How to Fix: Bluetooth Not Available on Mac | Quick Guides

By Robin Pepin | October 26, 2019

Bluetooth issues though rare are not uncommon on Mac. At times, you can face a specific Bluetooth connection error on your Mac. When you hover the mouse pointer over the ‘Bluetooth’ icon on the top bar of the screen, a message will flash which will say ‘Bluetooth: Not Available’.

This issue can render all the Bluetooth devices connected to the Mac system unusable and thus, it’s important that you resolve the issue at the earliest to start working on your Mac using the Bluetooth.

Keeping that in mind, we have come up with this guide. Here, we will discuss all the fixes to resolve this issue in the quickest possible way. So, follow the fixes and apply them accordingly to correct this error that says Bluetooth is not available on Mac.

Causes behind Bluetooth Not Available on Mac

There can be several causes behind this ‘Bluetooth not available’ issue on Mac including:

A conflict between the USB devices and the Bluetooth module
Corrupt ‘.plist’ files
Malfunctioning SMC
Malfunctioning Bluetooth module

Bluetooth Not Available on Mac: Fixes to Try

In this section of the article, we will discuss the methods that will help you to easily fix the Bluetooth not available glitch on a Mac. So, follow thoroughly.

Fix 1: Configure the Bluetooth Module Once Again

If the Bluetooth module in your Mac is not performing correctly, then the Mac can say that Bluetooth is not available. If such is the case, the only solution you have is to configure the Bluetooth module once again. The steps to do it are as follows:

First, press and hold the keys ‘Shift + Option’ altogether. This action will open the Mac menu.
After that, from the menu, locate and choose the ‘Bluetooth’ option. As soon as you click on that option, a new drop-down list will appear, in it, tap on the ‘Debug’ button.
Now, another list with some suboptions will come up, in it, choose the ‘Reset the Bluetooth module’.
Now, wait a minute for the Bluetooth module to reset and then reboot the Mac.
When the Mac restarts, connect all the Bluetooth enabled devices to the machine and see if this error is fixed or not.

Fix 2: Remove ‘.plist’ Files

If the data present within the ‘.plist’ files get corrupted, then there is a possibility for you to face this error. The best answer to get rid of this error is to remove all the ‘.plist’ files from the machine.

The ‘.plist’ or ‘Property List’ are files that the Mac uses to keep user preferences information for the device, like the mouse, trackpad, mouse and etc. In order to remove any ‘.plist’ files from the Mac, follow the steps underneath.

First, switch on the Mac computer.
Next, quit any software that attempts to connect to the Bluetooth module.
Once all the problematic applications are cleared, next, launch the ‘Finder’ and press the keys ‘Command + Shift + G’ together.
A new window will appear having the name ‘GoTo Folder’. Input the following path ‘~/Library/Preferences/’. Next, click on the ‘Go’ button.
Now, a new window with the heading ‘Preferences’ will come up, in it, locate the file ‘com.apple.Bluetooth.plist’ file from the list.
Finally, press the ‘Delete’ button and simply restart the Mac computer.

Fix 3: Disconnect all the USB Devices from the Mac

If the USB devices connected to the Mac has some kind of internal conflict with the ‘Bluetooth’ module, then you can meet with this problem. Now, the best solution to resolve this issue is to disconnect each and every USB device from the Mac computer.

After removing all the USB devices like mouse, external hard disc, flash drive and etc, all you have to do is boot the Mac machine once again.

After the Mac computer restarts, reconnect the USB devices and see if this issue resurfaces or not.

Fix 4: Delete Problematic Applications using the Launchpad

If you have installed an application into the Mac recently, then chances are that the program might have corrupted the Bluetooth configuration for which the Mac is saying that Bluetooth is not available.

Now, the best way to resolve this issue is to simply delete the currently installed software form the machine.

For that to happen, follow the steps below:

First, form the ‘Dock’ present at the bottom of the Mac desktop screen, locate and click on the ‘Spaceship’ icon. This action will open up a new window having the name ‘Launchpad’.
Inside the new window, there will be a list of all the softwares installed on the system.
Next, from that list, locate the problematic application that you want to remove. After that, tap and hold the software for a second and it will start to shake.
Now, go to the top left part of the application icon and click the ‘X’ button.
Once you get a confirmation message box, choose the ‘Delete’ button to uninstall the software from the device.
Lastly, once the removal process is over, reboot the Mac computer and see if this problem is still resolved or not.

Fix 5: Reset the SMC

If the information present within SMC gets corrupted somehow, then the Mac computer can show Bluetooth not available. The correct way to resolve this issue is to reset the SMC.

The System Management Controller or SMC plays an important role to control power management, LED indicators, switching video mode and etc.

Follow the steps below, to know how to reset the SMC on a MacBook.

First, shut down the MacBook.
Next, connect one end of the power adapter into the wall socket and the other end to the device.
After that, press the four buttons ‘Shift + Control + Option + Power’ simultaneously and hold them for ten seconds.
Once the 10 seconds are over, next, let go of those four buttons together.
At last, boot the MacBook normally and then check if resetting the SMC resolved the issue or not.

In order to reset the SMC for iMac, Mac Pro or Mac mini, follow the steps below.

First, switch off the Mac computer.
Now. remove the power cable from the wall socket. Next, tap and hold the ‘Power’ button of the computer for five seconds and then let it go.
After that, connect the power cable of the device back into the wall socket.
Lastly, boot the Mac normally and then check whether this issue is fixed or not.

To rectify the Bluetooth not available issue on Mac, all you have to do is follow the methods provided in this article. You can mention in the comments which of the solutions worked for you for the benefit of other Mac users.

Posted in Mac