The Bluetooth icon or toggle may be missing or appear grayed out in Settings or Quick settings if Windows cannot detect or enable the Bluetooth feature. When this happens, Bluetooth options may not appear, or you may not be able to turn Bluetooth on or off. This issue can occur for several reasons, including incorrect Bluetooth settings, outdated or incompatible drivers, stopped system services, hardware malfunctions, or problems by recent Windows updates.
Try the following troubleshooting solutions to resolve the issue:
If you are using a Windows 11 device, start by running the automated Bluetooth troubleshooter in the Get Help app. It will automatically run diagnostics and attempt to fix this Bluetooth problem.
If you recently upgraded to Windows 11 or installed updates, your current Bluetooth driver may not be compatible. Check for updated drivers.
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Select Start > Device Manager.
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In Device Manager, select Bluetooth, and then select the Bluetooth adapter name, which may include the word “radio.”
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Press and hold (or right-click) the Bluetooth adapter, and then select Update driver > Search automatically for updated driver software. Follow the steps, then select Close.
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After installing the updated driver, select Start > Power > Restart if you're prompted to restart, and then check whether that fixes the connection issue.
Airplane mode disables Bluetooth. Ensure it is turned off.
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Press Windows + A to open quick settings.
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Make sure Airplane mode is turned off.
Some Bluetooth drivers are delivered via Windows Update.
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Select Start > Settings > Windows Update.
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Select Check for updates. Let it download and install any available updates.
Restarting helps resolve temporary system issues affecting Bluetooth.
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Select Start > Power > Restart.
The Bluetooth icon or toggle may be missing or appear grayed out in Settings or Action Center if Windows cannot detect or enable the Bluetooth feature. When this happens, Bluetooth options may not appear, or you may not be able to turn Bluetooth on or off. This issue can occur for several reasons, including incorrect Bluetooth settings, outdated or incompatible drivers, stopped system services, hardware malfunctions, or problems by recent Windows updates.
Try the following troubleshooting solutions to resolve the issue.
If you are using a Windows 10 device, start by running the automated Bluetooth troubleshooter in the Get Help app. It will automatically run diagnostics and attempt to fix this Bluetooth problem.
If you recently upgraded to Windows 10 or installed updates, your current Bluetooth driver may not be compatible. Check for updated drivers.
-
Select Start, type Device Manager, and select it from the results.
-
In Device Manager, select Bluetooth, and then select the Bluetooth adapter name, which may include the word “radio.”
-
Press and hold (or right-click) the Bluetooth adapter, and then select Update driver > Search automatically for updated driver software. Follow the steps, then select Close.
-
After installing the updated driver, select Start > Power > Restart if you're prompted to restart, and then check whether that fixes the connection issue.
Airplane mode disables Bluetooth. Ensure it is turned off.
-
Press Windows + A to open quick settings.
-
Make sure Airplane mode is turned off.
Some Bluetooth drivers are delivered via Windows Update.
-
Select Start > Settings > Update & security > Windows Update.
-
Select Check for updates. Let it download and install any available updates.
Restarting helps resolve temporary system issues affecting Bluetooth.
-
Select Start > Power > Restart.
If you are facing a different Bluetooth issue, refer to Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows.
