Digital Citizen
While most devices these days come with a Bluetooth chip by default, knowing how to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10 is another story. The Windows 10 Bluetooth helps you connect to devices and peripherals in range, allowing you to use them and transmit data. This tutorial shows you how to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10 in five different ways:
NOTE: The features presented are available in Windows 10 November 2019 Update or newer. If you’re using an older version of Windows 10, you might not have access to all the features. Check your Windows 10 build and, if necessary, get the latest Windows 10 update available.
1. How to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10 from Quick actions
Turning Bluetooth on lets you connect to your Android smartphone or iPhone, and you can use accessories, such as Bluetooth mice, headsets, speakers, or keyboards on your Windows 10 computer or device. In Windows 10, turn on Bluetooth by accessing the Quick actions from the Action Center. To open the Action Center, click or tap on its icon in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar, or press Windows + A on your keyboard. On the list of Quick actions, press the Bluetooth button to turn it on.
The Bluetooth button from the Action Center turns the Bluetooth chip on or off, so click or tap on it again to disable it. We find this the easiest way to enable the Windows 10 Bluetooth, so, if you can’t find the Bluetooth button in the Action Center, we recommend that you add it. To learn how to do that, read The Quick actions in Windows 10: access them, use them, customize them!
After enabling Bluetooth, its button becomes highlighted, as seen below. It might also display the device currently connected through Bluetooth — in our case, Mobile Mouse. If there are more devices connected, their number is displayed in brackets. Unless it is hidden, you should also see the Bluetooth icon displayed in the system tray. You can make it a permanent addition to your Windows 10 taskbar by following the instructions from this guide: The Windows 10 system tray — How to show or hide icons!
TIP: The Quick actions and the system tray icon make for great ways to quickly check your Windows 10 Bluetooth status, but that’s not all they’re useful for. Right-clicking or pressing-and-holding on either of them opens a contextual menu, letting you access Bluetooth Settings, which is the next way to enable Bluetooth on our list.
2. How to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10 from the Bluetooth Settings
In Windows 10, turn on Bluetooth from the Settings app. We find it fastest to press Windows + I on the keyboard in order to access it. In the Settings app, click or tap on Devices.
The Devices settings open in the «Bluetooth & other devices» tab. On the right-hand side, the first thing you see should be the Bluetooth switch. Click or tap it to turn it on.
When the switch is On, Bluetooth is active, and you can connect all kinds of devices and accessories using this wireless technology.
You can access Settings and turn the Bluetooth switch Off when you no longer need it.
TIP: Learn how to connect all kinds of Bluetooth accessories to Windows 10 from this guide: How to connect Bluetooth devices to Windows 10 (mouse, keyboard, headset, speaker, etc.)
3. How to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10 using only the keyboard
What happens if you need to turn Bluetooth on using only your keyboard, like our reader Stumped101, who asks the following: «My mouse is Bluetooth. How do I turn it on in Windows 10 using ONLY the keyboard? :(«?
We can access the same Settings illustrated in the previous section using the keyboard only. Press Windows + I on the keyboard to open Settings. Write «bluetooth» in the «Find a setting» field, use the arrow keys to navigate to «Bluetooth and other devices settings,« and press Enter.
In the Settings for «Bluetooth & other devices,« press the Tab key once, and the Bluetooth switch should become highlighted. Press the Spacebar on your keyboard to enable (or disable) it.
That is the surefire way to turn on Bluetooth using your keyboard. If Bluetooth is shown in the Quick actions, you can also use the Windows + A keyboard shortcut to open the Action Center. Press Tab until one of the Quick actions is highlighted and then use the arrow keys to get to the Bluetooth button. Press Spacebar to enable it.
TIP: If Cortana is enabled, you can also use her to avoid the keyboard. For more details, read the last section of this guide.
4. How to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10 from the Airplane mode Settings
Windows 10 Bluetooth also has a switch in the Settings for Airplane mode. Use Windows + I to open Settings, and click or tap on «Network & Internet.«
Go to the Airplane mode tab from the column on the left. On the right-hand side, in the Wireless devices section, you can see a Bluetooth switch. Click or tap on it to turn it On.
Once the switch is set to On, you can start connecting other devices to Windows 10 via Bluetooth. Press on it again if you want to disable Bluetooth.
NOTE: The Bluetooth switch in the Airplane mode tab works regardless of whether Airplane mode is enabled. However, turning on Airplane mode disables Bluetooth by default in Windows 10. To learn more, read Windows 10’s Airplane mode: 3 ways to turn it Off or On!
5. How to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10 using Cortana
You can also ask Cortana, Microsoft’s virtual assistant, to turn on the Windows 10 Bluetooth. Make sure Cortana can hear you and say «turn on Bluetooth,« «enable Bluetooth,« «start Bluetooth,« or «activate Bluetooth.« Cortana turns on the Bluetooth and lets you know it is done.
To disable the Windows 10 Bluetooth using Cortana, say «turn off Bluetooth,« «disable Bluetooth,« «stop Bluetooth,« or «deactivate Bluetooth.« Cortana informs you that the Bluetooth is off.
IMPORTANT: If your Windows 10 computer or device does not have a built-in Bluetooth chip, the steps in this article are not available for you unless you add a Bluetooth adapter, like this one.
How often do you toggle the Bluetooth setting?
Knowing how to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10 can make your life easier whenever you are trying to connect other devices to your system. As you may have noticed from the screenshots in this article, I use a Bluetooth mouse, so I have to keep Bluetooth on at all times. However, turning off Bluetooth preserves a device’s battery, so I would definitely use it less under different circumstances. What about you? How often do you access your Bluetooth settings? What devices do you have connected via Bluetooth? Let us know in a comment below.
How to Turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10 [Solved]
How to fix it if your Bluetooth won’t turn on? Here’s the real fix!
