Bluetooth Not Working on Windows 11: Fixes That Work

Updated 2 November 2026. Checked against Microsoft's current Bluetooth troubleshooting page and Intel's latest wireless Bluetooth driver notes (version 24.80.0, released 20 October).

Short answer: turn Bluetooth off and on, unpair and re-pair the device, then run Windows' Bluetooth troubleshooter. If none of that helps, the problem is usually the driver or a Windows service that has stopped. Below are the fixes in the order I'd try them, starting with the quick ones.

Bluetooth on Windows 11 tends to break in a few familiar ways. The toggle disappears from Quick Settings. A headset pairs but there's no sound. A mouse drops out every few minutes. Or the adapter simply vanishes after an update. The same handful of fixes covers almost all of these.

Jump to:

• Step 1: Check the basics
• Step 2: Remove and re-pair the device
• Step 3: Run the Bluetooth troubleshooter
• Step 4: Restart the Bluetooth Support Service
• Step 5: Update or reinstall the driver
• Step 6: Stop Windows turning the adapter off
• Step 7: Deal with interference
• Symptom-by-symptom table
• FAQ

Step 1: Check the basics

These sound obvious, but I've lost an evening to every one of them.

• Is Bluetooth actually on? Open Quick Settings (Windows + A) and look at the Bluetooth tile, or go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices.
• Is airplane mode off? Airplane mode turns Bluetooth off too. Some laptops also have a function key or a hardware switch that disables wireless radios.
• Is the device charged and in pairing mode? Most headphones and mice need a long press to become discoverable. Check the manual, because it differs a lot between brands.
• Is it still connected to your phone? Many earbuds connect to the last device they used. Turn Bluetooth off on your phone for a minute while you pair with the PC.
• Restart the PC. A full restart (not shutdown, which can use Fast Startup) reloads the Bluetooth stack.

If your device doesn't show up when you click Add device, scroll down on the Bluetooth & devices page and set Bluetooth devices discovery to Advanced. Windows hides some device types on the default setting, and Microsoft suggests switching it if a device doesn't appear.

Step 2: Remove and re-pair the device

A stale pairing is the most common cause of a device that "connects" but doesn't work, or drops out right away.

1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices.
2. Find the device, click the three dots next to it and choose Remove device.
3. Put the device back in pairing mode. For earbuds, it can help to reset them to factory settings first.
4. Click Add device > Bluetooth and pair it again.

For headphones with no sound, also check the output. Click the speaker icon in the taskbar, then the arrow next to the volume slider, and make sure the headset is selected.

Step 3: Run the Bluetooth troubleshooter

Windows 11 has a built-in troubleshooter that resets a few things for you. It's now part of the Get Help app.

1. Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
2. Next to Bluetooth, click Run.
3. Follow the prompts in Get Help and say yes when it asks to apply fixes.

It won't fix a broken driver, but it does restart the radio and the service, and it's quick.

Step 4: Restart the Bluetooth Support Service

If the Bluetooth tile has disappeared or the switch won't turn on, check that the service behind it is running. Cleanup tools and "debloat" scripts sometimes disable it.

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
2. Find Bluetooth Support Service and double-click it.
3. Set Startup type to Automatic.
4. Click Start (or Stop then Start if it's already running), then OK.

Do the same for Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service if your problem is with a headset's microphone.

Step 5: Update or reinstall the driver

When the adapter is missing, shows a yellow warning in Device Manager, or broke after a Windows update, the driver is the usual suspect.

1. Right-click the Start button and open Device Manager.
2. Expand Bluetooth. If you don't see it, click View > Show hidden devices.
3. Right-click your adapter (often named Intel Wireless Bluetooth, Realtek Bluetooth or MediaTek Bluetooth) and choose Update driver > Search automatically for drivers.
4. If that finds nothing or doesn't help, right-click it again and choose Uninstall device. Then click Action > Scan for hardware changes, or restart, and Windows will reinstall it.

