How to connect bluetooth devices

How to Connect PC to Bluetooth

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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This wikiHow teaches you how to pair a Bluetooth headset, keyboard, mouse, speakers, smartphone, or any other device to your Windows PC. The steps are pretty straight-forward no matter which version of Windows you’re using, but you’ll need to make sure your PC actually supports Bluetooth. If the PC doesn’t support Bluetooth, you can fill the gap using a USB Bluetooth adapter. If you’re not sure whether your PC has Bluetooth, see this wikiHow.

Windows 10

• If your computer doesn’t support Bluetooth, you can add support using a USB Bluetooth adapter. Just connect the adapter to the computer and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

Note: The weakest variety of Bluetooth (Bluetooth 1.0) can connect to devices up to 33 feet away. [1] X Research source Bluetooth 2.0 increases that range to 100 feet. Bluetooth 3.0 still has a 100-foot limit, but Bluetooth 4.0 can work with up to 200 feet of distance. If your devices are Bluetooth 5, you’ll have up to 800 feet of leeway.

Click the Action Center icon. It’s the squared-off chat bubble icon to the right of the clock in the taskbar.

Click the Connect tile. It should be right below the Bluetooth icon. Look for the computer monitor icon with an overlapping phone or tablet. Your PC will now scan for available Bluetooth devices in range.

• Sometimes you’ll have to enter a code that appears on the device. Follow any on-screen instructions that appear to continue pairing.
• If the device doesn’t appear, try powering it off and on again.

Windows 8.1

• The weakest variety of Bluetooth (Bluetooth 1.0) can connect to devices up to 33 feet away. Bluetooth 2.0 increases that range to 100 feet. Bluetooth 3.0 still has a 100-foot limit, but Bluetooth 4.0 can work with up to 200 feet of distance. If your devices are Bluetooth 5, you’ll have up to 800 feet of leeway.

Tip: If your computer doesn’t support Bluetooth, you can add support using a USB Bluetooth adapter. Just connect the adapter to the computer and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

button. It’s usually at the bottom-left or top-left corner of the home screen. [3] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source

Slide the «Bluetooth» slider to the On (blue) position. As long as this switch is blue, your PC is discoverable and can connect to other Bluetooth devices. Windows will now scan for discoverable Bluetooth devices and display them in a list.

Click the Bluetooth device. The device may have a descriptive name that makes it easy to identify, but sometimes it’ll be a more obscure set of letters and/or numbers. You can find out the name for sure by checking the Bluetooth device’s manual.

• Sometimes you’ll have to enter a code that appears on the device. Follow any on-screen instructions that appear to continue pairing.
• If the device doesn’t appear, try powering it off and on again.

Windows 7 and Vista

• The weakest variety of Bluetooth (Bluetooth 1.0) can connect to devices up to 33 feet away. Bluetooth 2.0 increases that range to 100 feet. Bluetooth 3.0 still has a 100-foot limit, but Bluetooth 4.0 can work with up to 200 feet of distance. If your devices are Bluetooth 5, you’ll have up to 800 feet of leeway.
• If your computer doesn’t support Bluetooth, you can add support using a USB Bluetooth adapter. Just connect the adapter to the computer and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

Open your PC’s Control Panel. You can do so by clicking the Start menu and selecting Control Panel.

Click Add a device under «Hardware and Sound.» It’s on the right side of the Control Panel window. This opens the Add a Device wizard, which will automatically attempt to search for available Bluetooth devices.

Note: If you don’t see this option, return to the Start menu and select Devices and Printers and click Add a device there.

• Sometimes you’ll have to enter a code that appears on the device. Follow any on-screen instructions that appear to continue pairing.
• If the device doesn’t appear, try powering it off and on again.

Expert Q&A

Tips

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Pair a Bluetooth device in Windows

You can pair all kinds of Bluetooth devices with your PC—including keyboards, mice, phones, speakers, and a whole lot more. To do this, your PC needs to have Bluetooth. Some PCs, such as laptops and tablets, have Bluetooth built in. If your PC doesn’t, you can plug a USB Bluetooth adapter into the USB port on your PC to get it.

Before you start, make sure that your Windows 11 PC supports Bluetooth. For more info on how to check, see Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows. If you need help adding a device without Bluetooth capabilities, see Add a device to a Windows PC.

Turn on Bluetooth

After you’ve checked that your Windows 11 PC supports Bluetooth, you’ll need to turn it on. Here’s how:

• In Settings: Select Start >Settings >Bluetooth & devices , and then turn on Bluetooth .
• In quick settings: To find the quick setting for Bluetooth, select the Network, Sound, or Battery icons ( ) next to the time and date on the right side of your taskbar. Select Bluetooth to turn it on. If it’s turned on without any Bluetooth devices connected, it might appear as Not connected .

