To turn on Bluetooth on Windows 11, open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices and set Bluetooth to On. For the quicker route, press Windows + A to open Quick Settings and select the Bluetooth tile.
The short version
- Use Settings or Quick Settings to turn Bluetooth on.
- A highlighted tile saying Not connected means Bluetooth is on.
- For a missing switch, check airplane mode, shut down fully and run the Bluetooth troubleshooter.
- Check the adapter and its drivers before buying new hardware.
- A work or school policy may need IT to unblock Bluetooth.
| Method | What it does | Time | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Settings | Turns Bluetooth on | Under a minute | You want the main switch |
| Quick Settings | Toggles the radio | Under a minute | You want a shortcut |
| Radio block checks | Checks airplane mode and hardware controls | A few minutes | The switch will not work |
| Shutdown and troubleshooting | Resets hardware and runs diagnostics | A few minutes | The toggle disappeared |
| Adapter and driver repair | Enables or updates the adapter | A few minutes to check | Windows detects a problem |
| Adapter reinstallation | Tries to restore the driver | A few minutes plus startup | Updates did not help |
| USB adapter setup | Adds Bluetooth hardware | One-time setup | The PC lacks Bluetooth |
| IT support | Requests a policy check | A few minutes to report | The PC is managed |
Turn Bluetooth on from Settings
Select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices, then turn the Bluetooth switch on. You can also press Windows + I to open Settings or right-click Start and choose Settings.
For the direct route, press Windows + R, type ms-settings:bluetooth and press Enter. This opens the Bluetooth settings page; you still need to set its switch to On.
If there is no switch, move to the hardware and driver checks below. A missing setting can mean the PC has no Bluetooth adapter, or that its adapter's driver is not installed.
Use Quick Settings for a faster switch
Press Windows + A, or select the Network, Sound or Battery icon beside the time and date. Select the Bluetooth tile to turn it on, and check that the tile becomes highlighted.
After opening Quick Settings, use Tab and the arrow keys to reach Bluetooth. If it is off, press Spacebar to turn it on.
On the scrollable layout introduced with Windows 11 version 24H2, scroll through the actions if Bluetooth is out of view. On older versions such as 23H2, use the Settings route above if the tile is missing rather than assuming the adapter has failed.
A highlighted tile showing Not connected means the radio is on, but no device is connected. On a touchscreen, you can swipe from the bottom of the Quick Settings area to open the panel, then tap Bluetooth.
Clear airplane mode and hardware blocks
Open Settings > Network & internet > Airplane mode and turn Airplane mode off. You can also use its tile in Quick Settings, then check the Bluetooth switch again.
Windows remembers radio settings used in airplane mode. If you turned Bluetooth off while airplane mode was active, it can remain off when you leave, so turn Bluetooth back on yourself.
If your laptop has a physical Bluetooth switch, make sure it is on. For a keyboard wireless control, check the instructions for your exact PC model before choosing a key combination.
Some PCs also have a firmware control. On the Dell OptiPlex 7090 Ultra, restart and press F2 when the Dell logo appears, then check Connection > Wireless Device Enable > Bluetooth. This option is enabled by default; if you change it, save and exit, then check Bluetooth in Windows.
Restore a missing or grayed out toggle
For a switch that has disappeared, try a full shutdown first. Hold Shift while selecting Start > Power > Shut down, wait one minute after the PC turns off, then power it on and check Bluetooth again.
Next, use the Bluetooth troubleshooter in Get Help. Select Run the troubleshooter in Get Help, follow its prompts, and check the switch when diagnostics finish.
You can also open Get Help and enter Bluetooth troubleshooter in its search bar. The Settings route is System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters, then Run beside Bluetooth; our steps for running Windows troubleshooters on Windows 11 explain those entry points.
If the switch says On while the radio is off, Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2 have a documented fix in KB5124010, also applicable to 26H2. Look under Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates and install it if offered; the Bluetooth changes are in a gradual rollout, so availability can differ between PCs.
Enable the adapter and update its drivers
Enable a disabled adapter
Right-click Start, open Device Manager and expand Bluetooth. Locate the actual Bluetooth adapter, whose name may include Bluetooth or radio, before changing its driver.
