Buzz
This article provides a guide to help you determine if your computer has built-in Bluetooth. While most Windows devices and nearly all Macs come with Bluetooth, some desktop models and older machines may not include it.
Steps
On Windows Operating System
- You can also right-click on the Start menu to open the advanced settings menu.
Open Device Manager. Type device manager, then click on Device Manager in the Start menu, and a window will appear displaying the Device Manager.
- If you right-click on the Start icon, simply click Device Manager from the menu that appears.
Look for the "Bluetooth" heading. If you find the "Bluetooth" section near the top of the window (under the "B" category), your computer has built-in Bluetooth.
- If you do not see the "Bluetooth" heading, your computer lacks Bluetooth functionality.
On Mac Operating System
Click on About This Mac from the dropdown menu, and a new window will pop up showing system details.
Click on System Report… located below the About This Mac window to open another window with detailed system information.
- On older versions of MacOS, you would click on More Info... to access additional system details.
Expand the "Hardware" section (Hard Drives).
- If the triangle next to "Hardware" is pointing down, the list has been expanded.
Look for the "Bluetooth" heading. Below the "Bluetooth" heading, check for the subheading "Bluetooth" near the top of the list of hard drive options.
- If you do not see the "Bluetooth" subheading, your Mac does not have built-in Bluetooth.
Confirm that your Mac has Bluetooth. If you find the "Bluetooth" subheading, click it. After clicking, if you see Bluetooth information on the right side of the window, your Mac has built-in Bluetooth; if not, the device does not support Bluetooth.
On Linux Operating System
Open the Terminal (Console). Click or double-click on the Terminal with the black box icon featuring ">_" at the top.
- You can also press the key combination Alt+Ctrl+T to open Terminal on most Linux versions.
Enter the Bluetooth search command. Type the following command and press ↵ Enter:
sudo lsusb |grep Bluetooth
Enter your password. When prompted, type your computer's login password and press ↵ Enter.
Check the results. If the next line in the Terminal shows the name and manufacturer of Bluetooth, your computer has Bluetooth installed.
- If you see a blank line, your computer does not have Bluetooth installed.
- Note that some Linux versions do not support built-in Bluetooth adapters.
Tips
- You can plug in a Bluetooth USB adapter to your computer to enable Bluetooth if your computer lacks a built-in Bluetooth adapter.
Warning
- Linux operating systems often have trouble detecting Bluetooth adapters or USB Bluetooth devices, especially if your computer is older.
