Big Sur does not work with Bluetooth

My Bose Headsets will connect to my iMac for about 6 seconds, then disconnect.

2019 Imac

What I've tried but does not work:

Chat with apple support

Turn on and off BT

Reset the BT module

Remove all BT devices

Reset Bose Headphones removed all other BT devices it stored

remove all peripherals except keyboard and mouse

Reset NVRAM

Reset SMV

Tried connecting without any peripherals

Tried connecting with all other devices in the building shut down.

Connected headphones to other devices like my iPhone, a Windows laptop, all have 100 percent connect and function rate. including a little Raspberry Pi.

Tried connecting with a Logitech 800 headset that also connects to all the other items.

At some point, it has to stop being my fault.

I have come to the conclusion that Big Sur has an issue with Bluetooth, does not function with other than the wireless keyboard and mouse, and that there is nothing left for me to do to make it connect. It simply doesn't work.

Since my bluetooth headphones are mission critical for me, there is no other option than restoring the previous and functioning version of MacOS, and continue working rather than trying endless dead end tricks that repeat the original problem to get it to function.

I'll revert and hope that Apple gets around to fixing this problem.

Bummer

iMac 27″, macOS 11.0

Posted on Nov 17, 2020 10:50 AM

Top-ranking reply

Vincent Bove

Level 1

94 points

Posted on Nov 20, 2020 7:25 AM

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.

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44 replies

Dec 16, 2020 11:21 AM in response to Michael Coslo

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.

Jan 2, 2021 2:16 PM in response to Vincent Bove

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!

Jan 3, 2021 11:36 AM in response to Michael Coslo

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!

Jan 4, 2021 8:44 AM in response to Michael Coslo

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!

Jan 5, 2021 12:53 AM in response to Michael Coslo

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

Jan 6, 2021 8:34 AM in response to uniqdzign2

I think at this time, there is a number of different issues. Some are Big Sur, and some are just semi-random stuff that happens with BT. But yes, a total disconnect, reset, then reconnect should probsbly be done, then if it still doesn't work, the terminal command.

Atom55

Level 1

4 points

Jan 9, 2021 11:29 AM in response to Michael Coslo

I'm having the same issue with my bose speaker connecting to my MacBook Pro with Big Sur. I tried many solutions I found but nothing worked. I opened Terminal app in Utility, but a small window comes out and it says 'Last log in Jan 9 10:05:00 ttys000', some more writing below, but there is nothing I can type nor click on. Am I doing something wrong? I really want to be able to use my bose speaker again on MacBook.

Atom55

Level 1

4 points

Jan 10, 2021 2:03 PM in response to Michael Coslo

Dear Michael, thank you so much for your step by step tutorial. I succeeded in connecting all my bluetooth devices again to my MacBook!! I'm SO HAPPY! I'm not that deep in using MacBook, It was cool experience to type password that I can't see. Thank you!

Feb 10, 2021 1:17 PM in response to claudius256

It would be very helpful if Apple could figure out the issues with Big Sur. Although I have fixed my Bluetooth issues, the general experience with Big Sur is a big step backwards. Video is jerky, a huge keyboard lag, and I went over to my Mid-2011 iMac which fell off the upgrade path and is running Sierra - quite frankly, it is a superior computer to my one year old Mac. Fast and responsive, just the sort of experience I am used to on MacOS. Big Sur is the Windows Vista of Mac OS. There is no reason that a 1 year old 27 inch i5 iMac should feel like an out of date slowpoke computer that needs replaced because it isn't able to handle a modern OS. I'd hate to think that this is the future of my favorite computers.

Feb 11, 2021 1:20 AM in response to Michael Coslo

So agree Michael, and it's now perceivable that each new MacOS, is in one way or another, worse than the last.

I have had Mac's since my transparent Bondi Beach desktop, with the famous coffee cup holder, (joke), but when you have to ditch programmes that you are used to, because they are too resource hungry with the latest OS, it makes no sense. As I have had to do this time, to keep my 5 year old Mac going.

It would be such a shame to see Mac continue down this road, but things are definitely not as they were, despite the hype.

Ouzone

Level 1

18 points

Feb 27, 2021 10:53 AM in response to Michael Coslo

I'm sorry for beeing unpolite and "barking at the wrong tree" here.

This is just so frustrating. And I'm desperately trying to get Apple's attention to this problem - that was not fixed in the last 11.2.2 Big Sur update.

However, I'm happy for you and every one else who have had help with this "HAL" solution.

Nov 20, 2020 7:30 AM in response to Vincent Bove

WhooHoo! This worked perfectly. The only side effect was I had to reinstall Boom 3D but I can hear untethered again. Thanks a million Vince.

Nov 20, 2020 8:05 AM in response to Michael Coslo

Hooray! So glad to hear it.

Nov 20, 2020 5:50 PM in response to jim62nyc

Haha, I didn't come up with the fix myself (someone else had posted it in a different thread), but when it worked for me, I was eager to spread the news. Glad it was useful!

cerdman

Level 1

4 points

Dec 12, 2020 8:39 AM in response to Vincent Bove

when I type the instruction in I am asked for the password which it will not accept - am I missing something?

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Big Sur does not work with Bluetooth