Connect laptop to bluetooth device

How to Pair a Bluetooth Device on Windows

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions.

The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article’s instructions and verified that they work.

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Are you having trouble pairing your Bluetooth speaker, headset, printer, or other device with your PC? You’ve come to the right place. This wikiHow article will teach you how to connect any Bluetooth device to your Windows 10 or Windows 11 laptop or desktop computer. We’ll even help you troubleshoot any connection problems that arise along the way.

Pairing in Windows 10

Open the Action Center. This is the square chat bubble icon next to the date and time on the taskbar—you’ll usually find it at the bottom-right corner of the screen.

• If you don’t see a Bluetooth icon, click Expand on the Action Center. You should see it then. To add the Bluetooth icon to your Quick Actions—press the Windows key + i keys on the keyboard to open Settings, and then go to System >Notifications & actions >Quick actions >Add or remove quick actions and turn on Bluetooth. [1] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
• If your laptop has a Bluetooth switch somewhere on its body, make sure the switch is in the On position.
• Still not seeing the icon? Find out what to do if Bluetooth still isn’t working.

• If you’re not sure how to put the device into pairing mode, check the manufacturer’s website.
• If the device is rechargeable, make sure it has a full charge before trying to pair.

• If you’re trying to pair a scanner or printer, select Add a printer or scanner instead. When Windows finds the printer or scanner, click Add device to pair.

• If you don’t see your device, its pairing mode may have timed out. Press and hold its pairing button again to make it discoverable.
• Make sure your device isn’t automatically connecting to another computer, phone, or tablet.

• If you see an error that says «Couldn’t connect,» make sure the Bluetooth device’s battery is fully charged (if applicable). You can also try turning Bluetooth off and on again to see if that helps.
• If you’ve paired to this device in the past but can’t pair now, click the device’s name under «Bluetooth & other devices» and select Remove device. Then, place the device back into pairing mode and try adding it again. This clears up a lot of problems.

Click Done when the device is connected. Now that you’ve paired this device, it will automatically pair with your PC when it’s in range.

Pairing in Windows 11

Click the Quick Settings area. To get to your Quick Settings, click the area of the taskbar where you see the network, volume, and battery icons—it’s directly to the left of the date and time. A panel of settings will appear.

• When Bluetooth is on, you’ll see «Not connected» beneath the tile unless it’s connected to a device. When a device is connected, that device’s name will appear on the tile.
• If you don’t see the Bluetooth icon, right-click anywhere in the Quick Settings area, select Edit quick settings, click Add, and then select Bluetooth.

• If you’re not sure how to put the device into pairing mode, check the manufacturer’s website.
• If the device is rechargeable, make sure it has a full charge before trying to pair.

Open your Windows Settings. You can do this by pressing Windows key + i on the keyboard, by clicking the Windows menu and selecting the gear icon, or by clicking the Quick Settings and clicking the gear icon at its bottom-right corner.

• Devices you’ve already paired with appear at the top of the «Bluetooth & devices» area. If you’re connected to a device right now, you’ll see a green dot next to its name and the word «Connected.»

• If you’re adding a printer or scanner, click Printers & scanners instead, click Add device, and wait for Windows to detect the Bluetooth printer. When found, click its name and select Add device.

• If you don’t see your device, its pairing mode may have timed out. Press and hold its pairing button again to make it discoverable.
• Make sure your Bluetooth device isn’t automatically connecting to another computer, phone, or tablet.

• If you’re pairing a Bluetooth keyboard and are asked for a pairing code, try typing the code on the Bluetooth keyboard.

• If you’ve connected to this device before but can’t connect now, try unpairing it. To do this, click the three vertical dots next to the device’s name in the «Bluetooth & devices» area and select Remove device.
• Still having trouble? Find out what to do if you can’t connect to a Bluetooth device on Windows 11.

