16-inch MacBook Pro Bluetooth issue

Thanks so much, this fixed my Bluetooth issue as well. I used an old Billionton v2.0 dongle which also worked using this procedure. Seems such as waste people are having the entire logic board replaced due to this issue.

What was your issue with your Bluetooth exactly ?

I see my broadcom internal bluetooth in system report, but can't connect anything to it.

I was able to use my magic keyboard with minor input lag 1 hour ago, but it goes away now.

I found only a 4.0 bluetooth dongle in my local store, but it does nothing to my internal one, just switching normally.

Hi Boris,

I am in Germany and would love to get back to your kind offer. However I cannot find a way to send you a direct message. Am I missing something here? Could you please send me an email to fs AT snck DOT biz? Thank you in advance!

Best,

Florian

I am in contact with Apple support about this issue which I experience exactly the same as other people here: after having previously an external bluetooth dongle connected the internal bluetooth won't work anymore.

The advisors I spoke with are very helpful but it seems quite hard to get something reported as a bug. Even after telling them how many people are affected and telling them about this thread on the forum. It just seems to be how they are instructed so I don't blame them.

I understand there should be some filtering on support as it could get very costly otherwise, but Apple should be more open to bug reports in my opinion.

After many types of resets, trouble shooting, diagnosis and re-installing the OS twice (even wiping everything the last time) I finally got a phone number that I can call tomorrow to further escalate the support case, so let's hope this will get properly investigated by Apple engineers soon.

Just wanted to add, that this worked perfectly to fix my internal Bluetooth.

The internal Bluetooth stopped working after I had plugged in a Bluetooth 4.0 dongle.

I just followed these instructions, using a cheap dongle I got from amazon here (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0013BFQUE).

Honestly I was pretty sceptical, but it worked, and was much more convenient than taking my MBP to an Apple store.

Now Apple, please fix this, so people don't have to resort to this strange hack.

Had this same issue occur to me too. A USB hub with a 4.0 BT adapter caused my internal bluetooth to stop working.

I ordered the no-name brand adapter from amazon and the StarTech one. Neither one work, they both appear as CSR chipset in system information. I'm having a difficult time finding a broadcom one in the states. If anyone has access to one, or a spare, please contact me if I'd be able to obtain it from you somehow (poxin13 at gmail). Very frustrating!

Every advisor and genius guy have to say « i haven't heard of this problem before » to not say the product have issue and we know we miss something.

Tried 3 times with retina display anti-glare issue..

After lots of attempts using a few different procedures, I am giving up. "Mushroom Head" BT 2.0 acts dead. Startech.com "2.1" registers as BT 4.0 on the MacBook 16 and it behaves like one.

Do I find two weeks to give up my work computer to Apple? Is this to (maybe not even) get a new board? Like you all, I have spent dozens of hours on this. I would give up and live with the dongle, except the BT 4.0 dongle (the original one) does not connect to a piece of equipment I need. Neither does another BT 4.0 dongle. I got Apple Care.

Sad. Discouraged. Tired.

I'm also facing this issue since accidentally connecting an old BT dongle I had inserted into the USB ports of an old monitor that I had to connect to my macbook.

Instant BT failure.

Also, I'm on a 13" MBP from 2019 (the one with the 4 thunderbolt ports from March I think).

However, none of the fixes claimed here have worked for me. I don't know if the issue is my BT dongle (actually, the one that caused the issue in the first place) or if I'm doing something wrong, but nothing has fixed it for me.

Can anyone double-check the dongle?

I'm finding it impossible to fix with my own CSR 2.0 dongle.. I'm working for a swiss company but haven't travelled there since February due to covid, so I might need to borrow one to Portugal.. I will also return it AND buy you a beer next time I'm there :D

Could you maybe drop me a msg at zedblade DOT santos @ G man..?

I have reported, as have countless people here, as Gordon Mohr points out.

I have been unable to contact Apple itself, only representatives but I have given feedback also on Apple's Feedback portal (posted somewhere around this thread quite a few times) and I don't really want/can take my laptop to a repair center (not to mention there isn't an official one in Portugal as, apart from the website, Apple doesn't really operate here).

I have went ahead on a leap of faith and purchased another BT pen (https://www.ebay.es/itm/Mini-Adaptador-USB-V2-0-EDR-Bluetooth-Dongle-compatible-Windows-XP-Vista-7-8-10/280638333155?hash=item41575920e3:g:9JEAAOSwsD1btgTx) and it's still going to take at least one week before it gets here)

I'll report my results once I can

As others have pointed out, do notice however that while bluetooth is back to a working state, System Report still says that the WLCore versions are null, that the Airport Utility is not installed and the Bluetooth Explorer still references the -3903 error..

I've tried reinstalling the last update but the error still persists. Did anyone manage to get rid of the error by reinstalling MacOS? Even if totally wiping the disk is required?

  Handoff Supported:	Yes
  Instant Hot Spot Supported:	Yes
  Manufacturer:	Broadcom
  Transport:	UART
  Chipset:	4364B3
  Firmware Version:	v50 c4177
  Bluetooth Power:	On

Interesting that your firmware version is slightly higher.

Under USB in system info my external receiver was always listed as bluetooth device even when not attached but that is now gone since a week or so. But internal bluetooth is still not working. Also running the other commands you listed didn't help.

Funnily the external receiver that caused all this actually works now if I connect it, it didn't do anything useful before. Seems something might indeed have changed in the last software update, but not a full fix for me at least.

I would avoid exporting everything, nvram contents could contain some sensitive information that should not be shared. That being said, I could export bluetoothInternalControllerInfo, but again, it could make things even worse, as it seems that you guys could have a different firmware version, which might not support some of my settings...

objc[1635]: Class PipeInfo is implemented in both /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/WPDaemon.framework/Versions/A/WPDaemon and /usr/sbin/bluetoothd. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined.
2020-11-14 19:53:04.781 bluetoothd[1635:22787] [setSystemPreference] syncs returns false
[bluetoothd][netPrefChanged] ###### Sharing Dictionary doesn't exist
2020-11-14 19:53:04.784 bluetoothd[1635:22787] [setSystemPreference] syncs returns false
2020-11-14 19:53:04.787 bluetoothd[1635:22787] Error: [AppleBluetoothHIDDeviceGen2][_setEventService:]Couldn't copy BD_ADDR
2020-11-14 19:53:04.787 bluetoothd[1635:22787] Error: [AppleBluetoothHIDDeviceGen2][_setEventService:]Couldn't copy BD_ADDR
2020-11-14 19:53:04.789 bluetoothd[1635:22787] [setSystemPreference] syncs returns false
2020-11-14 19:53:04.791 bluetoothd[1635:22787] [setSystemPreference] syncs returns false
2020-11-14 19:53:04.792 bluetoothd[1635:22787] [setSystemPreference] syncs returns false
2020-11-14 19:53:04.925 bluetoothd[1635:22787] [setSystemPreference] syncs returns false
2020-11-14 19:53:04.939 bluetoothd[1635:22787] SystemPowerNotifier: IORegisterForSystemPower for port 38659
2020-11-14 19:53:04.944 bluetoothd[1635:22787] [setSystemPreference] syncs returns false
2020-11-14 19:53:04.945 bluetoothd[1635:22787] [setSystemPreference] syncs returns false