Bluetooth® Management and Configuration

Bluetooth Radio On and Off

When it is necessary to disable Bluetooth, there may be three possible methods available: a software switch, a hardware switch, or the Device Manager. It is strongly discouraged to mix the usage of these three methods (e.g., turn Bluetooth off with the software switch and turn it on with the Device Manager).

The software switch is the preferred method for turning the Bluetooth radio off and on; it is strongly recommended not to do so by disabling/enabling the Bluetooth device driver(s) in the Device Manager. However, the software switch may not be available on all systems. The procedures for using the software switch differ between operating systems and are outlined below.

Some systems may have a hardware switch in place of, or in addition to, a software switch. When both switches are present, avoid using them at the same time (i.e., if the Bluetooth radio is turned off with the software switch, it will remain off despite cycling the hardware switch off and on). Consult the system’s User Manual for information on the hardware switch.

In Windows 7, to switch the Bluetooth radio on and off:

  1. Right-click the Bluetooth tray icon
  2. Select Turn Adapter On or Turn Adapter Off

Alternatively, the Bluetooth radio may be turned off through the Bluetooth Settings window:

  1. Right-click the Bluetooth tray icon
  2. Select Open Settings
  3. In the Options tab, check Turn off the Bluetooth adapter

In Windows 8 and later, to switch the Bluetooth radio on and off:

  1. Open PC Settings
  2. Select the Wireless node
  3. Click the Bluetooth slider to cycle Bluetooth on and off

Folder Sharing Settings

To enable or disable file sharing:

  1. Right click on the Bluetooth tray icon and select Open Settings.
  2. At the Bluetooth Settings window select the Shared Folder tab, and then do one of the following:

To enable or disable user notifications about uploading files via FTP:

  1. Right click on the Bluetooth tray icon and select Open Settings.
  2. At the Bluetooth Settings window select the Shared Folder tab, and then do one of the following:

Audio Settings

Note: This section is not applicable if you are using the Windows 8 operating system.

To manage Bluetooth audio settings:

  1. Right click on the Bluetooth tray icon and select Open Settings.
  2. At the Bluetooth Settings window select the Audio tab, and then do one or more of the following:

High Speed Settings

To manage high speed settings:

  1. Right click on the Bluetooth tray icon and select Open Settings.
  2. At the Bluetooth Settings window select the High Speed tab, and then do one of the following: