iPhone Bluetooth is the wireless technology that lets your phone connect to AirPods, Apple Watch, car audio, speakers, smart home devices and other phones. But sometimes Bluetooth stops working for many reasons, e.g., a device will not pair, audio cuts out randomly, the toggle is greyed out or your iPhone cannot find a device that was working yesterday.
Heads up before you assume the hardware is bad. iPhone Bluetooth issues are almost always software. Trust me on this. I have seen this happen on multiple iPhones and the fix is rarely a Genius Bar visit.
This easy guide will help you fix iPhone Bluetooth not working by walking you through quick toggles first, then deeper resets, settings checks and helping you know when the issue is the iPhone versus the other device.
Fix 1: Toggle Bluetooth Off and On
Real quick. The most common fix.
- Open Control Center (swipe down from top right or up from bottom on older iPhones).
- Tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it off.
- Wait 10 seconds.
- Tap to turn it on again.
Heads up. Use Settings > Bluetooth instead of Control Center for a deeper reset. Control Center only disconnects, it does not turn off the radio.
Fix 2: Restart Your iPhone
Yeah basic. But solves a lot of Bluetooth issues caused by background process glitches.
- Hold the Side button and Volume button until the slider appears.
- Slide to power off.
- Wait 30 seconds.
- Hold Side button to power on.
Fix 3: Forget the Device and Re-pair
This fixes most pairing issues with a specific device.
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth.
- Find the device that is not working.
- Tap the info (i) icon next to it.
- Tap Forget This Device.
- Put the device in pairing mode again.
- Pair it fresh.
This usually fixes phantom pairing issues where the device shows connected but no audio comes through.
Fix 4: Reset Network Settings
Deeper fix that resets all WiFi, Bluetooth and cellular settings together.
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap Reset Network Settings.
- Enter passcode and confirm.
You will need to re-enter WiFi passwords. Worth it for stubborn Bluetooth bugs.
Fix 5: Update iOS
Apple has shipped specific Bluetooth fixes in iOS updates several times. Check for one.
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
- Install any pending update.
- Test Bluetooth after.
Fix 6: Test If It Is the iPhone or the Device
Real talk. Sometimes the problem is the other device, not iPhone.
- Try connecting your iPhone to a different Bluetooth device (a friend’s speaker, your car, anything).
- Try connecting the original device to a different phone or laptop.
- If iPhone connects fine to everything else, the original device has the issue.
- If nothing connects to your iPhone, the iPhone is the issue.
Easy way to narrow down where the problem really is.
My Honest Opinion
Most Bluetooth issues are fixed by Forget Device plus re-pair. Try that before anything more aggressive. Reset Network Settings is the nuclear backup that fixes the stubborn 5%.
If you have tried everything and only one device fails to connect, that device is the problem. Not your iPhone.
Final Thoughts
Fixing iPhone Bluetooth not working usually takes one of the first three fixes. Toggle, restart, forget and re-pair. Deeper issues need network reset or iOS update.
Also, if you follow our steps and still face difficulties with iPhone Bluetooth, seek help from Apple Support or leave a comment in the comment section of our blog.