Can't Pair iPhone Xr with iMac

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Level 2

170 points

Can't Pair iPhone Xr with iMac

My iPhone Xr has become unpaired from my iMac (2020 model running Monterey, MacOS 12.1). My iPhone shows up in the Bluetooth Pref Panel. When I click on the connect button I get a pairing code which also shows up on my iPhone. I click on "Pair" on my iPhone but then both my iPhone and iMac say they are not connected. If I double-click on the iPhone icon in my Pref Panel I get a message that is connected but then changes back to not connected within a second.

Any help here will be much appreciated.

iMac 27″, macOS 12.1

Posted on Jan 18, 2022 4:03 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Chris_C1

Community Specialist

Jan 19, 2022 12:03 PM in response to Will Mardis

Hi Will Mardis,

Thank you for posting in Apple Support Communities. It sounds like you are attempting to connect your iPhone to your iMac.

Are you attempting to sync data to your iPhone? If so, you'll want to follow this guide: Sync your iPhone, iPad, or iPod using your computer

You may also be looking to use Continuity to connect your iMac and iPhone: Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch

Cheers!

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Answer 2

Will Mardis Author

Level 2

170 points

Jan 20, 2022 6:59 AM in response to Chris_C1

Thank you. OK. I'm now able to use my Apple Watch to sign in and authorize actions on my iMac. All I was missing was being on the same WiFi network.

And I'm able to use at least some Continuity features between my iPhone and iMac. I've not used those features before but they appear to be very useful, especially using the Continuity clipboard to transfer information between my iPhone and iMac, and using the iPhone camera to add pictures to a document.

I still, however, cannot pair my iPhone (or iPad mini) with my iMac. When I attempt, I get the pairing request dialogs on both my iMac and iPhone. Then, when I click OK on my iPhone, it appears that the iMac and iPhone connect—momentarily—then are "Not Connected," and my iPhone says that my iMac is not supported.

Does having my iPhone and iMac paired provide any benefit not provided by Continuity?

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Answer 3

KiltedTim

Level 10

203,476 points

Jan 20, 2022 7:06 AM in response to Will Mardis

Will Mardis wrote:

I still, however, cannot pair my iPhone (or iPad mini) with my iMac. When I attempt, I get the pairing request dialogs on both my iMac and iPhone. Then, when I click OK on my iPhone, it appears that the iMac and iPhone connect—momentarily—then are "Not Connected," and my iPhone says that my iMac is not supported.

That's correct. That has never been supported and serves no purpose.

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Can't Pair iPhone Xr with iMac

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