10 Fixes For Bluetooth Driver Windows 10 And 11 Issues

The Windows 10 Bluetooth driver allows users to connect wirelessly with other Bluetooth devices. However, many users have claimed that their Bluetooth device drivers often fail and don’t provide proper connectivity. If your Bluetooth connectivity is also facing issues or the driver is not working, then that could become a real headache. 

There could be many reasons behind this problem like outdated or missing drivers, corrupt system files, and so on. If you are struggling to fix the Bluetooth issue of your computer on your own, we understand. In this article, we’ll give you detailed guidance on how to fix the Bluetooth driver Windows 10 issues you are facing on your PC. 

Why Does Your System Need Bluetooth Drivers?

Drivers are important because they are responsible for making a connection between your system and another device. They also make the connectivity work right so that functionality is possible.

Microsoft doesn’t have native support for all types of hardware. For this, you need to download and install certain drivers so that the functionality of certain devices is ensured.

Since wireless devices are becoming ever so popular, Windows 10 has also ditched wires and switched to wireless peripherals like Bluetooth. Hence, you need Bluetooth drivers on your system if you want to connect your computer to other devices having Bluetooth. Your system’s Bluetooth driver allows the Windows OS to communicate with another Bluetooth-enabled device and vice versa. 

Why Am I Facing Bluetooth Driver Windows 10 Issues?

If you can’t find Bluetooth in your Settings app anymore, there could be several possible reasons behind it. Some of the same are as follows:

• Corrupt, missing, or faulty drivers
• Malware infection
• Faulty or missing system files
• Outdated OS

Is Your Bluetooth Driver Missing?

Sometimes, the generic Bluetooth driver can get accidentally uninstalled, or maybe, the user uninstalled it somehow and forgot. In this situation, all you need to do is reinstall the driver.

However, some victims of this problem have said that the issue persists even after reinstalling the driver and restarting the system. If that’s the case, then possibly, the driver is just hidden.

So, make sure that the Bluetooth driver on your computer is not hidden. To do so, follow the steps given below:

• Go to the Windows search bar and type in Device Manager. Click on the first result to open it.
• Next, in the Device Manager window, if you can’t see the Bluetooth driver, then, click on the View
• Click on Show hidden devices.

Check If Your System Supports Bluetooth

Before you move on to the troubleshooting steps, the very first thing to check is whether your Windows system even supports Bluetooth or not. If you don’t have experience with a Bluetooth device and are facing problems connecting your computer to other Bluetooth devices, it is possible that your system simply doesn’t have the Bluetooth adapter. 

Here’s how to check your system for Bluetooth:

1. Check In The Action Center

• Click on Action Center located at the bottom right corner of the Taskbar. 
• Click on Expand if the section doesn’t expand on its own.
• Click the Bluetooth icon to turn it on or off.

So, if the Bluetooth icon is there in the Action Center, your system does support Bluetooth

2. Via The Settings Panel

• Right-click on the Start menu icon and select Settings
• Next, click on Devices
• Check if you can find the Bluetooth section or not. Toggle it to on position if it is turned off. 

In case you can’t find Bluetooth in the action center and the Settings panel, you’ll need to add the Bluetooth adapter to your computer to run it. For this, get an empty USB slot and a USB Bluetooth adapter. Next, connect the dongle through the USB slot. Now, Bluetooth drivers will show up in the Device Manager.

Common Bluetooth Errors You Might Be Facing

Here’s a list of some of the most common errors users face with Bluetooth. This article will provide solutions to the following:

• You cannot turn your Bluetooth on or off
• Bluetooth not connecting at all
• You cannot find the Bluetooth section in your Device Manager
• The Bluetooth icon is missing
• Bluetooth is not working after you made a Windows 10 upgrade from some earlier version.
• Bluetooth can’t detect devices on Windows OS
• Can’t connect PC to Bluetooth headphones
• Bluetooth isn’t working after a system update

Solutions To Fix Bluetooth Driver Issues On Windows 10 And 11

If you are facing any of the above-stated errors, we know how frustrating that can be. Don’t here to help you resolve these issues as soon as possible in a safe manner. Given below are several easy-to-execute fixes to resolve your Bluetooth driver problems and other Bluetooth connectivity problems:

