Bluetooth pairing between iPhone and Mac Mini M1 "not supported"

I'm not sure it has anything to do with iCloud.

My iMac M1 will not connect to my iPad or iPhone nor will it allow my iMac to unlock using my Apple Watch. This all seems to have been a problem since the 12.1 update.

In the Bluetooth settings on the iMac I can pair the iPad and iPhone but both immediately go to 'not connected', if I then select 'connect' it shows connected for around 2 seconds and drops back to 'not connected'. Clicking the option to unlock the iMac with my watch leaves it twirling for a while before becoming unchecked again. (The watch and the iPhone are paired with each other with no problems)

This is becoming frustrating.

Modern Macs and iPhones cannot be PAIRED via Bluetooth, and there is NO NEED to pair them, so please stop trying.

They can be CONNECTED, which is a different thing entirely, and the Mac will show the connected devices.

Apple provides a raft of functions that use the Bluetooth connection. NONE of them require pairing: Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch - Apple Support

This really should end the discussion here.

OK, here's the deal: I got in touch with an Apple engineer, and was told that "with bluetooth pairing, this is an expected behavior since Mac to iPhone is not yet supported with both devices."

The iPhone and Mac are in fact talking over BT, despite not being paired, but it's at a low level. Apps like AirDrop use WiFi for the file transfers. (I suspect that the BT chatter has to do with security, which would explain why it's invisible to the user.)

There is outdated Apple guidance floating about that instructs you to pair the devices, but it only applies to Big Sur and earlier, and in many cases this is not made clear. Any instructions to "pair" an iPhone to a Mac via BT do not apply if your OS is Mojave or later. BT may need to be on for some applications, but pairing is not implemented. (I don't know what to make of the "yet" in his statement.)

The current way to set up an iPhone hotspot: Use an iPhone or iPad to connect your Mac to the internet - Apple Support

mikaela92 Said:

"I am having the same issue but between my iPhone 13 and 2021 MacBook Pro"

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Reset the Bluetooth Module:

Go Here:  Use "Reset the Bluetooth module" to Fix Constant Bluetooth Disconnections - User Tip

Note: Apple did away with it feature. So, recommend that they being this option back, as I mentioned above.

Follow-up that might be useful info:

1) It's not just my M1 Mini. I have a 2020 (Intel) MB Air, and it too cannot connect to my iPhone via Bluetooth. Exactly the same situation, with both Macs.

2) This is a recent problem. In the past, I was able to move photos from this iPhone to both Macs via AirDrop. Now I cannot pair them at all.

There's some sort of very basic bug in the recent versions of the operating system(s).

This has nothing at all to do with iCloud, so please stop. It is strictly about BT. In fact the two are not even synonymous. Whoever is talking about iCloud is not understanding the issue. The issue is not about syncing. The issue is that the Mac (your flavor) will not pair/join/connect with your phone.

I use my phone paired with my Mac so I can make and receive calls using my Mac while at my desk and phone nearby.. CONNECTED WITH BLUETOOTH!!!!!

So this is the issue.. my phone will not connect anymore.. It worked just fine with Big Sur.

"As far as have been able to determine this feature is simply NOT SUPPOSED TO WORK AT ALL ANY LONGER." This appears to be the case. I have the same problem connecting BT to my devices as everyone else in this thread. The solution seems to be found in the FaceTime settings in iPhone iOS. Make sure that the settings in all associated devices (MacOS, iPadOS and iPhone OS) conform to what is listed above. Next in iPhone iOS (only) go to Settings>FaceTime and, even if the phone number and email addresses listed are correct, choose the "Use Apple ID" selection. The choice will then disappear and beneath the caller ID section will appear "Apple ID: xxxxxxxxx". For good measure, restart all devices (not sure this is necessary, but just to be safe). Then follow the instructions listed here: Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch - Apple Support. I used the SideCar set up to verify the solution worked

andré123 Said:

"So I tried resetting with terminal using "sudo pkill bluetoothd" and could see that it reset both my mouse and keyboard however I'm still getting the same issue when trying to pair my iPhone."

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Provide your Feedback:

Do your Part: Inform Apple of your feedback. Apple wont get back to you directly, but the more feedback thy receive from its users, the more likely they will know what needs to be fixed.

1. Go Here: Feedback - macOS - Apple
2. Select: "Feature Request" for the "Feedback Type"
3. Select: "Application/Utilities" for the "Feedback Area"
4. Comment: that you want this to come back as an option. 
5. Proceed from there as necessary.

Nope. Same old same old.

I then went and installed iOS 15.2.1 (newest update), and still no joy.

What's odd is that we're talking about a small number of users - there would be thousands screaming about this, if it was a widespread, general problem with either OS. Figuring out what we all have in common is the real puzzle.

andré123 Said:

"Bluetooth pairing between iPhone and Mac Mini M1 'not supported': Hi. I'm unable to connect my iPhone (iOS 15.1) to my Mac Mini M1 (MacOS 12.0.1). The initial pairing seems to work as the code verification pops up on both the iPhone and the Mac, however it never actually connects and I get the following message: Connection Unsuccessful "Name of my device" is not supported. Forget Device (button) Has anyone run into same issue?"

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Reset the Bluetooth Module:

No. I am not getting this issue. So, try the following: Use "Reset the Bluetooth module" to Fix Constant Bluetooth Disconnections - User Tip

I found this to be helpful: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203302

My biggest issue was not being able to pair my iPhone mini with MacBook Air M1 / macOS Monterey using Bluetooth. I need to work in areas where sometimes it is needed but instead I reset my network, renamed my Phone and able to use personal hotspots with wi-fi vs Bluetooth. Hope this can be helpful for others? They still need to fix the bug as I get the same response. But this may alleviate some stress over this issue until it is fixed.

reynolkb Said:

"has anyone found a fix for this yet? for some reason the bluetooth connection really doesn't want to work. i have a 2019 macbook pro 16" and a regular iphone 13.[...]"

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No.

About Reseting the Bluetooth Module: Apple did away with it feature. So, recommend that they being this option back, as I mentioned here.

jpdemers wrote:

Apple tells us to pair them when using the iPhone as a wired hotspot (via USB). But they don't make it possible to do so. This is completely nuts!

No, they really don’t.

How to set up a Personal Hotspot on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

I have tried, without success, numerous ways to connect my MacBook Air to my iPhone 12 via Bluetooth. But I found this nice attempt at explanation of the reason for this pairing problem: Bluetooth: Why can't I pair my iPhone or … - Apple Community

EngineerDave wrote:

Here's a screenshot stating "...and has Bluetooth enabled."

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/a1f67c2a-1ced-4f83-9d4f-71fa5c05b339

"Enabled" does not mean "paired". It simply means "Turned on".