Is my laptop bluetooth compatible

Does Your PC or Mac Have Bluetooth? 4 Ways to Check

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Travis Boylls is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Travis has experience writing technology-related articles, providing software customer service, and in graphic design. He specializes in Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux platforms. He studied graphic design at Pikes Peak Community College.

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

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Do you want to know if your computer has Bluetooth? Bluetooth is a short-range radio technology that allows electronic devices to transfer data over short distances. Bluetooth allows you to connect wireless headphones, game controllers, and other accessories to your computer and mobile devices. Bluetooth has become the standard that most electronic devices use to communicate with other devices. [1] X Research source Most modern computers come with Bluetooth already installed. However, some older computer models may not have Bluetooth. This wikiHow article teaches you how to find out if your computer has Bluetooth and how to add it if it does not.

• Bluetooth is the standard that is used to connect wireless devices to your computer, smartphone, or other devices.
• Most modern computers have Bluetooth and Bluetooth drivers pre-installed. Some older computers may not have Bluetooth.
• If your computer does not have Bluetooth, you can add it using a USB Bluetooth dongle, or Bluetooth PCI card.

Using a Windows PC

• Alternatively, you can click the Windows Start menu or click the search bar and type «Device Manager.»

Click Device Manager . It’s in the context menu that appears when you right-click the Windows Start menu.

Look for the «Bluetooth» heading. If you find a «Bluetooth» heading near the top of the window (e.g., in the «B» section), your computer has built-in Bluetooth capabilities.

Look under «Network Adapters.» If you don’t see the Bluetooth heading, you may still have a Bluetooth device listed under Network Adapters. Click the right-facing triangle icon next to «Network Adapters» to see a list of all network adapters on your computer. Look for a network adapter with «Bluetooth» in the title. If you do not see one, your computer likely does not have a Bluetooth adapter installed. [2] X Research source

• Windows 10: Click the Windows Start button, followed by Settings. Click Devices, followed by Bluetooth & other devices. Click the toggle switch next to «Bluetooth» to turn Bluetooth on and off.
• Windows 11: Click the Windows Start button followed by Settings. Click Bluetooth & devices. Click the toggle switch next to «Bluetooth» to turn Bluetooth on and off.

Using a Mac

Confirm that your Mac has Bluetooth. If you see the «Bluetooth» sub-heading, click once the heading to select it. If clicking the heading displays Bluetooth information in the right-hand side of the window, your Mac has Bluetooth capabilities; if not, your Mac doesn’t allow Bluetooth use. [4] X Research source

• Click the Apple icon in the upper-right corner of your desktop.
• Click System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions of macOS).
• Click Bluetooth in the menu to the left, or in the System Preferences menu.
• Click Turn Bluetooth on.

Using a Linux PC

sudo lsusb |grep Bluetooth

Enter your password. When prompted, type in the password you use to log into your computer, then press Enter.

• If you see a blank line appear, Bluetooth isn’t installed on your computer.
• Keep in mind that some versions of Linux don’t support built-in Bluetooth adapters.

Enable Bluetooth. If your computer has Bluetooth, but your devices aren’t connecting, check to make sure Bluetooth is enabled. Most Linux distributions have a Bluetooth icon in the panel or taskbar. Click the Bluetooth icon and select the option to turn Bluetooth on. You can also use the following command to enable Bluetooth from within the Terminal: [5] X Research source

sudo systemctl enable bluetooth

Adding Bluetooth to a Computer

• Once you plug in the Bluetooth dongle, you can easily connect Bluetooth devices to your computer using the Bluetooth menu.
• Even if your computer has Bluetooth, you may be able to use a Bluetooth dongle to upgrade to a newer version of Bluetooth, such as Bluetooth 5.0.
• If you are using an older version of Windows that doesn’t have Bluetooth drivers, or you are using a Bluetooth dongle to upgrade your Bluetooth, you may need to install the Bluetooth drivers for your Bluetooth dongle. You can download the drivers from the manufacturer’s website of your Bluetooth dongle, or you can install them using the disk that came with the Bluetooth dongle.

• If you have a free PCI slot in your computer, you will need to open your computer case and install the Bluetooth card in a free PCI slot inside your computer tower.
• If you are using a laptop, you will need to check to make sure your laptop has expandable slots for new hardware. If it does, you will need to take the bottom panel off of your laptop and install the mini-PCI card in the communications port of your laptop.
• If you have an older computer that doesn’t have Bluetooth drivers, you may need to install them. You can download the Bluetooth drivers from the manufacturer’s website of your Bluetooth card, or you can use the disk that came with your Bluetooth card.

