Bluetooth not working on your iPhone 12 or iPhone 13? A lot of people owning the iPhone 12/13 series have reported facing Bluetooth connectivity issues on their devices. The problems include issues connecting to bluetooth devices, connection dropping intermittently and having audio stuttering problem among others.
If you are experiencing any of these bluetooth problems on your iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 series, here are some tips that could help.
Tips to fix Bluetooth connectivity issues on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13
1. Reboot the iPhone
This is the first thing you should do when you notice issues with your Bluetooth. Rebooting your iPhone can help clear any glitches that may be affecting the Bluetooth system on your iPhone.
Perform the following steps to force reboot your iPhone 12/iPhone 13:
- Press the Volume Up button and then quickly release it.
- Press the Volume Down button and then quickly release it.
- Press and hold the power button until you see the Apple logo appearing on your phone’s screen.
- Once the logo appears, release the power button and wait until the phone restarts.
After the device has rebooted, try connecting again and see if the Bluetooth issue has resolved. If it doesn’t, proceed on to the next solution.
2. Toggle bluetooth off and on
Sometimes turning the Bluetooth off and then back on again can easily fix your Bluetooth problem especially if it’s just a minor software glitch. Try doing this and see if the issues resolves.
Here’s how to turn the Bluetooth off and back on again:
- Swipe down from the top-right corner to bring up the Control Center
- Tap the Bluetooth icon to turn Bluetooth off
- Tap the Bluetooth icon again to turn Bluetooth back on
3. Perform the airplane mode trick
Alternatively, you can also perform the airplane mode trick by tapping the Airplane Mode icon in the Control center to toggle Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Cellular network services off and then back on again. Doing this allows your iPhone to reset all its network services and eliminate any errors that may be present in the phone’s network system.
4. Forget and reconnect the bluetooth device
If your iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 is currently connected with other bluetooth devices, that could cause conflict and prevent it from pairing another bluetooth device. Try removing or unpairing all connected or saved devices from your iPhone 12/iPhone 13 and then try pairing them again. Doing this helps helps clear the conflicts and allows the device to initiate fresh connection.
To unpair existing devices, follow the steps below:
- Go to Settings
- Tap on Bluetooth
- Under My devices, tap on the Info (i) icon next to each device
- Tap on Forget This Device to remove the device
- Tap Forget Device to confirm
Once you’ve done this, try reconnecting or pairing your Bluetooth device again and see if it works. If it doesn’t, try the next tip.
5. Try pairing with a different device
Sometimes the problem could be with the Bluetooth device itself. If you suspect that, try pairing your iPhone with another Bluetooth device or accessory. If it works, the problem is with your primary Bluetooth accessory and you should consider a replacement. On the other hand, if the issue still persists even with a different Bluetooth device, the problem could be with your iPhone and you’ll need to keep on troubleshooting.
6. Reset network settings
If none of the above tips work, you could also try resetting your network settings. When you perform a network reset, all existing network settings on your iPhone including the WiFi networks, Cellular data and Bluetooth connections will be deleted and restored to their default configurations. This can potentially eliminate any network settings conflicts that may be causing random issues with the network services, including Bluetooth.
To reset network settings on iPhone 12/iPhone 13, perform the following procedures:
- Go to Settings
- Tap on General
- Tap on Reset network settings
- Type in your passcode if prompted
- Then confirm the action in the popup
7. Update software
If there is a bug causing the Bluetooth problem, updating your iOS may help solve the problem. To check and install software updates, perform the following procedures.
- Go to Settings
- Tap on Software update
- Then tap on Download and install to download and install the update.
8. Reset your iPhone
You can go for factory reset if the above solutions do not work but before you do so, back up all your data and contact information as the factory restoration will erase them completely. To do a factory reset, perform the following steps:
- Go to Settings
- Tap on General
- Tap on Reset
- Tap on Erase All Content and Settings
Sometimes the problem could be due to hardware defects or a damaged Bluetooth component on the iPhone. To make sure if that is the case, seek Apple Care for further assistance.