If you have no obvious interference nearby, go ahead and monitor the connection strength of the Bluetooth device by using the built-in tool described here to determine the signal power, and then make adjustments to the environment and device locations accordingly. 7: Check for General InterferenceĬheck for obvious interference from things like microwaves (yes, the kitchen variety) or tons of bluetooth devices next to each other. More bars is obviously a stronger connection, and if you only have one or two bars visible here then you either have an issue with signal power (and thus, battery), or general interference from other devices. Open System Preferences > Bluetooth, then hold down the “Option” key to show the indicator.
You can quickly reveal any connected Bluetooth devices signal strength through a hidden strength indicator that is accessible through Bluetooth settings. This works in the unusual event the preferences or plist has become corrupted. Now re-add by clicking the “+” icon, go through the extremely simple setup process, and re-sync the device. Open System Preferences, go to Bluetooth, and delete the device profile from the preferences list by selecting it, then clicking the little “-” icon in the bottom. Note: this process happens automatically if you change the devices batteries and it does not need to be repeated in that case. The device will automatically connect and you should be good to go. For an Apple Wireless Keyboard you can power-cycle it by pressing and holding the power button until the little green light turns off, then press again to turn it back on. Simply turning the Bluetooth device off and on again is often enough to kick it back into gear. This will cause the keyboard/mouse/device to automatically resync with the Mac. The simplest way to power cycle Bluetooth is to pull down the menu, select “Turn Bluetooth Off”, then let it sit for a moment to take effect before going back to the same menu and choosing “Turn Bluetooth On”. Buy them once and you’ll basically never have to buy batteries again, click here for a decent set of AA that is under $20, I use the same set on my Apple Wireless Keyboard and they last for months per single charge. If you don’t have a set of good rechargeable batteries yet, they are well worth the investment and they end up paying for themselves within about 3-4 recharges. Swapping out the batteries only takes a second and it’s often the easiest way to regain reliable bluetooth connectivity for keyboards and mice. 2: Change the Batteriesįor most connection problems, the problem comes down to the battery life.
Invest in good rechargeable batteries and you’ll never be without your wireless accessories for more than a few seconds as they get changed. Because being without a keyboard or mouse is never fun, it’s best to have a second set of rechargeables ready to go nearby.
A good rule of thumb is that once the indicator goes below 50%, or if you’re experiencing frequent random disconnections, it is a good idea to swap out with a fresh set of full batteries. All you need to do is pull down the Bluetooth menu item, go down to the device name, and look next to “Battery Level” to see the remaining percentage:ĭo note this is not entirely accurate with all batteries, and some devices seem to inaccurately report levels all the time. Some third party devices will show this information as well. All Apple branded Bluetooth hardware like the Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad, will relay the precise battery level through the Bluetooth menu. The first thing you’ll want to do is check the battery level of Bluetooth devices.
How to Fix Bluetooth Randomly Disconnecting on Macįortunately, this issue is usually really quick to resolve, and if you find yourself battling connectivity issues with some wireless accessories, here are seven troubleshooting tips to get your Bluetooth device working as intended again with Mac OS X. This can get stuck in a constant loop that reoccurs every few seconds or minutes, and when this happens something is up with the connection.