How to Fix Bluetooth Connection Issues in iPhone?

Bluetooth is an unavoidable feature in this fast phased world. It helps wirelessly connecting headphones, speakers, keyboard and other accessories to your iOS devices. In addition most of the Apple’s popular features like AirDrop, handoff and continuity camera will work only with stable Bluetooth connection.

Whether it’s taking forever to connect or an inability to discover third-party Bluetooth devices, the Bluetooth issue varies with individual iPhones. In other words, it becomes difficult to communicate with other third-party Bluetooth accessories after the iOS 12 update. But this shouldn’t stop you from connecting with others; try one of the followings to fix your Bluetooth connection issues.

Related: Fix Bluetooth problems in Mac.

Bluetooth and iOS 12

Apple updated many features in iOS 12 focusing on improving reliability and performance of the iPhone. While you’ll notice this to be true, several users have experienced issues with their Bluetooth since updating to iOS 12.

In iOS 12 you will not see the Bluetooth icon on the iPhone’s top menu bar. This is not a problem; this is a new feature that Apple removed the Bluetooth icon in iOS 12. Now, you have to go to Bluetooth settings page to check it is turned on or off. However, the iPhone will show a paired link connection whenever a device is connected successfully.

6 Ways to Fix Bluetooth Connection Issues in iPhone

Outlined below are some of the possible ways of solving Bluetooth problems on your iPhone.

1. Update latest iOS version
2. Restart Bluetooth connection
3. Unpair and repair connected device
4. Keep the device appropriately
5. Reset network settings
6. Restart / reset your iPhone

1. Update Your iPhone

Apple regularly releases updates to fix various bugs and improvements. In some cases, iOS software update is all you need to fix the Bluetooth problem. Follow the steps outlined below to upgrade your iOS to the latest version.

• First, make sure your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi and has at least 50 percent battery power left.
• Tap the “Settings” icon on the Home screen.
• From the iPhone Settings, tap “General” and select “Software Update“.
• Just download and install the update.

We also recommend you to enable “Automatic Updates” so that you have latest version downloaded and installed automatically.

2. Restart Bluetooth

As simple as this sounds, restarting your iPhone’s Bluetooth may be all you need to get it working again. Here is how to do it.

• Select the “Settings” icon from the Home screen.
• Tap on “Bluetooth”.

• Alternately, if your device supports 3D Touch, force touch the “Settings” icon to jump straight into the “Bluetooth” settings. Or open “Control Center” and go to “Bluetooth” settings.
• Then, toggle the Bluetooth off and on again.

If you’re successful, the third-party accessory should appear under “My Devices” and you can connect. Otherwise, you may have to unpair it to fix the problem.

3. Unpair the Bluetooth Device

If you’ve paired with a Bluetooth accessory in the past, your iPhone will list its name under “My Devices”. You must unpair the accessory and try to pair again. This is another simple, yet effective method. And here is how to do it.

• Tap on the “i” icon on next to the Bluetooth name of the device.
• Again tap “Forget This Device” option.

• To cover all the bases here, reset the Bluetooth accessory as well before you proceed.
• Now reboot your iPhone and try to pair again.

If you’re still experiencing the same Bluetooth problem, then it’s time to take a drastic measure.

4. Keep the Device Appropriately

You need to ensure the device supports Bluetooth and kept in short distance in order for the Bluetooth to work stably.

• As per Apple’s recommendations, ensure to keep the Bluetooth device and your iPhone within 10 meters or 33 feet distance.
• Avoid keeping the devices nearer to other interfering devices like micro-oven.
• Keep the devices without any metal blocks that may stop Bluetooth.
• Ensure the connected device is having sufficient power and enabled with Bluetooth.
• Disconnect the accessory from any other connected device and then connect with your iPhone.

5. Reset Network Settings

There’s a reason we referred to this technique as extreme. Since resetting your network settings includes all aspects of connectivity, you would be unintentionally resetting your Wi-Fi. Though it’s good to say goodbye to all unsaved passwords and past connections, remember to have your Wi-Fi password before resetting. That said, here is how to reset your network settings.

• Go to the “Settings” app.
• Select “General” and scroll to the bottom of the page.
• Tap on “Reset” option.
• From the list of available reset options, choose “Reset Network Settings”.

• You’ll have to type your passcode to complete the process.

If it still doesn’t work, you may have to reset the entire device. In such case first ensure to have a proper backup of your iPhone before resetting.

6. Restart / reset Your iPhone

Even though you’ve successfully updated your iOS, all the software don’t always work the way they are supposed to.

That’s where the resetting comes in which is not only used to address crashing or freezing software but Bluetooth issues too. Follow the steps outlined in our article on how to restart / reset properly. Remember, simply restarting or shutting down will not affect the data on your phone. However, completely resetting will erase the entire content which you can’t restore unless you have a backup on iTunes or iCloud.

To Wrap Up

Any of the methods listed above can help solve your iPhone Bluetooth issue. However, if the problem persists, then there is one last option. Consult Apple support or care for a solution. Don’t forget to backup your and clean restore your iOS before consulting the specialists.