If Bluetooth is not listed, check Other devices for the adapter and check your PC model's specifications for Bluetooth support. If it supports Bluetooth, obtain the matching driver from the PC maker before buying an adapter.
Right-click the adapter, select Properties and check Device status for an error code. If Device Manager reports This device is disabled with code 22, select the adapter and choose Action > Enable Device. Follow the instructions, then return to Bluetooth settings and turn the switch on if needed.
Update through Windows
For a driver repair, right-click the adapter and select Update driver > Search automatically for drivers. Follow the installation prompts, select Close when finished and restart if requested.
Check Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates for applicable firmware updates from your PC maker. Select the update, choose Download & install and use Restart now when installation finishes; our instructions for checking and installing Windows updates cover the update controls.
Download drivers from the PC maker
If Windows has no suitable update, check your PC maker's support page for your model. Dell owners can identify their PC on Drivers & Downloads, select their Operating System and choose Network, Ethernet & Wireless under Category.
Download the matching Bluetooth driver, run its installer and restart as directed. Dell says to use the Wi-Fi driver package if Bluetooth is not listed; alternatively, search for SupportAssist, open it, select Start Now and apply the recommended fixes.
Reinstall the Bluetooth adapter
Use this repair if Bluetooth still appears in Device Manager but the normal switch is missing. Expand Bluetooth, right-click the adapter and choose Uninstall device > Uninstall.
Select Start > Power > Shut down, wait a few seconds after shutdown and turn the PC on again. Windows will try to reinstall the driver; if it does not, open Device Manager and select Action > Scan for hardware changes.
If Bluetooth returns but keeps disconnecting, check the adapter's Properties > Power Management tab, if present. Clear Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power, then check the connection again.
Add Bluetooth to a PC that lacks it
A PC without Bluetooth hardware needs an adapter before the Windows switch can work. A compatible USB Bluetooth adapter adds that hardware through a USB port; our instructions for setting up a Bluetooth adapter on Windows 11 cover installation and pairing.
For a TP-Link UB500, open the UB500 support downloads page and select the adapter's hardware version. Follow the installation document for that revision, since the available downloads and installation requirements depend on the hardware.
The UB500 V3 instructions tell you to disable existing Bluetooth devices in Device Manager before inserting the adapter directly into a USB port. On Windows 11, driver installation can start automatically when online; otherwise download the driver, extract it, run Setup.exe and restart after installation. Return to Bluetooth & devices and turn the switch on.
Ask IT to check a work or school PC
A managed Windows Pro, Enterprise or Education PC can have Bluetooth blocked by a device policy. That policy can gray out the control and prevent you from turning the radio on, so ask IT to check the restriction.
Include whether the switch is missing, grayed out or already on, and name any app that cannot use Bluetooth. Organizations can separately restrict apps from controlling radios, so an app permission problem may need a different policy change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't Bluetooth come back on when I turn off airplane mode?
Bluetooth can remain off if you switched it off while airplane mode was active. Open Quick Settings or Settings > Bluetooth & devices and turn it back on.
Can I ask Copilot to turn Bluetooth on?
Copilot's PC insights feature provides information and cannot change settings. For voice control on Windows 11 version 22H2 and later, set up Voice access, open Settings, say Show numbers and use Click followed by the displayed number to select the Bluetooth controls.
An app says it can't control Bluetooth even though it's on. What should I check?
Press Windows + R, enter ms-settings:privacy-radios and press Enter to open the Radios privacy page. If the controls are available, enable Let apps control radios and the app under Choose apps that can control radios; this grants permission rather than turning Bluetooth on.
Do I need Bluetooth on to connect a device in Chrome?
Yes, turn on Bluetooth on the computer and make the device discoverable first. In Chrome, open the compatible webpage and click or tap it to request a device, choose the device and select Pair or Connect.
How do I turn Bluetooth on in Windows 10?
Open Start > Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices and turn Bluetooth on. Alternatively, select the Bluetooth tile in Action Center, using Expand if the tile is out of view.
Does turning Bluetooth on also pair my headphones?
New headphones still need to be made discoverable using their maker's pairing instructions. In Quick Settings, select the Manage Bluetooth devices arrow beside Bluetooth, select the headphones under New devices, follow the prompts and select Done.