Summary of ways to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10/8/7

Many Windows computers have Bluetooth connectivity, which you can use to connect most of your devices, such as smartphones, speakers, headphones, printers, and more.

If Bluetooth isn't available, you can always use a Bluetooth adapter. It's a cheap way to get Bluetooth connectivity for your devices and is easy to set up.

However, Bluetooth tends to reduce the battery life of the device when used and its use comes with some security risks. Readers can find more information in the article: Understanding Bluetooth technology .

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10, as well as some troubleshooting tips if things go wrong.

Table of Contents

• How to turn on Bluetooth on Win 10
  • 1. Using Windows Settings
  • 2. Turn on Bluetooth in Action Center
  • 3. Using Swift Pair
  • 4. Turn on Bluetooth from Airplane mode settings
  • 5. Use Cortana
  • 6. Set Bluetooth service to Automatic
• How to connect Bluetooth devices to Windows 10
• What to do if Bluetooth is not working on Windows 10?
  • Make the system discoverable
  • Reposition the device
  • Disable other Bluetooth devices
  • Read Event Log
  • Check Windows Update
  • Run Bluetooth Troubleshooter
• Some questions about Bluetooth feature in Windows 10
  • Your PC doesn't have Bluetooth. Why?
  • How to reinstall Bluetooth driver in Windows 10?
  • How to check which Bluetooth version you have in Windows 10?

How to turn on Bluetooth on Win 10

There are 5 methods you can use to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10

• Using Windows Settings
• Turn on Bluetooth from Action Center
• Using Swift Pair
• Turn on Bluetooth from Airplane mode settings
• Using Cortana

1. Using Windows Settings

The first step before using a Bluetooth device is to configure Bluetooth settings in Windows 10. To do this, access the Settings app in Windows 10 by clicking the Start button , then clicking the Settings icon.

Next, click on Devices.

Click Bluetooth & Other Devices .

Note : If the Bluetooth toggle switch is not available on Bluetooth & Other devices settings , that Windows computer may not have Bluetooth capability or the related hardware is not recognized.

Click More Bluetooth options in the Related Settings section for additional Bluetooth settings.

You can expand the window to see the options on the right menu.

2. Turn on Bluetooth in Action Center

Action Center in Windows 10 gives you access to quick settings and actionable app notifications.

• You can find the Action Center icon on the taskbar at the bottom right of your screen.
• When you tap it, you will see quick settings and app notification icons. Tap All Settings .
• Next, click on Devices.
• Click Bluetooth and other devices on the left hand side.
• Toggle the Bluetooth slider to the On position .

• Click Add Bluetooth or other device .
• Click Bluetooth. Windows will begin searching for available Bluetooth devices.

3. Using Swift Pair

For details on how to enable and use Swift Pair on Windows 10, please refer to the article: How to enable Swift Pair feature on Windows 10 for more details.

4. Turn on Bluetooth from Airplane mode settings

Windows 10 Bluetooth also has a toggle in settings for Airplane mode. Use Win+ Ito open Settings and click or tap Network & Internet .

Go to the Airplane mode tab from the left column. On the right side, under the Wireless devices section , you can see a Bluetooth toggle switch. Click it to turn it to the On position.

When this switch is set to On , you can start connecting other devices to Windows 10 via Bluetooth. Tap it again if you want to turn Bluetooth off.

NOTE : The Bluetooth switch in the Airplane mode tab works regardless of whether Airplane mode is turned on or not. However, turning on Airplane mode turns off Bluetooth by default in Windows 10.

5. Use Cortana

You can also ask Cortana, Microsoft's virtual assistant, to turn on Windows 10 Bluetooth. Make sure Cortana can hear you and say "turn on Bluetooth," "enable Bluetooth," "start Bluetooth," or "activate Bluetooth ." Cortana will turn on Bluetooth and let you know it's done.

To turn off Windows 10 Bluetooth using Cortana, say "turn off Bluetooth", "disable Bluetooth", "stop Bluetooth"  , or "deactivate Bluetooth" . Cortana will notify you that Bluetooth is turned off.

6. Set Bluetooth service to Automatic

If you're still having problems with Bluetooth on your PC, another option is to set the Bluetooth service to Automatic :

Step 1 : Press Windows + R on the keyboard, type Services.msc in the Run box , then select OK.

Step 2 : Right-click on Bluetooth Support Service and select Properties.

Step 3 : Set Startup type to Automatic , select Start in Service status , then select OK.

Once Bluetooth is enabled on Windows 10, you can connect to supported devices. Refer to: How to connect Bluetooth Windows 10 for details on how to do it. The connection process is briefly described in the following section:

How to connect Bluetooth devices to Windows 10

Once Bluetooth is turned on, you can connect a device:

Step 1 : Go to your Bluetooth settings and select Add Bluetooth or other device .

Step 2 : Select Bluetooth.

Step 3 : Turn on the Bluetooth device and put it in pairing mode.

Step 4 : Wait for the device to appear in the list and then select it.

Note: Depending on the device, you may need to enter the PIN displayed on the Bluetooth device.

