How to Pair a Bluetooth Device on Windows 10: Guide + Troubleshooting

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Easy steps to enable Bluetooth and pair a new accessory

Co-authored by Nicole Levine, MFA Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: January 8, 2025 Fact Checked

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Pairing in Windows 10

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Pairing in Windows 11

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If Bluetooth Still Isn't Working

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Are you having trouble pairing your Bluetooth speaker, headset, printer, or other device with your PC? You've come to the right place. This wikiHow article will teach you how to connect any Bluetooth device to your Windows 10 or Windows 11 laptop or desktop computer. We'll even help you troubleshoot any connection problems that arise along the way.

Quickly Connect a Bluetooth Device to Windows 10

To turn on Bluetooth, click the Action Center (the notification area), then click the Bluetooth icon. To pair a device, go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices > Add Bluetooth or other device > Bluetooth , select your device, and then click Connect .

Section 1 of 3:

Pairing in Windows 10

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1
Turn on Bluetooth. If you haven't already turned on Bluetooth, you'll want to do that first. To do this, click the Action Center—the square chat bubble icon next to the date and time on the taskbar—then click the Bluetooth icon.
- If Bluetooth is off, the tile will be gray and display the Bluetooth symbol, which looks like a sideways bowtie. Click the icon to turn on Bluetooth, and the icon will turn blue.
- If you don't see a Bluetooth icon, click Expand on the Action Center. You should see it then. To add the Bluetooth icon to your Quick Actions—press the Windows key + i keys on the keyboard to open Settings, and then go to System > Notifications & actions > Quick actions > Add or remove quick actions and turn on Bluetooth. ^{[1]
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- Still not seeing the icon? Find out what to do if Bluetooth still isn't working .
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Make your Bluetooth device discoverable. You can usually do this by turning on the device and pressing its pairing button. Depending on the device, you may need to hold the pairing button down until a light flashes or you hear a beep.
- If you're not sure how to put the device into pairing mode, check the manufacturer's website.
- If the device is rechargeable, make sure it has a full charge before trying to pair.
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You can do this easily by pressing Windows key + i at the same time, or by clicking Settings in the Windows Start menu.
This icon looks like a keyboard and a speaker.
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Click Bluetooth & other devices . Choose this option if you're connecting a Bluetooth speaker, headset, mouse, keyboard, or any Bluetooth device that isn't a scanner or printer.
- If you're trying to pair a scanner or printer, select Add a printer or scanner instead. When Windows finds the printer or scanner, click Add device to pair.
This is at the top of the right panel.
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Click Bluetooth . Your PC will now scan for discoverable Bluetooth devices and display its findings.
- If you don’t see your device, its pairing mode may have timed out. Press and hold its pairing button again to make it discoverable.
- Make sure your device isn't automatically connecting to another computer, phone, or tablet.
You will be prompted to connect to the device.
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Click Connect to pair the device. Depending on the device, you may need to enter a pairing code to connect. Most devices use a generic pairing code like 0000, 1111, or 1234. Check your device's manual to find out for sure. Once you've paired this device, it will automatically pair with your PC when it's in range. ^{[2]
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- If you see an error that says "Couldn't connect," make sure the Bluetooth device's battery is fully charged (if applicable). You can also try turning Bluetooth off and on again.
- If you've paired to this device in the past but can't pair now, click the device name under "Bluetooth & other devices" and select Remove device . Then, put the device back into pairing mode and try adding it again. This clears up a lot of problems.

Section 2 of 3:

