Fix Bluetooth not working
Run the Bluetooth troubleshooter in the Get Help app first. Then confirm Bluetooth is on in Settings, Bluetooth and devices, that airplane mode is off, and that the accessory is charged and close by. If it still fails, remove and pair the device again, then uninstall the adapter in Device Manager and restart.
Checked October 30, 2026 against the manufacturer's own pages.
The short version
What to install and where it comes from. Every link goes to the manufacturer or Microsoft, never to a copy.
Official files only, nothing bundled
Step by step
Run the Bluetooth troubleshooter
Open the Get Help app and run the automated Bluetooth troubleshooter. You can also go to Settings, System, Troubleshoot, Other troubleshooters and select Run next to Bluetooth.
Check airplane mode and the quick setting
Select the network, sound or battery icon on the taskbar. Make sure Airplane mode is off and the Bluetooth tile is on. Some laptops also have a physical wireless switch.
Check the accessory itself
Switch the headset, mouse or speaker off and on. Charge it or fit fresh batteries, and move it within a few metres of the PC with nothing metal in between.
Remove the device and pair it again
In Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Devices, open More options next to the device and choose Remove device. Put the accessory back into pairing mode and add it again.
Show every device type
If the accessory never appears, go to Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Devices and set Bluetooth devices discovery to Advanced. Default shows only common device types.
Reinstall the Bluetooth adapter
In Device Manager, expand Bluetooth, right-click the adapter and choose Uninstall device. Shut down, wait a few seconds and switch on. If it does not return, use Action, Scan for hardware changes.
Signs that point to the driver, not the device
If no Bluetooth accessory connects, and the Bluetooth tile is missing or greyed out, the adapter or its driver is the likely cause. Look in Device Manager: a yellow warning sign on the adapter, or an unknown entry under Other devices, confirms it. Microsoft names an outdated or incompatible driver as one of the most common causes of Bluetooth connection trouble.
USB dongles and front ports
A USB Bluetooth dongle in a front panel port or behind a hub can drop out when the signal is weak or power is shared. Move it to a rear port on a desktop, or a USB extension cable placed in view of your accessories. If the dongle works after a restart but fails after sleep, test with it in a different port before changing drivers.
Questions
The Bluetooth switch disappeared.
If the toggle is gone from Settings but the adapter still appears in Device Manager, Microsoft recommends uninstalling the adapter there and restarting so Windows sets it up again.
Headphones connect but play no sound.
Open Settings, System, Sound and choose the headphones under Output. Windows sometimes keeps playing through the speakers after a Bluetooth device connects.
It broke after a Windows update.
Open the adapter's Properties in Device Manager, then the Driver tab, and use Roll Back Driver if the button is active. Then check your PC maker's site for a newer Bluetooth driver.
Only one device fails, the rest work.
Then the PC side is fine. Reset the accessory using its maker's instructions, remove it from Windows and pair it fresh.