Last Updated: 7 months ago
To connect your Bluetooth device (headphones, mouse, etc.), or to transfer files from your iPhone to your PC via Bluetooth, you need to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10 first.
How to Turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10 (and how to fix it if it won’t turn on)
In this guide you’ll learn:
How to Turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10
Normally you can turn on Bluetooth in Windows 10 in three easy steps:
- On your keyboard, hold down the Windows logo key and press the I key to open the Settings window.
- Click Devices.
- Click the switch (currently set to Off ) to turn on Bluetooth. (The status will change to On .)But if you don’t see the switch and your screen looks like the below, there’s a problem with Bluetooth on your computer.
But if you don’t see the switch and your screen looks like the below, there’s a problem with Bluetooth on your computer. 
There’s no need to panic. We’re about to show you how to fix Bluetooth on your Windows 10 computer and get that switch back for you.
What to do if you can’t turn Bluetooth on in Windows 10
Here are the top three ways to fix Bluetooth issues in Windows 10. Just work your way down the list until you find the one that works for you.
Here’s how you can check if your computer support Bluetooth:
- On your desktop, right-click on the Start button to select Device Manager.
In Device Manager, check to see if there’s Bluetooth section or if there’s any Bluetooth adapter located in the Network adapters section. The Bluetooth adapter could also be listed under the Other devices section due to some errors. 
a) If you do find one or more Bluetooth adapters in Device Manager, your Windows 10 computer supports Bluetooth then. Move on to the solutions to continue solve your problem.
b) If you can’t find any Bluetooth adapter in Device Manager, your Windows 10 computer doesn’t support Bluetooth then. But don’t worry, a Bluetooth receiver can easily solve the problem for you.
Fix 1: Update the Bluetooth driver on your computer
Bluetooth needs the supporting hardware and software to work. When you’re sure your computer supports Bluetooth, but it’s still not working, the first thing you should do is update your Bluetooth driver.
There’re two ways you can update your Bluetooth driver: manually and automatically.
To manuall y update the driver, head to your computer manufacturer’s website and search for the most recent correct Bluetooth driver. Make sure the choose the right driver for your version of Windows (32-bit or 64-bit).
But if you don’t have the time, patience or computer skills to update your Bluetooth driver manually, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy . Driver Easy will automatically find the correct Bluetooth driver for your computer, download it, and install it correctly. Here’s how:
- Download, install and run Driver Easy.
- Click Scan Now. It will detect all of your computer’s driver issues (including your Bluetooth driver) in less than a minute.
- If you have the Free version of Driver Easy, click the Update button next to the flagged Bluetooth driver to automatically download the correct driver, then you can manually install it.
But if you have the Pro version you can click Update All to automatically download and install all of the missing or outdated drivers on your computer.
(If you click the Update All button in the Free version you’ll be asked if you want to upgrade to the Pro version.)
Do you see the option to switch Bluetooth on now? If you do, great. You’ve fixed the problem. But if it’s still not there, there’s something else you can try…
Fix 2: Re-enable the Bluetooth driver software in Device Manager
- Right-click on the Start button. and select Device Manager.
- Right-click on your Bluetooth device in the Bluetooth section, and choose Disable device. (If you’re asked to confirm, click Yes.)
- Right-click on the device again and click Enable device.
- On your keyboard, hold down the Windows logo key and press the I key to open the Settings window.
Is the Bluetooth switch appearing now? If it’s not, we have something else you can try…
Fix 3: Make sure the Bluetooth Support Service is running
- Hold down the Windows logo key and press the R key to bring up the Run box.
- Type services.msc and press Enter.
- Right-click Bluetooth Support Service, then click Start. (If the Start option grayed out, then click Restart.)
- Right-click on Bluetooth Support Service again, and this time click Properties.
- Set its startup type to Automatic. click Apply, and then click OK.
- Finally, hold down the Windows logo key and press the I key to bring up the Settings window, and make sure the Bluetooth option is there.
What to do if the above suggestions don’t work: Switch to ChromeOS
Windows is a very old technology. Sure, Windows 10 is relatively new, but it’s still just the latest iteration of a decades-old operating system, designed for a bygone era (pre-internet).
Now that we have the internet, fast connection speeds, free cloud storage, and endless web apps (like Gmail, Google Docs, Slack, Facebook, Dropbox and Spotify), the entire Windows way of doing things – with locally installed programs and local file storage – is totally outdated.
Why is that a problem? Because when you’re constantly installing uncontrolled third-party programs, you’re constantly opening the door to viruses and other malware. (And Windows’ insecure permission system compounds this problem.)
Plus the way Windows manages installed software and hardware has always been a problem. If your computer shuts down unexpectedly, or a program installs, uninstalls or updates incorrectly, you can get ‘registry’ corruptions. That’s why Windows PCs always slow down and become unstable over time.
Also because everything’s installed and saved locally, it doesn’t take long before you run out of disk space, and your disk gets fragmented, which makes everything even slower and more unstable.
For most people, the simplest way to solve Windows problems is to ditch Windows altogether, and switch to a faster, more reliable, more secure, easier to use and cheaper operating system…
ChromeOS feels much like Windows, but instead of installing heaps of programs to email, chat, browse the internet, write documents, do school presentations, create spreadsheets, and whatever else you normally do on a computer, you use web apps. You don’t need to install anything at all.
That means you don’t have virus and malware problems, and your computer doesn’t slow down over time, or become unstable.
And that’s just the start of the benefits…
To learn more about the benefits of ChromeOS, and to see comparison videos and demos, visit GoChromeOS.com.
Hopefully this has fixed your Bluetooth problem. Please feel free to comment below with your experiences, and to share this post with friends and colleagues, if they’re having Bluetooth troubles.