If Bluetooth Still Isn’t Working

Check to make sure your PC supports Bluetooth. Believe it or not, some laptops and desktops don’t have Bluetooth built in. Check your computer’s specifications (you can search online for your model and «Bluetooth»). If your PC doesn’t have Bluetooth, you can get an external Bluetooth adapter that you can connect via USB. This will allow you to connect to Bluetooth.

• It could be that its battery isn’t charged or that it’s Bluetooth radio is broken.
• It’s also possible that it’s quickly pairing with another computer, phone, or tablet before your computer can find it.

• Windows 10: Open your Windows Settings and go to Update & Security >Troubleshoot >Find and fix other problems >Bluetooth and select Run the troubleshooter.
• Windows 11: Open your Windows Settings and go to System >Troubleshoot >Other troubleshooters. Click Run next to «Bluetooth.»

• On both Windows 10 and 11, click the magnifying glass on the taskbar (or click the search bar).
• Type device .
• Click Device Manager in the results.
• Click Bluetooth.
• Right-click the Bluetooth adapter (it usually has «adapter» or «radio» in its name) and select Update driver.
• Click Search automatically for updated driver software.
• If a new driver is found, it will be installed. When it’s finished, restart your computer and try to pair again.
• If Windows doesn’t find a new driver, check your PC manufacturer’s website for updated Bluetooth drivers for your PC model. Download the files from their website and double-click the driver to install it.

• Instead of selecting the Update option, right-click the name of the Bluetooth adapter, select Uninstall device, and then click Uninstall.
• Once uninstalled, shut down and restart your PC. When your PC boots back up, Windows will try to automatically install a new Bluetooth driver.
• Return to Device Manager and make sure you see your Bluetooth adapter. If you don’t, click the Action menu at the top and select Scan for hardware changes to install it now.

Expert Q&A

Tips

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How to Pair Your Laptop to a Bluetooth Device

Former Lifewire writer Melanie Uy has 5+ years’ experience writing about consumer-oriented technology and is an expert telecommuter.

Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years’ experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others.

What to Know

• Enable Bluetooth on the device, then go to your computer’s Bluetooth settings and choose to set up a new device.
• If prompted for a PIN code, confirm the number on both devices. If you don’t know the PIN, try 0000 or 1234, or consult the manual.
• Use Bluetooth to share your phone’s internet connection, transfer files between devices, or play music through another device.

This article explains how to pair your laptop with a Bluetooth device. Steps may vary depending on the device.

How to Connect a Bluetooth Laptop to Other Devices

There are many kinds of Bluetooth devices and these steps are only relevant to some. Consult the user manual for the device or the manufacturer website for specific instructions. For example, the steps to pair a Bluetooth surround sound system to a laptop are not the same as pairing headphones, which isn’t the same as pairing a smartphone.

1. Activate the Bluetooth function on the mobile device to make it discoverable or visible. If the device has a screen, look for Bluetooth in the Settings menu. Other devices have a special button.

On the computer, access the Bluetooth settings and choose to make a new connection or set up a new device. For example, on Windows, either right-click the Bluetooth icon in the notification area or go to the Control Panel to find the Hardware and Sound >Devices and Printers page.

When the device appears in the list of Bluetooth and other devices, select it to connect (pair) it to the laptop.

If you don’t know the PIN, try 0000 or 1234. If those don’t work, search for the device manual online to find the Bluetooth code.

Most modern wireless devices include Bluetooth support, but if your laptop doesn’t, you might need to buy a Bluetooth adapter.

Tips

Follow these tips to get better performance from your Bluetooth connection:

• If setting up the connection from the PC doesn’t work, initiate it from the device, for example, hold down the Connect button or find the option in the software settings for the device.
• Some devices that don’t have many buttons or options might connect to any laptop that’s listening. For instance, you might be able to find the device through the laptop and click to connect, and the device will indicate it’s connected without requiring a passcode of any kind. This is true for most headphones.
• Turn off Bluetooth when you’re not using it, to prevent battery drain.

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