1. Ensure That Your PC’s Bluetooth Is Turned On
2. Turn The Airplane Mode Off
3. Restart Bluetooth on Your System
4. Update Bluetooth Drivers
5. Use The System File Checker (SFC) Tool
6. Run The Bluetooth Troubleshooter
7. Restart The Bluetooth Support Service
8. Update Your Windows OS
9. Check The Bluetooth Device You Can’t Connect To
10. Perform A System Restore

Fix #1. Ensure That Your PC’s Bluetooth Is Turned On

First, ensure that your computer’s Bluetooth feature is turned On, to begin the process. Sometimes, users forget that the Bluetooth is turned off and wonder why they can’t connect to other Bluetooth devices. Follow the steps given below to check if Bluetooth is turned on:

• Click on Start and look for Settings

• In the Windows Settings window, click on Devices

• In the device menu, go to Bluetooth & other devices and ensure that the Bluetooth is toggled On.

Note: If your laptop has an external Bluetooth switch, make sure it is turned on.

Fix #2. Turn The Airplane Mode Off

Maybe you have accidentally switched on the airplane mode and that is preventing the working of Bluetooth on your laptop. The Airplane mode on laptops can be toggled on or off using the steps given below:

• Click on the Start button and type in Settings in the search field. Open the Settings app
• Click on Network & Internet from the Settings section.

• Go to Airplane mode and ensure that the Airplane mode is toggled off. If not, then, toggle it to Off position.

Fix #3. Restart Bluetooth on Your System

If Bluetooth is disabled on your computer, then also you can face such problems. It is possible that your Bluetooth is enabled and yet not working. In that case, you need to restart Bluetooth on your computer. Follow the steps given below to do so:

• Click on the Windows Start icon located at the bottom left of your computer screen 
• Click on the gear icon to open the Settings menu. Or else, press Windows + I keys to open the Settings window.
• Click on the Devices option
• From the left panel of the Settings window, click on Bluetooth & other devices. Ensure that the Bluetooth option is turned On.
• If Bluetooth was already enabled on your computer, you can try restarting it. For that, toggle the Bluetooth switch to the Off position and wait for at least 30 seconds. Then, toggle your Bluetooth On again.
• Next, check if your system’s Bluetooth feature is working fine again or not.

Fix #4. Update Bluetooth Drivers

Bluetooth technology can be found on almost every device these days. However, it might not get detected when we attempt connecting it from Windows. If you are facing the same situation, then, the most probable reason behind this is your outdated, faulty, or corrupted Bluetooth driver.

This could lead to several types of connectivity issues with your Bluetooth devices. Given below are the best ways to update your Bluetooth driver on a Windows computer:

Keep in mind that if you install any incompatible driver update, that will make your situation worse than an outdated Bluetooth driver.

1. Automatic Bluetooth Driver Update

Your system drivers can get outdated over time and need to be updated regularly. Perhaps, an automatic update is not enabled in your system or you forgot to update the drivers. Given below are the steps you need to follow to update your Bluetooth drivers:

• Press the Windows + X keys to open the Windows context menu

• Hit the Device Manager option from the list
• Double-click on Bluetooth in the Device Manager window to expand the option
• Right-click on your system’s Bluetooth adapter and select the Update Driver option

• Select a method for updating the Bluetooth driver in the pop-up window. You can choose to allow the system to automatically search for a driver update or manually locate the updater driver file (if you have already downloaded it on your computer).
• Wait until the Bluetooth driver installation is finished. If you use more than one Bluetooth adapter driver, then, repeat the process for them as well.

2. Manually Update Bluetooth Drivers in Windows 10

Manually updating drivers poses a considerable amount of risk. So, if you even have a little bit of doubt, don’t download and update your drivers manually.

If you don’t have enough time to go through all the steps of a manual driver update, go for an automatic driver update instead. But, if you do have the patience, required time, and experience, then, you can manually download your Windows 10 Bluetooth driver update. 

Keep in mind that you need to restart your system after updating the driver. 

This will help you save the changes and update your Bluetooth driver. However, before you can begin manually updating your Bluetooth drivers, you need to gather some information about your device and its Bluetooth. Here’s how to do it:

a. Check Out The System Information

• Open the Run Utility by pressing the Windows + R keys.
• Type in “control” in the Run utility field and click on OK. Now, the Control Panel will open up.
• Change the View mode to Category if it is already not. Then, select the System and Security section
• In the System and Security window, click on the System link. Here you can check out all the system information about your device.
• Make a note of your System processor under the Device specifications section. Check out the System type as well which would be 64 bit or 32 bit.
• Once you are done checking the system information, you can use that information to determine the kind of Bluetooth driver you need.

b. Download The Bluetooth Driver

Once you have gathered all the information you need about your device along with its version, you need to look for and then, download the required Bluetooth driver software for your Windows device. 

