Cannot pair bluetooth - iPhone to Macbook Air

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

here is my recently paired devices, iPhone 12 was pairing to the MBPro M1 Max it still pairs to the iPhone 7, I can also pair iPhone 7 to 2012 MBPro, I cannot no longer pair iPhone 12 to either MBPro. Photos below will show MBPro M1 Max recently paired devices, old MacBook Pro, iPhone 7 and iPhone 12, photos will also show connected to iPhone 7, photos will also show iPhone 7 connected to 2012 MBPro Catalina. Just tried connecting all of them tonight.

Do you think we are lying to you, the MBPros do and or did connect to iPhones via blue tooth.

1) 2021 MBPro connected to iPhone 7 via blue tooth, also show recently paired devices.

iPhone 7 connected to 2012 MBPro

2012 MBPro connect to iPhone 7

iPhone 7 and 2012 MBPro connected via bluetooth

did not dream it up, just came here to find out why the iPhone 12 all of a sudden stopped connecting to both 2012 and 2021 MBPros.

No I was not suggesting that, it was just for anyone else (there have been others in this thread) that might have the same question.

My new iPhone 14 is not recognising MacBook & I have tried all the different ways suggested with no success

OK. I just fixed this same issue. On you MBP Go to FaceTime and be logged into the same iCloud act. as your phone is using. Also on your iPhone be sure to look at your settings menu >phone and be sure that under calls you have allowed wi-fi calling and calls ob other devices. Also, be sure that both devices are on the same network. Go to Siri on your MBP and tell her to call #. This worked for me.

Nothing is wrong. That has never been a feature of iOS.

You can't, and don't need to 'pair' them. What are you trying to accomplish?

So long as both devices are signed into the same Apple ID, you can use handoff and continuity. "Pairing" would serve no purpose.

I have since learned that KiltedTim is correct, you don't need to pair your MacBook and iPhone. However, there does seem to be a problem with the universal clipboard board between iPhone and Macbook since around mid-January. Since the Monetary release in January, it looks like the copy and past between the devices have stopped working. I've spent about 10 hours with Apple Support on this. They've taken logs and are working on the issue.

I have the same issue (no bluetooth hotspot). Iphone 13 pro with IOS 15.4.1. MacBook Air M1 with Monterey 12.13.1. But I have had this issue across multiple phones/macs and software versions now.

It used to work soo good and I used it a lot while working on the go. Now I cannot make it work!

Pairing *works* but the connection stays up less than a second, and no network of course.

When trying to connect (after pairing) from the MacBook the connection stays up half a second. No message!

When trying to connect from the phone I get the following message:

"Connection unsuccessful

"MacBook Air" is not supported."

Please Apple, give us hope.

Unhelpful. You do need to pair your Mac and iPhone if you want to use some apps that are available in Apple's own app store. Case in point, Typeeto and Type2Phone ~ these apps are designed to use the Mac keyboard to "type to" the iPhone. Why would Apple approve them to be in the app store if it wouldn't work, to deliberately upset their customers?

I've used those apps for years, but they stopped working when the Mac and iPhone can't pair with each other like they could previously.

There is nothing to "fix". It is working as designed. I'm sorry if you don't find that "helpful", but that won't alter reality in any way.

You can send feedback to Apple at https://apple.com/feedback

Continuing to beat this dead horse in the forums accomplishes nothing.

not sure why we are being told it is not necessary, when you try to do certain task the prompt from MBPro M1 Max say to make sure bluetooth is on, on both devices. How is "bluetooth being on" and "bluetooth connected" not 2 different things, they certainly are not the same??

I've been paired and connected on my iPhones 5, 5, 7 and 12 mini, to my mid 2012 MBPro core i7 2.6Ghz non retina, with no issues at all.

my 2012 MBPro and 2021 MBPro are paired and can connect.

all of a sudden I lost pairing between my iPhone 12 mini and my 2021 MBPro M1 Max which have been paired and could connect, it is strange because I was connected to bluetooth prior to today up until 20 minutes ago today, now I'm getting the same error as a person posted in this question: "could not connect" "non-supported device"

whether people here think it is necessary or not for bluetooth to connect, it seems like an extremely easy fix for Apple, to let all Apple Devices be connected via bluetoooth.

also mentioned by another user in this post that "uses bluetooth to make phone service hotspot connection via bluetooth"

I use Straight Talk phone service and have been for years, cheap extremely reliable service that I do not have any intention of changing. I am using a Verizon SIM card. Straight Talk does not support Wi-Fi calling as was suggested by someone else. Bluetooth Connectivity is very important when traveling overseas to the Philippines, WiFi, Hotspots and Phone Service is very slim/ lean & non existent over in a lot of areas over there and bluetooth is a necessity.

We loyal customers are why Apple exist & yes also because Apple is by far one of the Best Products, Tech Support and Service ever to exist, myself, for 13 years, Ive spent 1000's of $'s on apple products, iPhones ( 2 - 5's, a 7 and a 12 mini), MBPro's (1 in 2012 & 1 in 2022), Apple TV, countless cords and accessories and TimeCapsules 5th Gen (4 of bought in 2016 new) just retired 1 TC the (1st) after 8 years of backing up my MBPro 2012, just started using a new TC (2nd) for my MBPro 2012 and a new TC (3rd) for my MBPro 2021 with a new one still in the box, all myApple Products are bought NEW from the Apple Store.

( not even including the 2 MBPro's I got my sons for school & their 1st iPhone, who are still buying iPhones to this day and the 2 iPads I bought my mother.

Lets hope Apple has our backs and creates a simple fix for this. Some may claim there is no need for bluetooth pairing maybe so 85% of the time in the USA. However not so when you travel outside the USA.

bikeman5 wrote:

Lets hope Apple has our backs and creates a simple fix for this. Some may claim there is no need for bluetooth pairing maybe so 85% of the time in the USA. However not so when you travel outside the USA.

They are not going to "fix" it because it is NOT "broken".

I want to use my iPhone 12 as a personal hotspot to my Mac in order to use my phone's excess cellular data allowance. That is why I want to use Bluetooth and not WiFi - if I enable WiFi on the phone I will be using that network for downloads instead. With WiFi disabled, my Mac won't link - I had hoped to use Bluetooth for this.

I think I have managed this before but Bluetooth connection now drops out after a second or two.

Do I have to use a cable connection to download from my phone when its WiFi is disabled?

When you use your iPhone as a personal hotspot with WiFi enabled, and at least one device is connected to it via WiFi, the iPhone will only use cellular data for downloads. The WiFi is only used to share the cellular data connection.

Issue resolved - MacBook will today connect to iPhone as hot-spot and remain connected when I disable iPhone's WiFi (wasn't staying connected before though I am doing nothing different now). I can now do downloads using iPhone's excess cellular data allowance as well as when working away from any available WiFi network.