Big Sur does not work with Bluetooth

Update: I was able to fix the problem with the following steps:

• Open Terminal app
• Type in: sudo rm -rf /Library/Audio/Plug-ins/HAL/
• Restart your iMac

Hopefully this works for you. It was a huge relief for me.

This worked for me too! Neither my AirPods Pros nor my Bose 700s worked once I updated to Big Sur. I spent over 2 hours on the phone with Apple Support 3 days ago. Did SOOOOOO many tests, none of them worked. AND once it was sent to Engineering, nobody ever got back to me. But this did the trick. I bow down to Vincent. :)

Ok, started using a Mac about 5 days ago so I'm very ignorant and haven't a clue where Terminal app is to start with?

I'd updated to Big Sur, no connection with Bose bluetooth speaker or headphones and also AirPods which I thought would be no problem. Then downloaded the OS update which I thought was going to be the fix but it made no difference. Now I'm thinking maybe I should try your fix instead.

Thank you so much!

I did this last night and bingo AirPods and iPhone detected but no joy for the Bose speaker & headphone. I was so disappointed that update seemed to be only for Apple products! I hope Apple aren't trying to drive us to buy their extortionate new earphones.. I guess I'll have to wait for another update with fingers crossed.

I really appreciated your fix Michael, at least my AirPods work now, thanks again.

Thanks Michael but I spoke too soon, neither the AirPods or iPhone would stay connected for more than a minute. So I cleared the list of devices and reset bluetooth, now it's refusing to connect at all!

I am so cross with Apple for releasing an untested OS. Now I want to try an older OS to see if I can connect that way and it won't let me revert either grrrrr. Whoever decided this was ready needs to get on with fixing it.

So what are you using Michael and how is it that your bluetooth connections seem to work or were you clever enough not to update yet?

Hey Michael, your solution worked but I did have to reset the Bluetooth module first & cleared out old devices someone else had left in there.

So I now have all Apple devices connected and the Bose headphones but sadly not the speaker so thank you Michael, I’ve now passed your solution to another couple of people, nice.

Hi. My bluetooth headset won't connect to my Mac after updating to Big Sur ~1 week ago. Also, my icon to control my Volume (at the top of the screen) has suddenly disappeared.

When I go to Terminal and it asks me for a password, the machine won't let me type in anything. Any ideas?

( I haven't researched the disappearing volume icon yet, but have tried deleting the headset from the Bluetooth memory , restarting the computer, and reconnecting my headset to the computer. That didn't help.)

Any ideas?

Thank you, if so!

I'll try once more to see if anyone here replies. (I posted something yesterday, or thought so, but it's not here today.)

I'm on a Macbook Air, and my bluetooth headset (made by Skull Candy) isn't passing any sound along to me when connected with my computer. It says that it's connected, but no sound.)

I tried the "sudo: ..." command in Terminal, but after typing that in, the program wouldn't allow me to type anything else in - no password, no nothing, as far as I could see.

I tried removing the headset from the Bluetooth list on the computer and resetting the headset, but this didn't work.

Has anyone else had this problem, of not being able to type into the Terminal application? I could paste in the commands posted here, recently, but couldn't go any further.

Thanks for any further help with this!

Hi All previous commentators,

I had the same problem, after installing Big Sur.

After trying all of the previous suggestions, and none of them working, I decided to re-install my bluetooth headphones.

Pioneer SE-MJ553BT.

By re-install, I mean "re-pairing" the headphones to my iMac, as one does when first purchasing a new item!

Worked immediately.

Hope this helps those who are still not connected.

Thanks for your help, Michael! It worked (although I had some trouble a few hours later, while the headset was still connected with my computer - but it may've been an internet problem). I wanted to thank you yesterday but had a busy day.

THanks, again!

Hi I do not have a problem with my Bose headset but actually with my Magic Mouse connecting to my MBP (M1) with Big Sur. At least 3-4 times a day it suddenly disconnects then connects again and repeat this 2-3 times to be fine again for a few hours.

Sometimes this also happens with my magic keyboard......

Anybody experiencing the same ??

Thanks,

Robert

Hi Robert,

I had the same experience, (with my headphones not connecting), and I went back to basics to get them to 'pair up'.

It might be a way to get your mouse to 're-connect' as well.

Start over as if the computer is seeing your equipment for the first time.

I also opened Bluetooth Preferences, went to "Advanced", unchecked all the boxes, then restart. Finally go back to the preferences and re-check all the boxes.

It's worth a try, but both these things cleared any previous problems I'd had with my phones, it might work with the mouse too and keyboard, as they are both registered as connected to your Bluetooth. (I assume.)

(Even my headphones were still visibly connected to Bluetooth in the 'Devices' window, but they were greyed out and when clicked to connect would show "Connection Rejected".)

Hope you find a solution Robert,

Cheers,

Graham.