Bluetooth is a wireless communication system built into your iPhone which the device uses to connect to a whole variety of equipment, including headphones, earpieces, speakers and even keyboards. The technology sends signals over radio waves, with the majority of devices able to transmit and receive over distances up to 10m (33ft), though it's normally used with accessories no more than an arm's length away. To use any piece of Bluetooth kit with your iPhone, the two first need to be 'paired', which authorises them to talk to each other. You can sometimes simply select the accessory you want to connect with, but it's best to just switch off any others you might have paired. If you don't want to use a particular device again, you can unpair it. When buying Bluetooth kit, you need to know what you want to use it for and choose accordingly, because accessories need to support different Bluetooth 'profiles' in order to perform different functions. If you're thinking about buying a Bluetooth speaker, then check out our guide to the 10 best Bluetooth speakers available today.

how to iphone bluetooth
If you want to use an accessory to play music, for example, then it must support the A2DP profile used for one-way transmission of audio. The Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) works in conjunction with A2DP to enable you to use the Bluetooth device to control the music playing on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. For calls, you need support for the Hands-Free Profile (HFP). You might come across other Bluetooth profiles, too. Siri and Voice Control over Bluetooth require support for the BVRA profile. It's a bit of a minefield, so do your homework and read the spec carefully.. Bluetooth and switch Bluetooth on. Power on your Bluetooth accessory and put it into pairing mode (sometimes called 'discovery mode'). The device should now show up in the list on your iPhone's screen. Tap it to pair, and enter the passcode if one is required. Sometimes you might want to bypass a paired accessory, for example to put a call on speaker instead of using an earpiece.

In this particular case, if you answer an incoming call by tapping on your iPhone's touchscreen instead of using your earpiece's controls, the call will be routed to the phone itself. Alternatively, you can switch off the Bluetooth device, or swipe upwards from the bottom of the iPhone screen to open Control Centre and turn Bluetooth off. During a call, it's also possible to tap Audio Source on your iPhone's in-call display and choose between the iPhone, speaker phone or a connected Bluetooth accessory. To avoid potential conflicts with other accessories, best practice is to switch on only the one you want to use, and switch off any other paired devices. Bluetooth and switch Bluetooth on if it's off, then tap the name of the device in the list and select Forget This Device. If you should later want to use the device again, simply pair it again as before. The Bluetooth B icon in your iOS device's status bar will turn blue or solid white when something's connected to it. If Bluetooth is switched on but nothing's connected, it will be grey. If Bluetooth is off, the B won't be there at all. If Bluetooth is on and you have an earpiece paired and connected to your iPhone, you can tell your iPhone to use it for calls. Do this by tapping the Audio Source button on the in-call screen, then tapping the name of your Bluetooth headset. Most earpieces have inline controls to answer and end the call. To play audio through a compatible Bluetooth accessory, pair the devices, look for the external source button alongside the player controls (a rectangle with a triangle pointing into it, usually used to select an AirPlay output device). Tap this, then tap the name of your preferred Bluetooth device. Get more tutorials, guides, and tips on how to get the most from your Apple devices inside MacFormat. Take advantage of an exclusive offer in our sampler today.

And now that iOS has forgotten the device, you can try pairing it again. If none of the steps so far have taken care of your problem, you can also have iOS reset all your network settings. Just be aware that this will reset all your network settings. All Bluetooth pairings and Wi-Fi networks will be removed, including any VPNs you have set up. This even resets cellular settings, but unless you’re using a carrier that allows you to manually configure carrier settings-such as some mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs)-those settings will get restored automatically. If you are with an MVNO (such as Cricket, Republic Wireless, and other off-contract carriers in the US), you’ll have to set those up again yourself or have them set up by your carrier’s customer service. If nothing else has worked, you may have to explore a couple of more dramatic options. The first of these is to perform a full factory reset or restore a backup from iTunes. Obviously, this option requires some preparation and will take a little time. The factory reset option will restore your device to a like-new condition, erasing all your personal settings, apps, and data. Restoring from a backup means you’ll have to have made a backup from which to restore in the first place. And finally, if nothing else here has worked for you, your device may actually have a hardware problem. If you can pair your iOS device with other Bluetooth devices, but one is giving you problems, then the issue may be with that one device. Trying pairing it with another iOS device to test it out. If you’re having trouble pairing with all Bluetooth devices, it’s probably time to schedule a service appointment with Apple.

One of the first things I do when I am setting up a new iPhone is connect it with my favorite Bluetooth accessories. But unlike Wi-Fi, Bluetooth is not very reliable; it can be a pain if your iPhone doesn’t pair or have a problem connecting with your favorite Bluetooth accessory. If your iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus is not working with Bluetooth devices like Car audio system, Apple Watch, Bluetooth Speakers, Bluetooth headphones, then here are some basic troubleshooting tips you can try, to see if they help. The first step you’d want to take is to ensure that the problem is with your iPhone or iPad and not with the Bluetooth accessory you’re trying to connect to. So try connecting to the accessory with your Mac, PC or any other device, and see if things work fine or not. Bluetooth and turning off the switch. Reboot your iPhone by holding the Home button or Volume down button (for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus users) and the Power button until you see the Apple logo. Try connecting to the device now.