Pairing in Windows 11

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1
Turn on Bluetooth. Click the Quick Settings area, which is the area of the taskbar where you see the network, volume, and battery icons, directly to the left of the date and time. If Bluetooth is off, you'll just see the Bluetooth symbol (it looks like a sideways bowtie) on the tile. Click the icon to turn on Bluetooth.
- When Bluetooth is on, you'll see "Not connected" beneath the tile unless it's connected to a device. When a device is connected, that device's name will appear on the tile.
- If you don't see the Bluetooth icon, right-click anywhere in the Quick Settings area, select Edit quick settings , click Add , and then select Bluetooth .
2
Make your Bluetooth device discoverable. You can usually do this by turning on the device and pressing its pairing button. Depending on the device, you may need to hold the pairing button down until a light flashes or you hear a beep.
- If you're not sure how to put the device into pairing mode, check the manufacturer's website.
- If the device is rechargeable, make sure it has a full charge before trying to pair.
You can do this by pressing Windows key + i on the keyboard, by clicking the Windows menu and selecting the gear icon, or by clicking the Quick Settings and clicking the gear icon at its bottom-right corner.
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Click Bluetooth & devices . You'll see this option near the top of the left panel.
- Devices you've already paired with appear at the top of the "Bluetooth & devices" area. If you're connected to a device right now, you'll see a green dot next to its name and the word "Connected."
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Click + Add device . Choose this option if you're adding a Bluetooth device that is not a printer or scanner. It's the large tile at the top-right corner of the window. A list of device types will appear.
- If you're adding a printer or scanner, click Printers & scanners instead, click Add device , and wait for Windows to detect the Bluetooth printer. When found, click its name and select Add device .
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Click Bluetooth . It's the first option. Windows will scan for discoverable speakers, headsets, keyboards, and other Bluetooth devices.
- If you don’t see your device, its pairing mode may have timed out. Press and hold its pairing button again to make it discoverable.
- Make sure your Bluetooth device isn't automatically connecting to another computer, phone, or tablet.
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Click the Bluetooth device to connect. Depending on the device, you may need to enter a pairing code to connect. Most devices use a generic pairing code like 0000, 1111, or 1234. Check your device's manual to find out for sure.
- If you're pairing a Bluetooth keyboard and are asked for a pairing code, try typing the code on the Bluetooth keyboard.
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Click Done once connected. Now, your Windows PC will automatically pair with this device whenever it's in range.
- If you've connected to this device before but can't connect now, try unpairing it. To do this, click the three vertical dots next to the device's name in the "Bluetooth & devices" area and select Remove device .
- Still having trouble? Find out what to do if you can't connect to a Bluetooth device on Windows 11 .

Section 3 of 3:

If Bluetooth Still Isn't Working

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Believe it or not, some laptops and desktops don't have Bluetooth built in. Check your computer's specifications (you can search online for your model and "Bluetooth"). If your PC doesn't have Bluetooth, you can get an external Bluetooth adapter that you can connect via USB. This will allow you to connect to Bluetooth.
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Try pairing to a different device. If you're able to turn on Bluetooth but can't pair your Windows PC to a specific device, try with another Bluetooth device, such as a speaker or headphones, to see if it works. If you can pair it to one device and not another, there's likely a problem with that device.
- It could be that its battery isn't charged or that its Bluetooth radio is broken.
- It's also possible that the device is quickly pairing with another computer, phone, or tablet before your computer can find it.
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Run the troubleshooter. Windows 10 and 11 both have built-in troubleshooters that can fix most Bluetooth problems. ^{[3]
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- Windows 10: Open your Windows Settings and go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Find and fix other problems > Bluetooth and select Run the troubleshooter .
- Windows 11: Open your Windows Settings and go to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters . Click Run next to "Bluetooth."
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Update the Bluetooth driver. If you still can't pair to your device, try updating your Bluetooth drivers. Here's how: ^{[4]
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- On both Windows 10 and 11, click the magnifying glass on the taskbar (or click the search bar).
- Type device .
- Click Device Manager in the results.
- Click Bluetooth .
- Right-click the Bluetooth adapter (it usually has "adapter" or "radio" in its name) and select Update driver .
- Click Search automatically for updated driver software .
- If a new driver is found, it will be installed. When it's finished, restart your computer and try to pair again.
- If Windows doesn't find a new driver, check your PC manufacturer's website for updated Bluetooth drivers for your PC model. Download the files from their website and double-click the driver to install it.
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Uninstall and reinstall the Bluetooth adapter. If Bluetooth still isn't working, try uninstalling and reinstalling your Bluetooth adapter. You can do this in the Device Manager, just like in the last step.
- Instead of selecting the Update option, right-click the name of the Bluetooth adapter, select Uninstall device , and then click Uninstall .
- Once uninstalled, shut down and restart your PC. When your PC boots back up, Windows will try to automatically install a new Bluetooth driver.
- Return to Device Manager and make sure you see your Bluetooth adapter. If you don’t, click the Action menu at the top and select Scan for hardware changes to install it now.