We understand that downloading the correct Bluetooth drivers for your device could be confusing. The following steps will help you with the procedure:

• Launch your web browser.
• In your search engine, type in your device’s processor type and add “Bluetooth driver download”. Hit the search button.
• Look for the official website that comes up in the search list. Make sure you only download driver files from the official and authenticated source so that you don’t get viruses and or malware infections. 

• Download the latest Bluetooth driver version that matches your system’s processor and system type.

c. Re-Installing Bluetooth Driver

First, uninstall the current Bluetooth driver. To do so, follow the steps given below:

• Open the Run utility by pressing the Windows + R keys. 
• Type in devmgmt.msc in the Run box and press the Enter key to open the Device Manager
• Double-click on Bluetooth and that will expand it. 
• Right-click on the Bluetooth adapter and click on Uninstall device.

Tip: If you don’t know which one is the Bluetooth adapter, look for the option that starts with the manufacturer’s name like Intel, Realtek, or Qualcomm.

• A pop-up window will show up, click on the box next to the Delete the driver software for this device option. Next, click on Uninstall
• Once the Bluetooth driver is uninstalled, restart your system.

For installing the Bluetooth driver, just open the downloaded driver file and follow the on-screen instructions. The process could be different for different manufacturers, and PC types.

Note: You might need access to some local administrator account for being able to install the Bluetooth driver. Nothing to worry about though, this is just a security measure put forth by your Windows system to make sure that any incorrect or infected drivers are not installed on your system.

Once the Bluetooth driver installation is finished, restart your device to check if you can connect to Bluetooth and wireless devices using your computer’s Bluetooth.

3. Another Way To Update your Bluetooth Drivers

As already mentioned, Windows might not be able to update drivers automatically. So, you need to step in and do it instead. We have already discussed a manual way to do it. In case you can’t find the system information via that method or for some reason, it didn’t work, you can try out this method instead:

• Open the Device Manager via Windows search bar
• Double-click on Bluetooth and right-click on the Bluetooth device you have. 
• Next, click on Properties
• Click on the Details tab and select Hardware Ids in the Property field.
• Now, in the Value section, click on your hardware identification number and select copy to copy it. The hardware identification number will be in the following format: USBVID_<number>&PID_<number>
• Launch your internet browser and paste the hardware ID you previously copied. This will give you the name and manufacturer of your Bluetooth.
• From the manufacturer’s website, you need to install and download the Bluetooth driver compatible with your System type (64 bit or 32 bit)
• Now, go to Device Manager again 
• Click on Bluetooth > right-click on your Bluetooth adapter driver > Click on Update driver
• Click on Browse my computer for driver software and select the file you downloaded.

• Proceed with the on-screen instructions.

Fix #5. Use The System File Checker (SFC) Tool

• Click on the magnifying glass icon to open the Windows search bar and type in “Command prompt” in the search field.
• Right-click on the first result that shows up and click on Run as Administrator.
• When a User Account Control (UAC) prompt shows up, click on Yes. That will allow the Command Prompt to open with administrative permissions.
• Once the Command Prompt window is open, enter the following command: sfc /scannow and press the Enter key to run it
• Wait until the SFC tool has finished scanning your system. In case it finds any issues with your computer, it will report back and allow you to fix them.

Fix #6. Run The Bluetooth Troubleshooter

1. Run Windows 10 Bluetooth Troubleshooter

You might already know that Windows 10 comes packed with numerous troubleshooters that can be used to automatically solve problems with your computer. This way solving random errors on your computer becomes easy and accessible. 

Many users have reported that running the Bluetooth troubleshooter helped them find the reason behind the problem and also, fix it.

Here are the steps you need to follow to run the Windows 10 Bluetooth troubleshooter:

• Click on the Windows icon from the bottom left of the screen and open the Start menu.
• Click on the gear icon to open the Settings app
• Click on the Update & Security tile. This section will give you almost all of the built-in Windows troubleshooters.
• Next, click on Troubleshoot from the left panel to open the Troubleshoot tab.

