kbtooth: Removing Bluetooth Device History

For this to work, you need the developers tools installed. To do this go to HD/Applications/Installers/XCode Tools/Developer.mpkg

So I've been working on this problem for quite some time. I have placed posts on the apple discussion boards, posted to other boards and discussions and have not gotten any ware. Having some time to myself today, I figured out how to fix my problem. I figured out how to remove the history of old paired bluetooth devices, specifically one's I dont use any more. Let me give you some history as to why I needed to do this. I work for a cellular company, and have sold most of my friends their phones. And most of them are bluetooth phones. Being that I am one of the few people who have a BT computer, I help them out removing pictures, etc. So thus when I go to browse device, most of my buddies dont re-name their phones so I have a good 20 names called Motorola v551 or Razr ect. I was on a mission to remove the specific paired devices. If you go into your USER/Library/Preferences you can remove the following files and this will clear all of your devices (just remember to restart when you are done deleting the files):

Bluetooth File Exchange.crash.log
com.apple.Bluetooth.plist
com.BluetoothFileExchange.plist
com.apple.BluetoothFirmwareUpdater.plist

But for me it was not worth deleating all of the files because I didnt want to re-pair my phone/BT Mouse/Keyboard ect. Thus their had to be a way of only deleting specific paired devices. The fix to doing this was much easier then I thought.

To start off you need to open up your Browse Device window under Bluetooth and place all of the devices that you want to remove as favorites. Doing this will allow you to see the Device Address located in bluetooth/ browse device (by clicking on each device and viewing the information about it). Once you see the devices that you marked as favorites that you want to remove, write down each of the Device Address's.

Next, quit out of Bluetooth Preferences, quit the application and turn your Bluetooth off.

Once you have that done, go into your User/Library/Preferences and double click on the file labeled com.apple.Bluetooth.plist . This will open up the program Property List Editor.

Once you have this file opened, drop down the carrot labeled Root and you will be presented with a long list of files. Speciffically look out for two carrots Favorite Devices and RecentDevices.

If you expand each of these files you will see all of your Device Address's listed. From their, refer to your list of device address's that you want to remove, highlight the correct address and choose delete off of the top of the Property List Editor. Do this in both Favorite Devices and RecentDevices. Once you have deleted the correct files, save the plist file back to it's origional location. If you computer comes up with not knowing where to put the file, place it back in it's correct location (User/Library/Prefrences)

From their log out, log back in, start up your bluetooth and you will find that your annoying devices that took up that room have been removed.

I hope this helps any one with similar problems, and if my post helps you out in any way shape or form, dont forget to vote.

Sincerely,

Tim-Hannon