Bluetooth Intermittent - iMac 2020 & Big Sur

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Level 1

29 points

Bluetooth Intermittent - iMac 2020 & Big Sur

This iMac is just about 2 months old. Big Sur has been installed since it came out. I'm now noticing that the bluetooth has become intermittent.

Here's what happens:

Usually I'll notice it first in the mouse -- the Apple bt mouse that came with the 2020 iMac. It'll be responding slowing, like not very precise. Then it'll stop moving altogether.

About 10 seconds later I see a popup on the screen that the Apple bluetooth keyboard has disconnected.

Both devices are unresponsive for 10-15 seconds when the screen pop-up says that the keyboard is connected. Suddenly the mouse works too.

This has happened three times today.

In an effort to solve it I found a suggestion to go to Library>Preferences>Bluetooth and to delete two mouse bluetooth plist files. I did this and restarted. It did not make a difference.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

iMac 27″, macOS 11.0

Posted on Dec 1, 2020 4:04 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

den.thed

Level 9

77,206 points

Dec 1, 2020 5:46 PM in response to Narthex99

Do you have any USB 3 or USB C external drives connected to the iMac?

see > https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201542

If so, try moving them and their cables farther away from the bluetooth devices on your desk.

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Answer 2

Narthex99 Author

Level 1

29 points

Dec 18, 2020 8:25 AM in response to den.thed

Moving the external drive cables appeared to work at first, but because the problem is intermittent I'm not sure if it did or not.

Here is more information about the problem: When the Bluetooth goes out it is system wide. The AirPods Pro in my ears disconnect. The mouse disconnects. The keyboard disconnects.

Is this behavior you would expect if it was the external drive cables? Are they capable of disconnecting all bluetooth devices connected to the computer, no matter their proximity to the cables?

If so, is it possible that I need to purchase a new external drive? Or buy a different cable? If not, for what reason would all bluetooth on the whole computer die for 10-15 seconds and then reconnect?

BTW, the BT symbol on the desktop stays colored "on" during the problem. Also, I have just updated to 11.1 Big Sur.

Any help would be much appreciated! This is a new iMac, only a few months old.

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Answer 3

6x6

Level 6

11,282 points

Dec 18, 2020 8:40 AM in response to Narthex99

Please see this discussion: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252055610

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Bluetooth Intermittent - iMac 2020 & Big Sur

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