1. Bluetooth not working? Restart your Mac
Yes, usually, rebooting will solve a number of Mac problems — including Bluetooth issues.
Restart your Mac by going from the menu bar to Apple > Restart to fix almost any Bluetooth problems, especially those where the Bluetooth module crashes and you encounter an unresponsive system. According to Apple, removing any USB devices will also help, so give it a try.
- Check your Mac’s Bluetooth device Settings
To connect to the Mac, the Bluetooth device needs to be turned on and the battery charged. If you haven’t paired this device before, make sure it’s paired correctly (and that it’s visible to the Mac).
If you’re trying to get your Bluetooth speaker or other audio device to work properly, and you’ve paired it up, and want to know why you’re not hearing anything, make sure that under System Preferences you select it as the main output > sound > output.
The same is true for Bluetooth headsets with microphones: go to the Input TAB and select your Bluetooth device from there. The next time you connect to a wireless audio device, the Mac will remember your choice.
You can also click the volume button in the menu bar and select your audio device from there. If you do not see the button in the menu bar, you may need to enable it. Go to System Preferences > Sound > Output and select Show Volume in the menu bar at the bottom of the window.
- Disable and re-enable Bluetooth
To reset Bluetooth without rebooting the entire Mac, go to System Preferences > Bluetooth, and then click Turn Off Bluetooth. You can also switch Bluetooth by clicking the menu bar icon – click Open Bluetooth and try again.
If you have problems using AirDrop on a Mac, toggling this setting will usually solve your problem.
You can also try to terminate the Bluetooth process entirely. Open the terminal and type:
sudo pkill blued
Then enter your administrator password and press Return. This should terminate and restart the background process and try again.
- Pair your Bluetooth device to your Mac again
If a Bluetooth device has been paired in the past, another option is to tell the Mac to forget about it and start over. You can display all currently paired Bluetooth devices under System Preferences > Bluetooth.
Find any problem that caused you, select it, then click X, and then tear it down to get rid of it.
You will now need to pair the device again, in most cases holding down the button on the device until the light blinks. If in doubt, check the equipment manual.
- Reset the PAM or SMC
This is a more complicated process, but resetting a Mac’s PAM or SMC is one of the most commonly recommended fixes for a range of problems.
With Bluetooth, the System Management Controller (SMC) is less likely to be the culprit than either PAM or NVRAM. That said, resetting either won’t help, as the underlying problem could still cause Bluetooth problems on your Mac.
People often perform both of these steps at the same time, which is why they are listed together. Learn how to reset the PAM and SMC to perform the procedure, regardless of the type of Mac you are using. (If you don’t understand, refer to another article.)
- Delete several key PLIST files
The Mac stores information about the Bluetooth device in two files on its hard drive: one for the individual and the other for all users on the Mac. Deleting these files is usually recommended when encountering Bluetooth problems, as it forces MacOS to create a new file when your computer reboots.
Both of these files are PLIST files that are used throughout the MacOS to store application data in XML format. To delete and recreate these files:
Hold down the Control key and click Finder and select Go to Folder.
Enter or paste /Library/Preferences.
Find called com. Apple. Bluetooth. The plist file and drag it to the waste paper basket.
Once again choose to go to the folder and type or paste ~ / Library/Preferences/ByHost.
Find a file that begins with com.apple.bluetooth followed by numbers and letters (ending with.plist) and drag it to the wastebasket.
Disconnect all USB devices and shut down the computer.
Turn off your Bluetooth device and restart your Mac.
Enable Bluetooth on the device and try to pair again.
- Reset your Mac’s Bluetooth module
As a last resort, you can try resetting the Bluetooth module to factory Settings.
If there is no Bluetooth icon in the menu bar, go to “System Preferences” > “Bluetooth” and select “Show Bluetooth in the menu bar”. Now, press Shift + Option and click the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar. In the menu that appears, select Debugging > to Reset Bluetooth Module. You can now try to repair your device.
The final tip here is to start repairing your devices by importance.
Most of the problems should go away after deleting the system files, resetting the PRAM, and restoring the Mac’s Bluetooth module to factory Settings.
The best option is to buy a dedicated USB Bluetooth adapter and use it. Older Apple computers are more prone to problems than newer computers.
That’s how you fix your Mac’s Bluetooth