PRO Courses Hot Guides Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade QUIZZES All Quizzes Hot Community Quizzes Love Quizzes Personality Quizzes Trivia Quizzes Taylor Swift Quizzes EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard Trending Forums Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Quizzes Love Quizzes Personality Quizzes Fun Games Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth LOG IN Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. Facebook Google wikiHow Account No account yet? Create an account Browse Articles Quizzes & Games All Quizzes Hot Community Quizzes Personality Quizzes Dating Simulator Learn Something New Support wikiHow Log in / Sign up Computers and Electronics Operating Systems Last Updated: March 20, 2026 Fact Checked Enabling in the Action Center Enabling in Settings Adding Bluetooth to a PC Resetting a Bluetooth Adapter This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Dillon . Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over 7 years. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 13,955 times. Bluetooth allows you to wirelessly connect headphones, keyboards, mice, controllers, and more to your Windows computer. But how exactly do you enable Bluetooth? In this article, we'll teach you how to enable Bluetooth in Windows 10 and use a USB adapter if your computer doesn't have Bluetooth installed natively. We also go over how to reset your adapter if Bluetooth stops working. Read on to learn more. Turning on Bluetooth in Windows 10 & 11 Computer & tech specialist Luigi Oppido says to click Start and head to Settings . From there, go to Devices ( Bluetooth and device on Windows 11) to see previously paired devices. If your device isn’t listed, put it in Pairing mode, then when it shows up, click and pair it. Enter the pairing code if it asks for one. Enabling Bluetooth in the Action Center 1 Click the message icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen. This will open the Action Center, which appears as a panel on the right-hand side of the screen. 2 Click the Bluetooth button. If Bluetooth is turned off, this button will say Off . If Bluetooth is already on, the button will be highlighted and say Connected or Not connected . [1] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source If you don't see the Bluetooth option here, you can enable it in settings . If you don't see the Bluetooth option here, you can enable it in settings . Enabling Bluetooth in Settings 1 Open the Settings app. The easiest way to do this is to click the Windows icon on your taskbar (Start), then click Settings , which is a gear icon on the left side of the Start menu. 2 Click Devices . It's in the top row of options, between System and Mobile devices . It has an icon that looks like an MP3 player and a keyboard. 3 Toggle on Bluetooth. When you click Devices , you should automatically be in the "Bluetooth & other devices" menu. Under the "Bluetooth" header, click the toggle to enable Bluetooth. [2] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source If the Bluetooth toggle is to the right and already says "on," you don't need to click the toggle again, as Bluetooth is already enabled on your PC. If the Bluetooth toggle is to the right and already says "on," you don't need to click the toggle again, as Bluetooth is already enabled on your PC. Adding Bluetooth to a PC

1 Purchase a USB Bluetooth adapter. If your computer doesn't have a built-in Bluetooth adapter, you can add Bluetooth using an external adapter . These adapters connect to your PC via a USB port. 2 Plug the USB adapter into your computer. For best results, avoid putting the USB Bluetooth adapter on the back of your PC tower (if you're on a desktop), as this might interfere with the strength of the Bluetooth signal. 3 Download drivers (optional). Almost every Bluetooth adapter is plug-and-play, which means you don't need to manually install anything to use it. Once you plug in the adapter, your computer should tell you it's setting up the device. This means your computer is downloading the necessary drivers to run the device. However, if you don't see this pop-up or your adapter is explicitly not plug-and-play, you will need to download and install the device's drivers from the manufacturer's website. 4 Enable Bluetooth on your device. Go back to the section above to learn how to enable Bluetooth on your device once your Bluetooth adapter is set up. Resetting a Bluetooth Adapter 1 Open Device Manager. The easiest way to do this is to type device manager into the taskbar search bar and click Device Manager in the Start menu that pops up. If your Bluetooth isn't working on your computer, the fastest way to get it working again is to reset the adapter. These steps work for both built-in and external Bluetooth adapters. If your Bluetooth isn't working on your computer, the fastest way to get it working again is to reset the adapter. These steps work for both built-in and external Bluetooth adapters. 2 Expand the Bluetooth section. The list of options is sorted alphabetically, so the Bluetooth menu will be near the top. 3 Right-click your Bluetooth adapter. If you have a built-in Bluetooth adapter, you'll likely see something called "Realtek Bluetooth Adapter." If you're using a USB Bluetooth adapter, you'll want to look for the product name (such as USB-BT400 if you have an ASUS Bluetooth adapter). 4 Click Uninstall Device . In the pop-up, check the box next to "Attempt to remove the driver for this device." 5 Click Uninstall . The device and its drivers will be uninstalled from your computer. 6 Reinstall your Bluetooth adapter. If you have a built-in Bluetooth adapter, simply restart your PC. When your computer restarts, it will automatically download and install the drivers for the Bluetooth adapter. If you're using a USB Bluetooth adapter, remove it from your computer and plug it back in. Your computer will reinstall all the necessary drivers for you. If your Bluetooth adapter specifically says you have to manually install drivers, you'll have to do that after plugging the device back into your computer. And if the steps above have been helpful, be sure to download this article as a PDF so you can print, read, or reference it any time. Download PDF for $2.99 If your Bluetooth adapter specifically says you have to manually install drivers, you'll have to do that after plugging the device back into your computer. And if the steps above have been helpful, be sure to download this article as a PDF so you can print, read, or reference it any time. You Might Also Like ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/turn-bluetooth-on-or-off-in-windows-9e92fddd-4e12-e32b-9132-5e36bdb2f75a#category=windows_10 ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/turn-bluetooth-on-or-off-in-windows-9e92fddd-4e12-e32b-9132-5e36bdb2f75a#category=windows_10 About This Article Send fan mail to authors Is this article up to date? Quizzes & Games You Might Also Like Trending Articles Trending Articles Take the Quiz. Face the Truth. 🔥 Are You More… 🤔 Featured Videos Hot Takes Only 🔥 Your Daily Dose of Fun 🎉 Computers and Electronics Operating Systems Do Not Sell or Share My Info Not Selling Info wikiHow Tech Help: Tech troubles got you down? We've got the tips you need