Cannot pair bluetooth - iPhone to Macbook Air

Since updating to the latest IOS and Mac OS, I can't pair my iPhone or my iPad with me 2015 Mac Book Pro. I get the numerical code on both devices and click "Pair" but it immediately disconnects after connecting for a few seconds. Also, some Bluetooth headphones that previously connected don't show in the Bluetooth device menu.

Cannot pair iPhone 12mini w/ MacBook Air. Get message "Pairing Unsuccessful, MacBook Air is not supported". All software is up to date. Used to work, just noticed after update to Monterey 12.0.1. Don't understand , Anybody no why ?

I installed the new IOS and now my Apple iPhone 13 pro max and my Apple Mac Pro won't pair - never had issues before - I have tried what everyone else is saying - it is also driving me bonkers - APPLE what is wrong!

Sorry to disagree. I had read most posts here. Please read again yourself the Apple support document you link:

Personal Hotspot with Bluetooth:

Pair your devices

1. On the device that provides Personal Hotspot, go to Settings > Personal Hotspot and make sure Allow Others to Join is on.
2. Go to Settings > Bluetooth and make sure that Bluetooth is on.
3. Keep this screen open, then follow the steps for the device that needs to connect:

• ...
• On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Bluetooth and make sure Bluetooth is on. Select the device providing Personal Hotspot, click Connect, then follow the onscreen instructions.

So there is clearly written that for using an iPhone as a personal hotspot over Bluetooth it has to be paired first.

And not being able to do so is my problem. May be I misunderstood something, if so please explain. If I am not wrong, is there a solution?

I have the same software configuration but little bit different hardware ( MacBook 15 intel and iPhone XS), however I obtain the same results when I try to pair the device via bluetooth: Pairing unsuccessful - MacBook not supported.

Its seems a software failure, but where: IOS 15.1 or macOS 12.0.1? I hope apple was aware of this.

I don't understand: How is Bluetooth "utilised between devices" without pairing?

I want to use my iPhone as a personal hotspot via bluetooth as wifi isn't working and my router connection is (physically) broken...

TheHadouJHyrule wrote:

OK, something is wrong with the programming of the reply sorting of threads because I just posted the same thing three times in a row thinking they all disappeared.

That's a known issue. Right now, after you reply, refresh the page. It should be sorted properly. Also, make sure that you have things sorted the way you want. At the top of the page, just under the original post on the right, is the sorting drop down.

Pairing is necessary to use Personal Hotspot via Bluetooth.

If Personal Hotspot is not working on your iPhone or iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular) – Apple Support (AU)

This is the method I used to use *all the time*. Now my iPhone won't pair, so I can't use BT to access my Personal Hotspot from my Mac. I can access it via Wifi, but (and this is the really weird thing) ONLY if I have bluetooth turned off (this is only since upgrading to an M1Macbook Pro, which meant using Monterey - not sure if that means the problem is with the new hardware or the new software or both). And having BT off means there's a whole bunch of other stuff I can't use on my Mac while I need the hotspot connection.

But, that's a separate issue. The point is, pairing is still something that is needed for at least that important thing.

KiltedTim - seriously? Okay, perhaps you'd like to explain how this Apple Support document giving instructions on how to Pair your IOS device to your Mac isn't actually a feature IOS has ever had.

If Personal Hotspot is not working on your iPhone or iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular) – Apple Support (AU)

So, see this thread, which I started a few hours ago. It appears this is a 'known issue' - nothing to do until it's fixed in a software update.

Personal Hotspot - can't connect with blu… - Apple Community

On the plus side, try the workaround of turning bluetooth off (on the computer) and connecting to the Personal Hotspot with wifi - works for me. Not ideal, but at least I have one functional way to tether.

KiltedTim, that's not a helpful response at all. Apple might not have changed the way it's *supposed* to work, but the fact remains that the pairing isn't working the way it used to, and it's a known issue that still hasn't been fixed.

Personal Hotspot - can't connect with blu… - Apple Community

Until it's fixed, we have to find workarounds if we can, but in some cases it's rendered apps inoperable, such as kpbarbee cites. It's not cool to put it back on the app developers to fix it - this is an Apple issue.

You can use a Personal Hotspot with Bluetooth. The (rather complicated) instructions are here→How to set up a Personal Hotspot on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support, with a link to If Personal Hotspot is not working on your iPhone or iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular) - Apple Support (yes, it’s buried in there).

However, this is not a good approach because Bluetooth is SLOW. Under 1 mbps. Using Wi-Fi is only limited by the speed of your Internet connection from your phone. On my iPhone 14 I get speeds of 250 mbps over a 5G network with Personal Hotspot.

KQMCI43 wrote:

I had been able to receive a facetime call on my phone and it would pop up on the mac book air so I could use either. Now, I can't pair them together so this isn't possible anymore.

What you’re talking about is Continuity and Handoff. It does NOT require pairing the two devices. It does require that both devices have BlueTooth and WiFi turned on.

Review this article for more information:

Use Handoff to continue tasks on your other devices - Apple Support

BeTurnip wrote:

This time I'm just trying to do the simplest thing of transfering a file from iphone to macbook and now here I am.

It is a very simple thing to do and doesn't require Bluetooth pairing (though it does require that BT be turned on on both devices):

How to use AirDrop on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support