Bluetooth Not Working in Mac: How to Fix [10+ Methods]

In this guide, we will show you various methods to fix the issue of Bluetooth not working on your Mac. The benefits of having wireless connectivity over a wired one have already been documented countless times. Well, I don’t even remember the last time I used the 3.5mm headphone jack on my iMac, all thanks to the wireless headphones that I have at our disposal. However, there have been a few instances wherein the Bluetooth does not work along the expected lines in Mac.

And when that happens, not only will you not be able to use your earphones. but the bigger problem is the inability to use the keyboard and mouse as well. Therefore, as opposed to other ecosystems, the inability of the Bluetooth to function in macOS makes the matter only worse. With that said, there do exist quite a few nifty workarounds that shall help you resolve this issue. So without further ado, let’s check them out.

How to Fix Bluetooth Not Working on Mac

It is recommended that you try out each of the below-mentioned workarounds and then see which one spells out success for you. So with that in mind, let’s get started.

FIX 1: Restart Mac

In most instances, a simple reboot is more than enough to rectify the underlying issue. So before moving any further ahead, let’s first reboot the Mac and check out the results.

1. To begin with, click on the Apple logo situated a the top left.
2. Then select Restart and wait for your Mac to reboot.
3. Once it boots up, check if the Bluetooth is working on your Mac or not.

FIX 2: Check Device Battery

While it may sound like an obvious statement but still we would recommend you check the device battery once before connecting it to your mac. Even if it is powered on but is low on battery, then we would recommend you to charge it right away, otherwise, it might go into a Power Saving Moe and this restrictive measure would, in turn, prevent your device from successfully establishing a wireless connection.

FIX 3: Toggle Mac’s Bluetooth

You should consider disabling and re-enabling the Bluetooth on your Mac. This will disable the existing connection and would create a new one, which in turn might rectify the underlying issue as well. So let’s give it a try and check out the results.

1. Click on the Control Center icon and select Bluetooth.
2. Then turn off the toggle next to Bluetooth.
3. Now wait for a few seconds and then re-enable Bluetooth.
4. Your Bluetooth earphone should now automatically connect to your Mac.
5. If that doesn’t happen, then go to Bluetooth Preferences and click on Connect next to it.
6. Now check if it fixes the issue of Bluetooth not working on your Mac.

FIX 4: Pair your Device Again

Next up, you should consider removing your device from the paired devices section of your Mac and then pair it back again. Here’s how it could be done:

1. Click on the Control Center icon and select Bluetooth.
2. Then click on Bluetooth Preferences.
3. After that, right-click on your device and select Remove.
4. Now bring up your device in the pairing mode.
5. It will now appear in the list of devices. click on Connect.
6. Now check if it fixes the issue of Bluetooth not working on your Mac.

FIX 5: Tweak Device Settings

If you successfully paired and connected your earphones to your mac but the device is still not performing along the expected lines, then you might have to tweak its settings from your computer. For example, if the issue is with the wireless earphones, then here’s what you need to do

1. Click on the Apple logo and select System Preferences.
2. Then go to the Output tab and select your earphones.
3. Now tweak the Balance and Output settings accordingly.
4. Check if your Bluetooth earphones are now working on your Mac.

On the other hand, if the issue is with your Bluetooth-enabled mouse, then you could try out the following tweaks-

1. Click on the Apple logo and select System Preferences
2. Then select your Mouse from the menu. It will bring up the gesture list.
3. Try disabling/enabling certain gestures under the Point and Click and More Gestures tab.
4. Likewise, change the tracking speed to make it in sync with your requirements.
5. Once done, check if it fixes the issue of Bluetooth not working on your Mac.

FIX 6: Disable Continuity and Universal Control

With Monterey 12.4, many users reported that they were unable to connect heir trackpad as well as Magic keyboard with their Mac. Upon further investigation of the issue, they found out that the features related to Continuity and Universal Control proved to be the culprit. Upon disabling them, the underlying issue was indeed resolved. So if you don’t use this service much and want a much more stable Bluetooth experience, then you could consider turning it off. Here’s how:

1. Click on the Apple logo situated at the top left and select System Preferences.
2. Then go to General and uncheck “Allow handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices”.
3. After that, go back to System Preferences, select Display, and click on Control Center.
4. Now uncheck “Allow your pointer and keyboard to move between any nearby Mac or iPad”.
5. Check if it fixes the issue of Bluetooth not working on your Mac.

FIX 7: Restart Bluetooth Process

If any of the background running processes of Bluetooth aren’t functioning along the expected lines, then it could spell out trouble for the Bluetooth. Therefore, you should consider restarting all its processes, using the instructions listed below [do note that this will remove all your paired devices].

1. To begin with, open Launchpad and go to Other > Terminal.
2. Then execute the below command in the terminal window

   sudo pkill blued

   

3. Now try reconnecting your device with your Mac and check if it works out.

FIX 8: Reset Bluetooth Module

In some instances, your mouse might not be able to establish a successful connection with your Mac due to the latter’s Bluetooth module being corrupted. In such cases, you will have to reset the Bluetooth module on your Mac, as instructed below.

1. Open Launchpad and go to Other > Terminal.
2. Now execute the below command in the Terminal window

   sudo pkill bluetoothd

   

3. Once done, re-pair your device with your Mac and check out the results.

FIX 9: Reset NVRAM

Both M1/M2 and Intel-based Macs come with NVRAM [Non-Volatile Random Access Memory) which holds information about the configuration of your Mac. They store information related to your desktop settings, mouse, keyboard, time zone, and display resolution, among others. So if this stored data gets corrupted, then its associated hardware or software component might not be able to perform as expected. Therefore, you will have to reset the NVRAM, using the instructions given below:

1. If you have an M1 or M2 Mac, then just a normal restart will reset the NVRAM.
2. For an Intel-based Mac, you should first turn off your PC.
3. Then before the gray screen appears, press the CMD, Option, P, and R keys together.
4. Keep on pressing these keys until your Mac restarts and you hear the startup sound.
5. Once that happens, you may release the keys and the NVRAM reset is now complete.
6. Now check if it fixes the issue of Bluetooth not working on your Mac.

FIX 10: Manually Configure Network MTU

Many users were able to resolve the Bluetooth issue by assigning a manual value to the WiFi Maximum Transmission Unit. So let’s put this tweak to the test and check out the results.

1. Click on the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
2. Then click on Network, select WiFi, and click on Advanced.
3. Now go to the Hardware tab and change Configure to Manually.
4. Then change MTU to Custom, type in 1280 as the value, and hit OK.
5. Now check if it fixes the issue of Bluetooth not working on your Mac.

FIX 11: Delete Bluetooth Configuration Files

If none of the aforementioned methods managed to work out in your favor, then it might be the case of your Bluetooth’s preferences and configuration settings getting corrupted. To rectify it you will have to delete its config file [Property List-PLIST] and let the OS recreate it from scratch. Here’s how it could be done:

1. Launch Finder and press Shift+Command+. keys to show hidden files.
2. Then go to Library > Preferences folder and delete the following file:

   com.apple.Bluetooth.plist

   

3. After that, go to Library > Preferences >ByHost and delete the file stating with:

   com.apple.Bluetooth

4. Once done, restart your Mac and the files will be re-created.
5. Now reconnect your device and the issue would have been rectified.

That’s it. These were the eleven different methods that shall help you fix the issue of bluetooth not working on your Mac. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.

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