluetooth on those for the moment.

Device will not connect, or keeps dropping

1. Remove and pair again. Settings › Bluetooth & devices › the three dots on the device › Remove device. Restart the PC. Put the device in pairing mode and add it afresh.
2. Toggle Bluetooth and flight mode off and on (Windows key + A).
3. Charge the device. Low battery causes drops and refusals to pair.
4. Move closer and away from interference: USB 3.0 drives and hubs, Wi-Fi routers and microwave ovens all share the 2.4 GHz band. A USB Bluetooth dongle works better on a front port or a short extension cable.
5. Stop Windows switching the radio off. Device Manager › Bluetooth › your adapter › Properties › Power Management › untick "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power".
6. Run the troubleshooter: Settings › System › Troubleshoot › Other troubleshooters › Bluetooth.

Headphones connect but there is no sound, or sound is poor

• Choose them as the output: click the speaker icon and pick the headphones. See no sound.
• Bluetooth headsets appear twice: once for music ("Stereo" or the plain name) and once for calls ("Hands-Free"). The hands-free mode sounds flat because it shares the link with the microphone. For music, pick the stereo entry, and in a meeting app choose the laptop's own microphone to keep stereo quality.

The Bluetooth switch is missing

1. Restart, and check flight mode is off.
2. Device Manager: right-click Start › Device Manager. Is there a Bluetooth group? - Yes, with a down-arrow on the adapter: right-click › Enable device. - Yes, with a yellow mark: right-click › Uninstall device, restart. - No Bluetooth group: View › Show hidden devices; Action › Scan for hardware changes. Also look under "Other devices" for an unknown device.
3. Service: Windows key + R › services.msc › Bluetooth Support Service › Startup type Automatic › Start.
4. Driver: install the Bluetooth driver for your exact model from the maker's support page, or Windows Update › Advanced options › Optional updates. On many laptops Wi-Fi and Bluetooth share one chip, so install the wireless driver too.
5. Does the computer have Bluetooth at all? Many desktops do not. A small USB Bluetooth adapter adds it.

After a Windows update

If Bluetooth vanished or misbehaves right after an update: Device Manager › Bluetooth adapter › Properties › Driver › Roll Back Driver, or uninstall the update from Settings › Windows Update › Update history.

Bluetooth mouse or keyboard lags

Replace or charge its batteries, move the dongle closer, remove other USB 3.0 devices from neighbouring ports, and update the Bluetooth driver. See also keyboard or touchpad not working.

For Windows 11 and Windows 10. Written in November 2026. Menus move between updates; use the search box in Settings if a name differs. Back up important files before any step that resets, repairs a disk or opens the computer. This is an independent guide, not connected with Microsoft.