Where Are Bluetooth Settings in Windows 10 and How to Use Them

Nowadays there are many bluetooth accessories available such as headphones, speakers, mice, keyboards, etc., which can be wirelessly connected to a Windows 10 PC. But when a user tries to connect the ‘one of them is confused with the Bluetooth settings of Windows 10. And he wonders how the Bluetooth settings work in Windows 10. If you have the same question, this article will guide you regarding the Bluetooth settings on a computer from Windows 10 desktop or laptop and how to use them to connect to a Bluetooth device.

The message will start by knowing whether your PC is equipped with Bluetooth or not, then by how to use Bluetooth on a Windows 10 PC. The latter consists of three steps: activate Bluetooth, pair a Bluetooth device and connect the device to your PC. We’ve covered all of that in this article.

Let’s start our journey of exploring Bluetooth settings in Windows 10.

How to tell if your laptop has Bluetooth

Before proceeding to settings, you need to check if your desktop or laptop computer supports bluetooth. Generally, if you have a Windows 10 laptop, there is a high probability that it has Bluetooth service. But if you have a desktop computer, only a few of them offer built-in Bluetooth.

Like all the other components of your PC, Bluetooth requires both hardware (adapter) and software to function. So if you don’t have a bluetooth adapter installed on your computer (we’ll check below), downloading bluetooth software won’t help you unless you buy a bluetooth USB dongle or adapter. Check out the best Bluetooth 5.0 USB adapters that you can use with a Windows 10 PC.

Note: You cannot get Bluetooth on your PC without a built-in or external Bluetooth adapter.

Here’s how to check the availability of a built-in Bluetooth adapter.

Where is the bluetooth driver / adapter in Windows 10

Step 1: Right click on the Start menu icon and select Device Manager from the list.

2nd step: When Device Manager opens, you should see the Bluetooth option. If available, it means that a Bluetooth adapter is present on your computer. If it’s not available, look under the Network Card option. You will see the Bluetooth device.

Point: If the Bluetooth device shows an error icon next to it, you will need to update or uninstall the Bluetooth driver to make it work properly. Check out our guide on how to update drivers correctly on Windows 10 computers.

Step 3: There are still chances that your device supports Bluetooth. To check, click on the View tab in Device Manager and select Show hidden devices. Search for Bluetooth again. If it displays an error, update the Bluetooth driver.

In case Bluetooth is missing from Device Manager, you need to try different troubleshooting methods to make Bluetooth show up in Device Manager. After trying everything, if nothing appears, it’s time to assume that your PC doesn’t support built-in Bluetooth.

How to use Bluetooth on Windows 10

To use Bluetooth on your Windows 10 desktop or laptop, you need to turn it on first. After that, you can connect it to bluetooth device like speaker, phone, etc. Activation is the first step to using Bluetooth, followed by pairing your device and connecting to it. Let’s check the three steps.

1. How to enable or disable Bluetooth on Windows 10

There are two methods to turn Bluetooth on or off in Windows 10.

Method 1: turn on bluetooth from settings

Open Windows 10 Settings from the Start menu or use the Windows key + I keyboard shortcut to open Settings. Access devices.

Click on Bluetooth and other devices. You will see a toggle under Bluetooth. Click on the toggle to turn on Bluetooth. Use the same toggle to turn off Bluetooth whenever you want. Here you will find various other Bluetooth settings described below.

Note: If you don’t see the Bluetooth button, either your PC does not support Bluetooth or the Bluetooth driver is not properly installed. Open Device Manager and troubleshoot Bluetooth issues.

Method 2: turn on Bluetooth from the service center

Using the above method to turn Bluetooth on or off can get a bit hectic. There is another way to turn Bluetooth on or off without going to Windows settings.

For this you will need to take help from the Action Center. This is the quick configuration panel accessible from the lower right corner of your desktop. Click the icon to open the action center. Here you will see the Bluetooth option. Click on it to activate it. Blue color means the setting is enabled. If Bluetooth does not appear in Action Center, know how to customize the various options it contains and make Bluetooth appear there.

Point: Use Windows key + a keyboard shortcut to open Action Center.

2. How to pair a Bluetooth device to a Windows PC

Once you have enabled Bluetooth, you cannot use other Bluetooth devices directly with your computer. You need to pair them first. Only paired devices will be able to connect.

So put on your device such as phone, bluetooth headphones, etc. in pairing mode. Then open the Bluetooth settings on your PC from Settings> Bluetooth and other devices. Activate the button for Bluetooth. Then click Add Bluetooth or other devices.

Select the type of Bluetooth device you want to add. In my case, it’s bluetooth audio. So I will use the first option, namely Bluetooth.

Your Bluetooth device will appear if it is in pairing mode. Click on it to connect to it.

Note: On some devices, you will be asked to verify the PIN code.

A confirmation screen is displayed when the device is successfully connected. Click the Done button to close the window. Likewise, you can pair other devices with your Windows 10 PC.

3. Use a bluetooth device with a Windows 10 PC

Matching is a unique process. Once a device is paired, it will automatically connect to your PC when Bluetooth is turned on. If this does not happen, you can manually click the Connect button under your Bluetooth device in your computer’s Bluetooth settings.

You can also click on the Connect option in the action center. Your Bluetooth devices will be displayed. Click Connect for the device.

Point: Use the Remove device button to unpair a Bluetooth device from your computer.

Once your Bluetooth device is properly connected to your computer, you can start using it, depending on its type. For audio devices like bluetooth speakers, headphones, etc., Windows will automatically recognize them and use them as the default option. Thus, if a Bluetooth headset is connected, audio will be routed to it automatically.

If you connect to a device such as a phone from which you can transfer files, you need to open the File Transfer panel on your computer. To do this, go to Windows Settings> Devices> Bluetooth and other devices. You will find the option Send or receive files via Bluetooth at the bottom or on the right side. Click on it.

Click the Send or Receive Files option according to your needs. If you choose to receive, you will be asked to choose where to download your Bluetooth files.

Point: If you’ve already sent a file via Bluetooth and can’t remember its download location, submit another test file to find the location of the Bluetooth folder.

No more blues blues

Keeping Bluetooth on makes it easier to connect to your Bluetooth devices. However, Bluetooth can interfere with other network connections. So it is advisable to keep it turned off if you do not use it often.