I do not want to have Bluetooth on - I just bought the recent iMac (2019 Retina display) and upgraded to the extended keyboard. In the Apple store, there was discussion as to whether Bluetooth would still be on (from the keyboard) even if it was disabled from the Mac in System Preferences. Does anyone know definitively the answer to this?
You can turn Blue Tooth on and off at your pleasure in System Preferences or right on the menu which is open all the time. You just make sure the Blue Tooth icon is on your screen which you do in System Preferences - Blue Tooth. Below is a screen shot of my display's BT icon that shows where to you can turn it on and off. If you turn it off, that means any Blue Tooth devices if they are turned on will simply not connect.
Thanks very much. Is it only the Mac itself which emits a Bluetooth signal or do the peripheral devices (keyboard, trackpad, mouse) also emit something. I ask because I live in an apartment building and someone else’s keyboard and trackpad are coming up on my Mac. I’m trying to avoid the use of wireless myself, connecting to the Ethernet.
Peripherals receive a signal sent by the iMac.
I believe the peripherals also emit a signal in response to keystrokes, clicks, etc. However, there are power switches on the keyboard and mouse. You may want to use a hardwired (USB) keyboard with your Mac. Apple used to make one but no longer offer it. You may still be able to find new, unused ones on-line (I did a few months ago). Booting with your Mac with Bluetooth turned off (without having a USB keyboard) may present a problem if you have your Mac set to require a password to log in.
Hardwired keyboard and Bluetooth
