How to solve Bluetooth paired but not connected on Windows 10?

Easy solution to Bluetooth headphones paired but not connected Windows 10

It can happen that a Bluetooth device, such as a headset, which has been previously paired and connected on a Windows installation, is suddenly unable to reconnect, ending up with a Bluetooth speaker paired but no sound. There are several possible reasons to this, and several solutions which should allow you to reconnect your device.

How to connect Bluetooth speaker to laptop on Windows 10?

In order to connect a Bluetooth speaker to a laptop on Windows 10, use the  Windows search option   to find the Bluetooth settings, in which you can pair manually a device by searching for it after the Windows 10 Bluetooth headphones or other device has been set for Bluetooth discovery, usually by a long press on the Bluetooth button of the device. After that, the device will be paired with the computer, meaning it is accepted as a working and trusted device, and will be available as long as it is turned on, even after  unlocking laptop   when it is back from hibernation mode, and in the case of a Bluetooth mouse, will even be working in case of a  disabled touchpad   on a laptop.

In the Bluetooth and other devices Windows menu, if you are not able to connect a device that has been previously paired, the first thing to try is to click on add Bluetooth or other device.

In add a device menu, select Bluetooth, in order to see if the problem is coming from the Windows installation or not.

Windows Bluetooth couldn't connect issue

If the device appears here, then simply reconnect it. If it doesn't, and a message Couldn't connect is displayed, then the issue on with the Bluetooth controller of the computer.

Open the Services app, which can be accessed either via menu Windows > Services, via Search > services, or by pressing the key Windows + R, to get the run program program pop-up in which you can type services.msc and press Enter.

Use the Bluetooth support service

In the services app, find the Bluetooth support service, and open it.

Here, change the start-up type from manual to automatic, as it might be the case that the Bluetooth service hasn't been started properly by the system, while it should Bluetooth be started automatically. You do not expect to have to run it every time you want to connect a Bluetooth device.

After confirming the change from manual to automatic startup type, a popup will ask confirmation to restart the Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service, which is connected to the Bluetooth support service. Say Yes, as we do actually want to try to restart the Bluetooth service.

A progress bar will show the progress of the Bluetooth service restart, which should typically only take a few seconds.

Try to restart Windows

If it is still impossible to connect to the Bluetooth device, the next solution is to restart the computer.

Back in Windows, it should now be possible to connect to the Bluetooth device, as the connect button should not be grayed out anymore.

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After connection, the button should change from connect to disconnect, proving that the Bluetooth device is now correctly connected to Windows.

Problem description

Bluetooth paired but not connected, Bluetooth speaker paired but no sound, Bluetooth headset paired but not connected, Bluetooth headphones won't connect, why is my Bluetooth not working.

Laptop Bluetooth not working, what to do?

If your laptop Bluetooth is not working, try the following solutions one after the other:

Turn your Bluetooth on and off again from Windows 10 settings,

Turn off and back on again your computer connections using the device’s flight mode,

Update your Bluetooth drivers by using the device manager,

Unpair and pair again the Bluetooth device.

After having tried these solutions, the Bluetooth icon should be back in the system notification tray, showing that it is now possible to use it.

If that’s not the case, it might be a hardware issue, and it might be better to contact technical support for physical repairs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the last way to solve the problem with connecting bluetooth headphones?

The last way to solve the problem if bluetooth headphones paired but not connected is to reboot the device. You will then be able to connect to the Bluetooth device as the connect button should no longer be greyed out.

What troubleshooting steps can resolve issues where Bluetooth devices are paired but fail to connect in Windows 10?

Start by running the Bluetooth troubleshooter in Windows Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot. Ensure Bluetooth services are running, update Bluetooth drivers through Device Manager, and remove the device to pair it again.