Pair a Bluetooth Device with an iPhone

Bluetooth devices are increasingly popular today, both because more and more states are requiring hands-free driving and because Bluetooth technology makes it easy to share data. Most Bluetooth devices are other smartphones, phone headsets, and computers, but items such as speakers, wireless keyboards, and fitness wristbands are becoming more popular.[1] Even cars have Bluetooth technology today. Pairing, or connecting, a Bluetooth device to your iPhone is a fairly simple process.

Steps

Pairing Your iPhone With a Bluetooth Device

  1. Bring your Bluetooth device and your iPhone in range of each other. In order for Bluetooth technology to work properly, the two devices need to be close together; no more than 30 feet apart is recommended. [2] Make sure that you are near your Bluetooth device when trying to pair your iPhone with it.
  2. Turn on the Bluetooth device. Before you can pair your iPhone, the device needs to be powered on. Also consider that you might need to look for a special Bluetooth setting on the device, if the technology does not automatically turn on when the device does.
    • It is possible that you will need to turn on the Bluetooth technology with a button or switch. Examine the device carefully for this option.
    • If your Bluetooth device is another smartphone or a computer, you will need to open the device's Settings and search for the Bluetooth settings to turn on the technology.
    • You should ensure that your Bluetooth device is fully charged or that it has new batteries, in some cases. You will not be able to pair if the device powers off during the pairing process.
  3. Put the device in pairing mode.[3] For some Bluetooth devices, you will need to turn on the pairing mode. If you do not see pairing mode as an option, then you will need to look for the option to make the device “discoverable.”
    • Being “discoverable” means that other Bluetooth devices can pair to this device if they are in range of it. When devices search for nearby Bluetooth devices, yours will populate on their lists.
    • If it is a device that has the Bluetooth technology turn on automatically when it powers on, you likely will not have to search for this setting.
  4. Unlock your iPhone. In order to get into the Settings, you need to unlock your iPhone.
    • Press the Home button and then hold your thumb over it so that the Touch ID technology can scan your fingerprint.[4]
    • Alternatively, you can type in your 4-digit passcode to unlock it once you press the Home button.
  5. Find and open the Settings app. The Settings app is a gray icon with a symbol on it that looks like a cog. Upon finding it, tap it with your finger to open it.
  6. Select Bluetooth on the list that appears in the Settings. Once your Settings app is open, the Bluetooth setting should be toward the top of the list, near Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, and Cellular. Tap it to navigate into the next page, which will allow you to access the Bluetooth settings.
  7. Toggle on your iPhone's Bluetooth technology. One option should appear on the next screen, and that is to turn on the Bluetooth technology with a slider. Tap the slider with your finger, and the dot will slide to the right, while the background of the slider turns green.[5]
    • You may briefly see the loading symbol, which is a series of small dashes in the shape of a circle.
    • Once the Bluetooth is turned on, you will see a message below the slider that reads, “Now discoverable as _____________'s iPhone.”
  8. Search for your Bluetooth device in the list under “Devices.” Now that the Bluetooth is active on your iPhone, your iPhone will search for nearby Bluetooth devices. Locate your device on that list once it populates.
    • Hopefully your device will be the only Bluetooth device that appears on the list. If other devices appear, be sure to know the brand name and possibly the model number of your device, as it will likely be named in that way on the list.
  9. Pair your iPhone with the Bluetooth device. Do so by tapping the device's name once it has appeared on the list of available devices.
    • You may be prompted to enter a password.[6] Common factory-generated passwords include 0000, 1111, and 1234. Try any of these to see if it is accepted. If not, refer to the user's manual for the device; in some cases, like with computers, you may have to generate the password yourself.
    • Wait for the notification alerting you that your iPhone has paired with the Bluetooth device.
  10. Keep both devices in range of each other while using them. Once you are paired and begin to use the device, you need to stay within range of it in order for it to continuing working. If you walk out of range, you may have to reconnect.[2]
    • Now that your iPhone and the device are paired, the device will always appear as a pairing option when you turn on the Bluetooth on your iPhone. You will not have to go through the process of pairing the two again in the future, unless you tell your iPhone to unpair or “forget” the device.

Troubleshooting Why Your iPhone Will Not Pair

  1. Determine if your iPhone is too old. In some cases, your iPhone might be too old for Bluetooth technology. This is usually the case with iPhone 4 and older, since all iPhone versions released after iPhone 4S are equipped with the Bluetooth technology.[7]
  2. Restart the Bluetooth device. You may have turned on the device too late while your iPhone searched for available devices, or there might just be a bug in how it is working. Try restarting the device to see if this helps.[7]
  3. Restart your iPhone. On the other hand, your iPhone may be the reason why you cannot pair with the Bluetooth device. If you are still experiencing issues, try restarting your iPhone and then attempting the pairing again.[8]
  4. Be sure that the most recent version of iOS is installed on your iPhone. Perhaps the reason your iPhone will not pair is because you have not installed the most recent iOS version.
    • Backup your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes and plug it into a power source. Next, connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi, if it is not already. Then, open your Settings app and tap General. After that, tap Software Update. If you have a software update available, tap Download and Install and enter your passcode. Your iPhone will restart when the installation is complete, and you will have to set up a few settings, like iCloud.[9] Then, you can try reconnecting to Bluetooth.
  5. Unpair the Bluetooth device and reconnect. Make your iPhone “forget” or unpair the Bluetooth device, and put it back into discovery mode so that it will search for devices again. Then, reconnect to the Bluetooth device.[8]

Tips

  • Make sure that your pairing device has Bluetooth technology. If you are purchasing something with the idea to use it via the Bluetooth technology, then be sure to double-check that it has it.
  • Find the section in your device's user's manual about making Bluetooth pairings. It will also have helpful instructions on how to pair your Bluetooth device to compatible devices, like your iPhone.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/reviews/g941/10-bluetooth-devices-for-everyday-life/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://worldwide.bose.com/productsupport/en_us/web/troubleshooting_soundlink_mobile_pairing_connecting/page.html
  3. ↑ http://www.techlicious.com/tip/how-to-solve-bluetooth-pairing-problems/
  4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201371
  5. ↑ http://www.quepublishing.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2130758
  6. ↑ http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/using-passkeys-for-bluetooth-enabled-devices
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://www.techlicious.com/how-to/how-to-fix-bluetooth-pairing-problems/
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201205
  9. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204204
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