How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7

Bluetooth is always a great choice of wireless technology when connecting electronic devices in close proximity. With modern devices, turning on and using Bluetooth is extremely simple and easy, however, with a fairly old operating system like Windows 7, not everyone knows how to turn on, connect and handle problems encountered when working with Bluetooth.

So, in this article, Quantrimang.com will introduce you to how to connect Bluetooth in Windows 7, how to quickly resolve connection errors, helping the process of adding your device to be the easiest and most convenient. Please read on!

Step 1: Turn on Bluetooth on Windows 7

The settings for enabling Bluetooth in Windows 7 are slightly different than in newer versions of Windows.

First, click the Start button on the screen, type Bluetooth in the search bar and select Change Bluetooth Settings.

How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7
Search for and select Change Bluetooth Settings

In the Bluetooth Settings dialog box that appears, select the following items:

  • Allow Bluetooth devices to find this computer in Discovery
  • Allow Bluetooth Devices to Connect with This Computer in Connections
  • Alert Me When a New Bluetooth Device Wants to Connect in Connections
How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7
Check 3 items in Bluetooth Settings

Next, click Apply to apply the changes and select OK to save.

Now you can see the Bluetooth icon has appeared on the Taskbar and is ready to connect to other Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as mouse, keyboard, speakers...

Step 2: Turn on Bluetooth on paired devices

No matter what device you connect to, all of them must have Bluetooth turned on. Here's how to turn on Bluetooth on some devices.

How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7
The icon on the taskbar indicates that Bluetooth is turned on.

On Android

You can use the shortcut on the notification bar or go to Settings > Wireless and Networks > Bluetooth and turn it on.

How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7
How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7

Turn on Bluetooth on Android device

On iOS

  • Control Center: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open Control Center and select Bluetooth to turn it on.
  • Settings App: go to Settings > Bluetooth and switch to On.
How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7
How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7

Turn on Bluetooth on iOS device

Step 3: Connect the device to Windows 7

To connect a Bluetooth device in Windows 7, you must go to Control Panel, from here click View Devices and Printers under Hardware and Sound.

How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7
Control Panel in Windows 7

You will then be taken to the Devices and Printers screen, now select Add a Device.

How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7
Add new Bluetooth device in Windows 7

Select the device you want to add and click Next.

How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7
Find the Bluetooth device you want to connect to Windows 7

The device driver will be loaded and you will see a window appear like this:

How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7
Bluetooth mouse added

Now the newly added device should work properly over Bluetooth on Windows 7. Click Close and start using it.

In fact, connecting Bluetooth devices on Windows 7 is quite easy, but there are some issues that you need to note:

  • Make sure your laptop or computer supports Bluetooth.
  • Make sure the Bluetooth button is turned on, visible on the taskbar.
  • Make sure any wireless or power control software has Bluetooth enabled.
How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7
SmartWi Connectivity
  • Make sure your Bluetooth device is powered on and check by looking at its power indicator light.
  • You can press the Connect button on the Bluetooth device to make it catch the Bluetooth adapter on your computer or laptop.
  • Make sure that the driver for the Bluetooth device is successfully installed, for example as shown below:
How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7
The Bluetooth device driver is currently installed.
How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7
Bluetooth device driver installed

Fix Bluetooth connection error on Windows 7

However, in reality, connecting Bluetooth on Windows 7 to other devices is not always as smooth as the instructions. There are some special cases, after the system recognizes the device but cannot be used. When encountering this situation, you handle it as follows:

Open Start Menu (press Windows key) > Control Panel > Devices and Printers.

Next, right-click on the device you're having trouble with (in this case, an iPhone 3GS), which will usually be displayed with a yellow triangle icon and an exclamation mark:

How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7
Right click on the device that cannot connect to Bluetooth

Most of the causes of this problem are due to incompatible drivers. In the next window displayed on the system, select Apply this fix and wait for the system to resolve the problem.

How to connect Bluetooth devices in Windows 7
Select Apply this fix to fix the error.

Hope this article is useful to you. Good luck!

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