Windows Update doesn't always have the newest driver, so it's worth checking your laptop or motherboard maker's support page, or the chip maker's. Most laptops use Intel, Realtek, MediaTek or Qualcomm wireless cards.

If you have an Intel adapter, the current package is Intel Wireless Bluetooth 24.80.0, released on 20 October 2026. Intel's notes include one warning worth repeating: on the Wireless-AC 9560, 9462 and 9461, remove all paired devices before upgrading from older 23.10 to 23.50 drivers. Then pair them again afterwards. You can download it from Intel's Bluetooth driver page.

If the problem started right after a driver update, go the other way. In Device Manager, open the adapter's Properties > Driver tab and click Roll Back Driver if it's available.

Step 6: Stop Windows turning the adapter off

If Bluetooth works after a restart but stops after the laptop sleeps, Windows may be cutting power to the adapter to save battery.

1. In Device Manager, right-click the Bluetooth adapter and choose Properties.
2. Open the Power Management tab.
3. Untick Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power and click OK.

Not every adapter shows this tab. If yours doesn't, check the same setting on the USB Root Hub entries under Universal Serial Bus controllers, since many internal Bluetooth chips sit on USB.

Step 7: Deal with interference

Bluetooth shares the 2.4GHz band with Wi-Fi, microwaves and, less obviously, USB 3.0 ports and cables. Microsoft's own guide calls out USB 3.0 as a source of interference.

• Move the device closer to the PC and remove things in between, especially metal.
• If you use a USB Bluetooth dongle, plug it into a USB 2.0 port or use a short extension cable to move it away from other USB 3.0 devices.
• If your router allows it, connect the PC to 5GHz or 6GHz Wi-Fi instead of 2.4GHz.

Audio stutter on a headset while you're on a video call is usually not interference, by the way. When a headset uses its microphone, many switch to a lower-quality "hands-free" mode. Picking the headset's stereo output and a different microphone fixes the sound.

Symptom-by-symptom table

If you just bought budget ANC earbuds and Windows keeps dropping them, start here — then compare current under-$100 pairs in best budget ANC earbuds under $100.

Headphones connect but cut out every few minutes? That's a different problem — use Bluetooth headphones keep disconnecting for the Windows / Mac / Android / iPhone dropout fixes.

Related guides: I keep the main connection walkthrough in my guide to fixing Wi-Fi that says connected but has no internet. You might also want my notes on sites that won't load because of Intel ICPS and IPv6 or Smart App Control greyed out on Windows 11.

FAQ

Why did my Bluetooth option disappear in Windows 11?

Usually because the Bluetooth Support Service has stopped or the driver failed to load. Start the service (Step 4), then check Device Manager for the adapter (Step 5). If it isn't listed at all, even under hidden devices, check that wireless isn't disabled in your laptop's BIOS or with a hardware key.

Do I need to reinstall Windows to fix Bluetooth?

Almost never. Reinstalling the driver fixes nearly every software cause. If the adapter still doesn't appear after that, a cheap USB Bluetooth dongle is a much faster fix than a reinstall.

Why does my Bluetooth headset sound bad on calls?

When an app uses the headset's microphone, many headsets switch to a hands-free profile that has much lower audio quality. Use your laptop's built-in microphone, or a USB one, and keep the headset for sound only.

Can a USB 3.0 device really interfere with Bluetooth?

Yes. Microsoft lists it as a known cause. USB 3.0 ports and cables can create noise in the 2.4GHz band. Moving a dongle to a USB 2.0 port or an extension cable often helps.

More help

If your laptop's battery is also struggling, see my guide to checking laptop battery health on Windows 11. And if an update caused all this, fixing a stuck Windows Update may help too. You can also read Microsoft's own Bluetooth troubleshooting guide.

If an Xbox, DualSense or Switch Pro pad pairs over Bluetooth then vanishes inside Steam, that is usually Steam Input or the controller's own pairing — I walked through those cases in controller not detected on PC.