After Wi-Fi, Bluetooth is the most common wireless connection that most people use nowadays for multiple reasons.
You can connect your speaker, headphones, smartwatch, keyboard, mouse, and so on to your phone or computer without having to worry about the mess of wires.
Bluetooth is usually a reliable connection, which is what makes it so popular.
However, it can become unstable from time to time and turn off on its own.
This matter can frustrate many users, but you’ll be glad to know there are multiple simple fixes you can attempt to solve the issue.
Read on to find out what they are.
Why Does My Phone’s Bluetooth Keep Turning Off, And How Can I Fix It?
Simple Mix-Ups
When the Bluetooth connection of your phone starts malfunctioning out of nowhere, more often than not, you can solve the issue through some simple troubleshooting steps.
Disable Bluetooth
Toggling off Bluetooth and turning it back on after a few seconds may be what your phone needs to retain a stable connection.
iPhone users can achieve this by launching the control center, tapping on the Bluetooth icon, or heading to Settings > Bluetooth.
Android users can hit the Bluetooth button from the quick access menu or navigate Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Bluetooth.
To get better results, you can restart the Bluetooth in the other devices you’re trying to connect to your phone, as well.
Turn On Airplane Mode
Turning on the Airplane mode, waiting a while, and then turning it back off is a great way of rebooting the device’s connections.
Head to the control center or quick access menu or find the button in the Settings app to complete the process.
Re-Pair The Device
The Bluetooth may keep dropping due to improper pairing.
If this is the case, you will need to remove the device from your phone’s connection list and re-pair it from scratch.
iPhone users should head to Settings and then Bluetooth.
Find the device in the list and tap on the “i” icon next to its name.
Select Forget This Device and confirm.
In Android smartphones, you’ll have to open Settings and then Connected Devices.
Under the Previously Connected Devices Section, tap on See All.
Tap on the cog icon next to the device you’d like to re-pair and select Forget.
Now that the device is forgotten, go back to the Bluetooth section and let your phone search and connect to it again.
Software Glitch
Sometimes, some software bugs, glitches, errors, corrupted file paths, or similar malfunctions can cause the Bluetooth to disconnect.
It’s also possible that some faulty software updates are the culprit behind your issue.
For instance, multiple users reported problems with Bluetooth in the iOS 13/14 software updates.
Before moving on to a more complicated solution, try updating your software.
iPhone users should head to Settings > System Updates and then tap on any available updates to install them.
Android users should navigate Settings > Software Updates and install the latest version.
Other than a software update, restarting your device can solve temporary software issues.
Reboot your phone and the device you’re trying to connect to and see if the Bluetooth issue continues.
You can go a step further and factory reset the devices, like any speakers or headphones you have a connection problem with.
Bluetooth Visibility Timeout
Many smartphones come with idle modes that allow the system to go to standby mode after a certain time by removing certain connections, including Bluetooth.
For instance, in older Android phones, you need to go to Settings > Bluetooth and tap on the three dots on the corner of the screen.
Then choose the Visibility Timeout option and choose Never so your Bluetooth doesn’t turn off on its own.
Different phone models might have different settings and connectivity preferences.
You can search for your phone’s model and find suitable instructions for altering the Bluetooth settings.
Bluetooth Scanning
Bluetooth Scanning is a feature in most Android phones that can look for Bluetooth devices even when the Bluetooth connection is off.
Although this may help with improving location accuracy, it could be the reason behind your Bluetooth issues.
Head to the Settings app and open the Location or Location Access section.
You can search for it in the Settings search bar.
Choose the Improve accuracy or Advanced Settings option and then enable or disable the Bluetooth Scanning option.
If the option was set to enabled, change it to disabled and vice versa.
Battery Optimization Or Power Saving Settings
Android phones have a Battery Optimization feature that saves your battery from the background apps and running programs.
If the setting is enabled, the Bluetooth connection will be disconnected.
Go to the Settings app and open up the Battery section.
Choose Battery Optimization or Optimization and change the setting to All apps.
Now you can set apps and services not to be optimized.
Look for Bluetooth, Bluetooth Sharing, or similar names and set them to Not Optimized.
Another similar feature that can conflict with your Bluetooth connection is the Power Saving settings.
Some phones ask you if you want the power-saving mode turned on when the battery level decreases, and some activate it automatically.
To disable this feature, navigate to Settings > Battery.
Choose the Power Saving Mode or the Ultra Power Saving Mode and turn them off by tapping on them.
Network Settings
Resetting the Network Settings on an Android phone might help solve the issue.
It’ll clear all Wi-Fi networks, remove all Bluetooth pairings, and reset the mobile APN.
To do this, open Settings > System.
Expand the Advanced section and tap on Reset options.
Choose Reset Wi-Fi, Mobile & Bluetooth.
Select Reset Settings and then enter your password to confirm.
Third-Party Apps
Some problematic third-party apps can be causing the Bluetooth to disconnect randomly.