How to turn Bluetooth on/off on Windows 8 computer

Nowadays, although Windows 11 has been released, there are still many people using old Windows versions such as Windows 8 and Windows 7. If you are using Windows 8, the way to turn on/off Bluetooth is done as follows:

Step 1 : Open Settings .

Step 2 : Go to Change PC settings .

Step 3 : Go to the Wireless section, then to turn on Bluetooth, just turn the Bluetooth switch to On. When you want to turn it off, just turn this button back to Off .

How to enable/disable Bluetooth on Windows 7 computer

For computers running Windows 7, here's how to turn Bluetooth on/off:

Step 1 : Press the Start button then select Control Panel .

Step 2 : Select Network and Internet .

Step 3 : Here, click on Network and Sharing Center .

Step 4 : Click Change adapter settings on the left sidebar of the Network and Sharing Center window.

Step 5 : Right-click on Bluetooth Network Connection . If you want to turn it on, select Enable . If you want to turn it off, select Disable.

What to do if Bluetooth is not working on Windows 10?

Previously, Quantrimang.com introduced to readers how to fix the missing Bluetooth error on Windows 10 Settings and how to fix the Bluetooth error not available in Device Manager . If you fall into one of these two cases, readers can refer to the detailed instructions above. If not, try applying the following method to fix the problem.

Make the system discoverable

Set your PC to be discoverable to other Bluetooth devices. Press the Win+ key Iand go to Devices > More Bluetooth options .

Check Allow Bluetooth devices to find this PC and press OK. This isn't necessary if you want to pair something like a mouse or keyboard, but can be useful when pairing devices like phones.

Reposition the device

Bluetooth has a limited range. The exact value varies, but in a home setting it is around ten meters. This number can be significantly reduced by physical barriers such as walls.

Therefore, make sure that the device you want to pair with your computer is turned on, fully charged, and within close range of your Windows 10 system.

Also, make sure it's not too close to another device that uses a USB 3.0 port. These USB devices can sometimes interfere with the Bluetooth connection.

Disable other Bluetooth devices

Technically, you don't need to disable other Bluetooth devices, but they can cause interference when you try to pair a new device.

To turn them off, press the Win+ key Ito open Settings and click Devices. Click each Bluetooth device in turn and click Remove device > Yes .

Of course, remember to re-pair these devices if you still need them.

Read Event Log

In June 2019, Microsoft patched Windows 10 to protect the operating system from a Bluetooth security vulnerability. However, this caused some Bluetooth devices to have connection problems.

You can see if this is affecting you. Press the Win+ key Xand click Event Viewer. On Summary of Administrative Events , expand Error and look for the following:

• Event ID : 22
• Event Source : BTHUSB or BTHMINI
• Name : BTHPORT_DEBUG_LINK_KEY_NOT_ALLOWED
• Event Message Text : The Bluetooth device attempted to establish a debug connection. The Windows Bluetooth stack does not allow a debug connection unless in Debug mode.

If you see this, Microsoft recommends contacting the Bluetooth device manufacturer to see if they can provide a fix. If not, you may need to purchase a completely new Bluetooth device.

Check Windows Update

It's best to keep Windows up to date to benefit from the latest features and security patches. This may help resolve issues with Bluetooth.

Windows 10 updates automatically, but you can check for and install updates yourself. See: How to keep your Windows computer up to date for more details.

Run Bluetooth Troubleshooter

Windows 10 has a built-in Bluetooth troubleshooter. This tool will detect any problems and automatically attempt to fix them.

To run it, press the Win+ key Ito open Settings and go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Bluetooth > Run the troubleshooter . Follow the instructions.

The tool will fix any issues it finds, but some of them may require manual action on your part.

Some questions about Bluetooth feature in Windows 10

Your PC doesn't have Bluetooth. Why?

While Bluetooth is a common feature these days, not all PCs come with it. If your computer is an older model, it may not have the hardware installed. However, you can add it by purchasing a USB Bluetooth dongle.

How to reinstall Bluetooth driver in Windows 10?

Go to Device Manager , then open the Bluetooth menu. Right-click your Bluetooth device (usually called something like Intel Wireless Bluetooth or something similar) and select Uninstall device . Restart your PC and Windows will attempt to reinstall the driver for you.

How to check which Bluetooth version you have in Windows 10?

Go to Device Manager , then open the Bluetooth menu. Right-click your Bluetooth device (it's usually called something like Intel Wireless Bluetooth or something similar) and select Properties. In the Advanced tab , look for the firmware and the numbers next to it that start with LMP. If the number starts with 6, 7, or 8, then it supports Bluetooth 4.0, 4.1, or 4.2, respectively. If the number starts with 9, 10, or 11, then it supports Bluetooth 5.0, 5.1, or 5.2.

Some quick ways to fix Bluetooth errors on Windows 10

• Re-enable the Bluetooth Support service.
• Set Bluetooth Support service restore options.
• Use driver error correction software to scan and fix Bluetooth driver errors.
• Perform system restore
• If using a Bluetooth device connected via USB, check the connection or health of the device.

Good luck! If you encounter any problems that you cannot fix yourself, please contact WebTech360 via fanpage for support.