Bluetooth not working on your MacBook? Here’s how to fix it.

by | May 12, 2021 | How-To Guides

Bluetooth not working on your MacBook? Here’s how to fix it.

“Wait, I just spent a hundred bucks on these AirPods and the Bluetooth won’t work? What gives?!”

There are a lot of devices that use a MacBook’s Bluetooth application to connect wirelessly. Keyboards, mice, and of course, the ever-popular AirPods.

But, sometimes, the Bluetooth feature will instantly (and irritatingly) stop working. This could be due to some interference from other wireless products in the same room or an issue with the Bluetooth-enabled device itself. These situations will lead to a user receiving an error message saying, “Bluetooth is Not Available.”

“What do you mean it is not available?” the user might ask themselves.

Thankfully, there are ways to make it, well, available and working.

Bluetooth will occasionally not work on your MacBook. But this is not a permanent problem, and a user can correct the lack of a working Bluetooth.

Before going into a more in-depth solution, make sure to double-check and see if the Bluetooth app is on. If it is, try the tried-and-true method of “turning it off and back on again.”

However, if that does not work, try one of the solutions below.

Reset the Bluetooth module.

This wipes all the data on the module and essentially gives it a soft reboot. Before resetting the Bluetooth module, a user should note that this will erase all the pairings on the device, which means that a user will have to pair them with the MacBook again after the process.

1a. If the Bluetooth icon is in the top menu bar, press and hold the Shift and Option keys on the keyboard and click on it.

1b. If there is no Bluetooth icon in the top menu bar, click on the Apple icon to go into the System Preferences menu and click on Bluetooth to bring up the menu.

  1. While in the Bluetooth menu, click on the Debug option and then click on “Remove all devices.”
  2. Click on Debug again, but select “Reset the Bluetooth module.”
  3. Restart your computer.
  4. After that process ends, start pairing each device that was previously paired with the MacBook.

Open the Terminal to stop all Bluetooth processes.

  1. Press Command and the Space Bar and then type in “Terminal” in the bar pops up.
  2. As the Terminal tab appears in the Spotlight search list, click on it to open it up.
  3. In the terminal window, type sudo rm -R /Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist. Hit enter afterward.
  4. Next, type in your password and hit enter again.
  5. Then, restart the MacBook.
  6. After the startup sequence finishes and you have logged back into your device, go into your System Preferences to turn Bluetooth.
  7. Try to repair your Bluetooth devices to see if they work.

Remove some PLIST Files.

Property List (PLIST) files contain settings for specific applications and software. However, sometimes the files can become corrupted and can affect processes on the MacBook. Bluetooth is no exception to this.

  1. Open the Finder application, and from the Finder menu, click on the Go navigation tab and choose the Go to Folder option.
  2. Type /Library/Preferences in the Go to Folder address bar.
  3. From here, look for a file named com.apple.Bluetooth.plist and either right-click and delete it or drag the file into the trash.
  4. Go back into the Go to Folder address bar and type ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost
  5. Now, look for a file named com.apple.Bluetooth.###.plist (Note: it is not labeled with hashtags, but with a bunch of random letters. This will be random every time for every device.) and delete the file by either right-clicking and clicking delete or moving it to the trash.
  6. Finally, restart your MacBook, which will create new .plist files.

Reset the PRAM.

  1. Shut down your MacBook.
  2. Hold down the Option, Command, P, and R keys and turn the device back on.
  3. Keep pressing on the keys for about 20 seconds until the startup chime sounds off or once the Apple logo appears and disappears a second time.
  4. In a final step, go into the System Preferences menu and restore any changes after resetting the PRAM or NVRAM, including any Bluetooth settings.

Reset the SMC.

  1. Turn off the MacBook.
  2. Hold down the power button for at least 10 seconds and then release it.
  3. Please wait at least 5 seconds and then press the power button to turn it back on again.

However, if the Bluetooth issues are still ongoing and a user can reset the SMC through an additional method below:

  1. Power down the device.
  2. Press and hold the Control, Option, and Shift keys for at least 7 seconds. While holding those three keys, start pressing down on the power button.
  3. Continue holding down all four keys for an additional 7 seconds and then release.
  4. Wait another five seconds to turn the device back on again.

It’s all (finally) connected!

It is a typical sight at a coffee shop to see anyone working with a MacBook have a wireless keyboard or mouse assisting them with a project for their job or school. Or they are streaming Spotify and have AirPods in their ears, using music to concentrate. That said, whenever Bluetooth suddenly stops working on the device, it’s annoying. After all, the user probably spent good money on these accessories. Still, the Bluetooth feature not working won’t require a full-on repair. Instead, following one of the above methods to fix this issue.

At MicroReplay, we know a thing or two about MacBooks and how to repair these devices. With over twenty-plus years of experience, our company specializes in repairing liquid-damaged MacBooks and other high-end laptops.

In need of a liquid spill or cracked screen repair? Book a repair with us today!

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