Sometimes, the specific apps that need to sync with your Bluetooth devices like smartwatches, earphones, speakers, and so on can be causing the issue.
If you’ve misconfigured the Bluetooth syncing settings on these kinds of apps, you need to fix them to solve the problem.
Moreover, some unrelated apps that you’ve installed could be corrupt.
You can try turning your phone on in Safe Mode, a sandbox environment that only lets your phone run the programs it originally had.
Any third-party apps that you’ve installed will be restricted by safe mode.
Different phone models have different ways of entering the safe mode.
If you have a different brand other than Apple and Samsung, do an internet search for the specific process before proceeding.
iPhone Safe Mode
- First, turn off your device completely.
- Once the screen goes black, wait a bit, and then turn it back on.
- When your phone lights up displaying the Apple logo, hold the volume down button immediately and don’t let go until your phone starts up.
- Once your device boots up, it’ll be in safe mode.
Samsung Safe Mode
- Turn off your phone completely.
- Wait a while, turn it back on, and hold the power key through the screen with the device’s name.
- Once “Samsung” appears on your screen, let go of the power key.
- Immediately after releasing the power key, press and hold the volume down key and don’t let go until the device restarts.
- Once booted, a safe mode sign will be at the bottom left corner of the screen.
Try the Bluetooth connection now and see if any disconnections happen.
If not, some troublesome apps are conflicting, and you’ll have to find and uninstall them.
Start by those you’ve recently downloaded and the ones you don’t trust.
Cache
Clearing the cache and data for both Android and iPhone smartphones can help solve the Bluetooth disconnections.
For iPhone, head to Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage.
Tap on Manage Storage and then select Documents and Data.
Slide unwanted items regarding Bluetooth to the left and hit Delete.
Tap Edit and Delete All to remove the app’s data.
For Android phones, head to Settings > Apps > All Apps > Bluetooth.
Tap on Clear Data and hit OK.
Then go back and select the Storage menu.
Select Clear Cache for the Bluetooth app.
Connected Device
If there’s an issue with the other device you’re trying to stay connected to, like headphones, earbuds, speakers, and so on, then your phone might turn the Bluetooth off when it can’t find anything.
Make sure the transmitter device is in range and try connecting again.
Interference
If your surroundings are crowded with multiple Bluetooth devices, connection conflict and interference can happen.
Turn other devices off or make them invisible and try again.
Faulty Hardware
If you’ve tried all the other methods and nothing has fixed your issue, then the Bluetooth-related hardware on your phone, like the Bluetooth IC module, might be damaged, forcing the disconnections.
If your phone’s warranty is still valid, send it back for repair.
If not, take it to the manufacturer’s customer service center for a repair.
Why Does My PC’s Bluetooth Keep Turning Off?
Bluetooth Power Settings
Your computer may be disconnecting the Bluetooth devices to save power when the battery is low.
To prevent that, go through the following steps:
- Right-click on the Windows logo and choose Device Manager from the list.
- Find and double-click on the Bluetooth option to expand.
- Find the Bluetooth device that’s been disconnecting, right-click on it, and select Properties from the drop-down menu.
- Open the Power Management tab and uncheck the box next to Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
- Hit the OK button.
Bluetooth Services
Bluetooth works on specific services on your computer, and if they aren’t running correctly, you’ll run into issues.
- Type “Services” in the Windows search box and open the app.
- Locate and right-click on the Bluetooth Support Service option in the list.
- Click on Start if it isn’t running, and click on Restart if it is.
- Then, right-click on the service again and choose Properties this time.
- Change the Startup type to Automatic, and hit the OK button.
Bluetooth Drivers
The Bluetooth connection may constantly be cutting out due to issues regarding the Bluetooth drivers.
They may be corrupt or outdated.
First, try uninstalling the drivers and allow Windows to install the appropriate one for you.
- Right-click on the Windows logo and choose Device Manager from the list.
- Find and double-click on the Bluetooth option to expand.
- Find the Bluetooth device that’s been disconnecting, right-click on it, and select Uninstall Device.
- Check the box for Delete the driver software for this device and then hit the Uninstall button.
- Reboot your PC and see if the connection is stable.
If this didn’t help, go back and hit the Update Driver button instead of the Uninstall Driver.
Follow the wizard to complete the process and see if anything changes.
Sometimes, the Windows built-in device manager won’t find the latest driver.
In that case, you’ll either have to update it manually or use a third-party driver updater.
For a manual update, head to the Bluetooth device manufacturer’s website and search for the newest driver compatible with your Windows version.
Download and install the driver.
You can also let a third-party tool like Driver Easy do the job for you.
Once you’ve installed the program, open it and hit the Scan Now button for it to automatically recognize your system and detect any problem drivers.
Find the flagged Bluetooth driver in the list and click on the Update button next to it.
Other Issues
A useful tool called the Bluetooth Troubleshooter can find and fix any other possible issues.
- Head to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
- Under the Find and fix other problems section, locate Bluetooth and click on it.
- Hit the Run the troubleshooter button and wait for it to run its tests.