Community Q&A

The «dongle» is a hardware device that plugs into a USB port. In order to use your Bluetooth, the dongle must be plugged into the USB port, however if you need the USB port for another function, and don’t need the Bluetooth function, the dongle may be removed from the port; disabling the Bluetooth function. When you need the Bluetooth again, plug it back into an empty USB and it should reactivate.

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This depends on your laptop hardware and whether it came with built-in Bluetooth. If you have the hardware capabilities, Windows 10 includes the software to allow you to use Bluetooth, which you can find in Control Panel. If your notebook did not come with Bluetooth, you can purchase a USB adapter, which will allow you to use its capabilities.

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Thank you for your feedback.
As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy! Claim Your Gift If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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Thank you for your feedback.
As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy! Claim Your Gift If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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Does My Computer Have Bluetooth? How To Add it if it Doesn’t Have

Bluetooth is a very mature technology that is utilized by headphones, keyboards, mice, webcams and other peripherals. Bluetooth has come a long way since those early days of frustrations when you would spend an hour or more trying to get two devices to pair. Now the protocol and the devices are much more evolved and will (usually) pair in seconds and work flawlessly.

As long as you have a Bluetooth receiver on your computer, you should be able to pair any compatible device with it. If you want to go wireless or just like the look and feel of a particular Bluetooth device, here is how to tell if a computer has Bluetooth and how to add it if it doesn’t.

How to Tell if a Windows Computer has Bluetooth

If you use Windows, it is refreshingly simple to find out if your computer has Bluetooth capability or not. This will work on both desktop and laptop.

1. Right-click the Windows Start button and select Device Manager.
2. Look in the device list for Bluetooth, if the entry is present, you have Bluetooth on your device.
3. You can also look in Network adapters for a Bluetooth entry. If it is present, you have Bluetooth capability. If it isn’t, you don’t.

The exception to this is if you have rebuilt Windows yourself and not used Bluetooth since setting everything up. You may not have installed all the drivers, so it would not necessarily show up in Device Manager. If you bought the computer, check the manufacture’s website or manual. If you built it, check the specifications of the hardware you bought.

How to Tell if a Mac Computer has Bluetooth

Most Macs have Bluetooth capability of one kind or another so even if you bought your used or was gifted it, you can usually count on having Bluetooth. If you want to make sure, do this:

1. Open the Apple menu and About This Mac.
2. Now, select System Info… to generate a report on all hardware connected.
3. Look for Bluetooth and then select it to find out what you have and where.
4. You can also look in System Preferences if you prefer. Just look for Bluetooth under Internet & Wireless . This will work on both desktop and laptop.

How to Tell if a Linux Computer has Bluetooth

If you’re using a Linux laptop or PC and want to know if it has Bluetooth capability, you can find out with a simple command. This will work on both desktop and laptop.

1. Open a terminal and type ‘dmesg | grep -i blue’ and hit Enter. You can also type ‘lsusb | grep Bluetooth‘ to tell if you have Bluetooth.
2. If you see a return listing hardware, you have Bluetooth. If you don’t see a hardware listing, you don’t.

If you are using Linux, be aware that some Linux kernels are not compatible with all Bluetooth modules so will not recognize them. While the query above works on most newer hardware and mainstream distros, if you compiled your own or are using something exotic, it may not return the correct result. I tested it on Ubuntu and Zorin and it worked fine. Your mileage may vary though.

How to Add Bluetooth Capability to a Computer

If the above checks told you that your computer does not have Bluetooth capability but you still want to use it, you will need to add some hardware. Bluetooth adapters come as mPCIe network cards with aerials or USB dongles. Which you use depends on the computer and your situation.

Usually, Bluetooth mPCIe adapter cards have a stronger signal and greater range thanks to their ability to pull more voltage to larger aerials. They will work best in a PC. If you use a laptop or small form factor PC, you may not have the space or want the aerials sticking out, so a USB dongle would work better.

Costs range from $15 up to $45 and adapters come in all shapes and sizes. Some are dedicated Bluetooth while others are combination Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

1. Once you have your hardware, add it to your computer and boot it up.
2. The new device should be picked up by your operating system automatically and a driver either downloaded or requested.
3. Insert the driver CD if you have one or download the driver from the manufacturer’s website.
4. Reboot your machine if prompted and begin using Bluetooth!

Adding Bluetooth capability to a computer is refreshingly simple. With the sheer number and quality of peripherals around right now, it is a great time to go wireless and Bluetooth is how you do it!

Bluetooth

Whether you want to connect a wireless headset, mouse, or keyboard, you now know how to check if your computer has Bluetooth capabilities and add it if it doesn’t. Share your thoughts and experiences on Bluetooth below.

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