• Click on the troubleshooter titled Bluetooth

• Click on Run the troubleshooter to start the troubleshooting process. Next, follow along with the on-screen instructions. 

• If you couldn’t find the Bluetooth troubleshooter here, that could be because you do not share complete diagnostic data with Microsoft. In that case, click on the Additional troubleshooter option
• Next, click on Printer and then, on Run the troubleshooter

2. Run Bluetooth Troubleshooter in Windows 11

If you have a Windows 11 system, then, follow the steps given below to run your Bluetooth Troubleshooter

• Open the Settings app
• Click on System and then on Troubleshoot
• Click on Other troubleshooters in the Troubleshoot window
• Next, click on the Run button located beside Bluetooth

Fix #7. Restart The Bluetooth Support Service

• Type in Services in the Windows search bar and press the Enter key

• Next, keep scrolling until you find the Bluetooth Support service
• Right-click on Bluetooth Support and click on Restart

• Next, double-click on the Bluetooth Support service and set the support type to Automatic
• Once done, restart your system

Fix #8. Update Your Windows OS

Some users have said that just updating their systems to the latest Windows version has resolved their Bluetooth errors. So, sometimes, all you need is to keep your Windows computer regularly updated. 

The steps given below will help you update your Windows OS:

• Click on the Windows icon located in the bottom left corner of the screen to show the Start menu
• Click on Settings
• Click on the Update & Security section
• In the Windows Update tab, click on Check for updates button and Windows will start looking for any available updates. 
• If some updates are shown, click on Install and wait until Windows downloads and installs the updates.

Fix #9. Check The Bluetooth Device You Can’t Connect To

Sometimes, the problem might not lie with your computer’s Bluetooth but instead, with the other device’s Bluetooth. Check out the following points to ensure the device’s Bluetooth is working fine:

• Turn the Bluetooth device Off and wait for some time before turning it on.
• Ensure that the Bluetooth device is in the range of your computer.
• Place the device away from such devices like unshielded USB accessories that might interfere with the Bluetooth functioning

If the above points are satisfied, move on to the next steps:

Reinstall the Bluetooth device

You can try reinstalling the Bluetooth device you are having trouble with on your computer’s Bluetooth device list.

• Go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices
• Under the Other devices section, select the device you are having problems with. 
• Click on Remove device and then, click on Yes.

Reconnecting your Bluetooth device

• In the Bluetooth & other devices window, click on the topmost option Add Bluetooth & other devices
• Click on Bluetooth in the Add a device window

• Turn on your device’s Bluetooth and click on it from the list.
• If you are asked for a pin to pair, enter 0000 or 1234 which is the default pin. 

Fix #10. Perform A System Restore

There could have been some unintentional changes that are affecting the Bluetooth working. However, with the Windows System Restore feature, you will be able to restore your computer to a point where you were not having issues. 

Given below are the steps you need to follow to execute a System restore:

• Click on the Start menu and type in Recovery. Open the first result from the search options.
• Go to Open System Restore and follow the on-screen instructions and then, click on Next
• Then, click on a Restore point and follow the prompts that come along.

What To Do If The Bluetooth Icon Is Missing?

If you can’t find the Bluetooth icon on the System tray or in the settings, then, follow the steps given below to restore the Bluetooth icon:

• Click on the Start button from the bottom left corner of the screen and type in Device Manager in the search field. Next, click on the Bluetooth drop-down.
• Right-click on your Bluetooth adapter and click on Uninstall device
• Go to the Start menu and then, click on Power and Restart
• When you restart your system, Windows will try to re-install the driver. This should make the Bluetooth icon reappear. If not, then, execute the next step
• Click on the Start icon and go to Device Manager. Next, click on Scan for hardware changes. This will detect changes and reinstall the Bluetooth drivers.

Conclusion

Bluetooth is surely an important tool in today’s world and people want to use it to its full potential now, more than ever. So, if your computer’s Bluetooth is not working right, that could create significant problems for you.

However, if you go through the above article and execute the fixes one by one, you should be able to solve this problem. Hopefully, this piece clarified all your doubts regarding fixing Bluetooth and Bluetooth driver problems. That’s it from our end on how to fix Bluetooth driver problems in Windows 10 system.

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