To pair a Bluetooth device

1. Turn on your Bluetooth device and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufacturer’s website to learn how.
2. On your PC, select the Network , Sound, or Battery icons ( ) next to the time and date on the right side of your taskbar.
3. Select Manage Bluetooth devices on the Bluetooth quick setting, then select your device under New devices.

Follow additional instructions if they appear, then select Done.

Your Bluetooth device and PC will usually automatically connect anytime the two devices are in range of each other with Bluetooth turned on.

Tip: If you don’t see the Bluetooth device you want displayed in the list, you may need to set the Bluetooth devices discovery setting to Advanced. To learn how, see Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows.

To pair a Bluetooth printer or scanner

1. Turn on your Bluetooth printer or scanner and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufacturer’s website to learn how.
2. Select Start >Settings >Bluetooth & devices >Printers & scanners >Add device. Wait for it to find nearby printers, choose the one you want to use, then select Add device.

If you’re having problems installing your printer or scanner, see either Fix printer problems or Install and use a scanner in Windows.

To pair a Bluetooth device using Swift Pair

Swift Pair in Windows 11 lets you quickly pair a supported Bluetooth device with your PC. If the Bluetooth device supports Swift Pair, you’ll receive a notification when it’s nearby and you put it into pairing mode to make it discoverable.

1. Turn on a Bluetooth device that supports Swift Pair and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufacturer’s website to learn more.
2. If this is your first time using Swift Pair, select Yes when asked if you want to get notifications and use Swift Pair.
3. When a notification appears that a new Bluetooth device was found, select Connect.

Before you start, make sure that your Windows 10 PC supports Bluetooth. For more info on how to check, see Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows 10. If you need help adding a device without Bluetooth capabilities, see Add a device to a Windows 10 PC.

Turn on Bluetooth

After you’ve checked that your Windows 10 PC supports Bluetooth, you’ll need to turn it on. Here’s how:

In Settings: Select Start > Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices, and turn on Bluetooth.

In action center: Action center can be found next to time and date on your taskbar. On the taskbar, select action center ( or ), then select Bluetooth to turn it on. If it’s turned off, it might appear as Not connected.

If you don’t see Bluetooth in your action center, here’s how you can change it:

• Expand quick actions. On the taskbar, select action center ( or ) >Expand. Bluetooth should appear here. It will appear as Bluetooth or Not connected.
• Add Bluetooth to action center. Select Start >Settings >System >Notifications & actions >Quick actions. Go to Add or remove quick actions and turn on Bluetooth.

Note: For more info about how to change the apps and settings that appear in action center, see Change notification and action settings in Windows 10.

To pair a Bluetooth headset, speaker, or other audio device

1. Turn on your Bluetooth audio device and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufacturer’s website to learn how.
2. On your PC, select Start >Settings >Devices >Bluetooth & other devices >Add Bluetooth or other device >Bluetooth. Choose the device and follow additional instructions if they appear, then select Done. Your Bluetooth device and PC will usually automatically connect anytime the two devices are in range of each other with Bluetooth turned on.

To pair a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, or other device

1. Turn on your Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, or other device and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufactur’s website to learn how.
2. On your PC, select Start >Settings >Devices >Bluetooth & other devices >Add Bluetooth or other device >Bluetooth. Choose the device and follow additional instructions if they appear, then select Done.

To pair a Bluetooth printer or scanner

1. Turn on your Bluetooth printer or scanner and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufacturer’s website to learn how.
2. Select Start >Settings >Devices >Printers & scanners >Add a printer or scanner. Wait for it to find nearby printers, then choose the one you want to use and select Add device.

If you’re having installation issues with your printer or scanner, see either Fix printer problems or Install and use a scanner in Windows 10.

To pair a Bluetooth device using Swift Pair

Swift Pair in Windows 10 lets you quickly pair a supported Bluetooth device with your PC. If the Bluetooth device supports Swift Pair, you’ll receive a notification when it’s nearby and you put it into pairing mode to make it discoverable.

1. Turn on a Bluetooth device that supports Swift Pair and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufacturer’s website to learn more.
2. If this is your first time using Swift Pair, select Yes when asked if you want to get notifications and use Swift Pair.
3. When a notification appears that a new Bluetooth device was found, select Connect.
4. After it’s connected, select Close.

Tip: If you’re a small business owner looking for more information on how to get Microsoft 365 set up, visit Small business help & learning.

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