Bluetooth allows your devices to communicate with one another using short-range radio waves. With the magic of Bluetooth, you can listen to podcasts while moving from room to room, transfer files from mobile devices to your PC, and play games on multiple platforms with just one controller. But the technology behind Bluetooth can be fickle and prone to malfunction. Fortunately there are plenty of ways to troubleshoot and fix your Bluetooth if it isn’t working, especially on Windows 11.

Here are some of the more common ways to fix a malfunctioning Bluetooth connection.

Make sure Bluetooth is on

Like other forms of wireless communication, Bluetooth isn’t a one-way street. It doesn’t matter if you are using wireless earbuds or controllers; if your computer’s Bluetooth adapter isn’t on, nothing will connect.

During the troubleshooting process, you should always start by making sure your Bluetooth is on:

1. Press the Start button.

2. Click on Settings.

3. Select Bluetooth & devices.

4. If your Bluetooth is off, click the icon to switch it on.

5. Just to be safe, even if your Bluetooth is on, turn it off, wait a few seconds, then turn it on again.

If your computer’s Bluetooth is up and running, your Bluetooth-enabled devices should connect with no problem. If they don't, the cause might not lie in Windows 11 but the wireless device itself. So, make sure the gadget is on and within range of your PC: Bluetooth has better range than wired connections, but its signal isn’t limitless. If the device is on, turn it off and on again to reset the connection.

Turn off Airplane Mode

Since laptops have built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adapters, they also include a mode that turns off all wireless communications, generally known as “Airplane Mode”, because early laptop wireless signals disrupted the electrical systems of airplanes. While Airplane Mode is superfluous nowadays due to advances in computer Wi-Fi and plane systems, and many airlines even offer in-flight Wi-Fi, laptop users can still activate the mode to stop all wireless communication, including Bluetooth.

Here’s how to check if Airplane Mode is responsible for your Bluetooth blackout:

1. Select the Network, Sound, or Battery icon to bring up Windows 11’s Quick Settings tab.

2. Check if the Airplane Mode icon (the one that looks like an airplane) is highlighted, indicating it is on. If it is, click the icon to turn Airplane Mode off.

3. If Airplane Mode is off, click the icon anyway to turn it on. Then click it again, to turn it off.

With Airplane Mode off, your Bluetooth adapter should function normally. Since desktop computers aren’t portable, you don’t need to worry about this step if you are using one of them.

Change your computer’s Bluetooth discovery settings

Most Bluetooth-enabled devices are simple gadgets; in order to sync them up with anything, Windows 11 PCs included, Bluetooth adapters need to initiate the connection. If a computer isn’t set up to find the correct Bluetooth device, known as “discovering,” you can’t force the link.

You can alter your Windows 11’s Bluetooth discovery settings by doing the following:

1. Press Start.

2. Click on Settings.

3. Select Bluetooth & Devices.

4. Select Devices

5. Search for Device settings, followed by Bluetooth devices discovery.

6. Set the Bluetooth discovery to Default to search for the most common Bluetooth devices. If your item isn’t showing up, set the option to Advanced.

With the proper discovery settings, your Bluetooth gadget should show up on your Windows 11 PC, and be ready to connect.

Remove the Bluetooth device from your adapter’s memory

When a Bluetooth-enabled device first communicates with a Bluetooth adapter, the item and its frequency are committed to memory. Because adapters are always on and searching for Bluetooth radio signals, computers know they should automatically link to devices on their list of connections when they pick up an authorized signal. However, sometimes something goes wrong with the adapter’s code, preventing it from recognizing devices. If this happens, your best option is to refresh the adapter’s memory, figuratively and literally, by reintroducing the affected Bluetooth device.

Here’s how you remove a Bluetooth device and then add it back to your PC:

1. Press Start.

2. Click on Settings.

3. Click on Bluetooth & devices.

4. Select Devices.

5. Highlight the affected Bluetooth device, then click on More options (the ellpsis button).

6. Select Remove device, then confirm your choice.

7. After the item’s data has been deleted, pair it again.

Once your device is reconnected, it should run with no more problems.

Update the Bluetooth adapter’s driver

Sometimes the root cause of a Bluetooth connection error is the adapter’s driver. Perhaps it got corrupted somehow, or maybe a device isn’t compatible with older drivers. Whatever the reason, an update will often patch the problem right up:

1. Type Device Manager into the Search bar in the taskbar, then select the Device Manager icon when it pops up.

2. Select Bluetooth.

3. Find and highlight your computer’s Bluetooth adapter.

4. Right-click on the adapter, then select Update driver.

5. Select Search automatically for updated driver software.

6. Follow the on-screen steps to update your Bluetooth adapter driver.

7. Close the updater, then restart your computer.

If the available update doesn’t work, try visiting your computer manufacturer’s website. That's because different Windows 11 PCs will have wildly different hardware builds. Not all component drivers cooperate, and manufacturers have their own lists of recommended drivers. Even if it might seem like a downgrade, these drivers are more likely to fix potential problems.

Run the Bluetooth troubleshooter

If your Bluetooth adapter and device are on, but not communicating, you can usually figure out the cause by using Windows 11’s built-in troubleshooter:

1. Press the Start button.

2. Select Settings.

3. Select System.

4. Click on Troubleshoot.

5. Select Other troubleshooters.

6. Find the troubleshooter for Bluetooth and click on the Run button.

7. Follow the on-screen instructions and let the troubleshooter complete its task.

With any luck, the troubleshooter will discover the underlying cause of the Bluetooth error and fix it for you.

Reinstall the Bluetooth adapter

If you have exhausted all other solutions and none of them worked, then you will be left with the nuclear option: reinstalling the Bluetooth adapter. This process deletes everything associated with the adapter and installs a fresh copy. It’s one step shy of resetting Windows 11 to its factory settings, but like a factory reset, reinstalling a Bluetooth adapter is almost guaranteed to work:

1. Type Device Manager into the Search bar in the taskbar, then select Device Manager from the results.

2. Select Bluetooth

3. Highlight your Bluetooth adapter, right click, and select Uninstall device.

4. Confirm your choice and wait for the process to finish.

5. Shut down your computer, then turn it back on.

6. Windows 11 will try to automatically reinstall the Bluetooth adapter driver.

7. If your computer doesn’t reinstall the driver or the installation fails, open Device Manager, select Action, and click on Scan for hardware changes.

Once your Bluetooth adapter is reinstalled, it should recognize the items you pair it with.

The above solutions should fix most Bluetooth problems. However, if you tried them all and are still encountering issues, contact your computer manufacturer’s technical support.