Iphone 13 bluetooth refuses to see and connect to MacBook Air

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Level 1

12 points

Iphone 13 bluetooth refuses to see and connect to MacBook Air

I have been having ever increasing issues with bluetooth connectivity between my Iphone 13 purchased recently this year 2023 and my MacBook Air 2017 model purchased in 2019. Iphone is updated to iOS 17.1.1 and Macbook Air is running on macOS Monterey Version 12.7.1 When I initially bought and tried connecting with my MacBook via Air Drop or Bluetooth both items saw each other and immediately connected but gradually over the following weeks I began to get ever increasing issues with trying to connect via bluetooth with today my MacBook being able to see my Iphone but my Iphone not being able to see my MacBook at all. The irony of this all with me as an ex Android user migrating fully to Iphone is that my Iphone and MacBook sees and can connect issue free with every other non apple device ranging from my old android phone, my Amazfit Smart Watch, JBL headphones, Onkyo Amplifier etc etc. I have tried the 'switch the bluetooth on and off' suggestion and restarting devices but personally speaking I feel this is totally unacceptable for top notch apple devices merely connecting with each other. If there was something wrong with the bluetooth hardware or software in the device then it should not be able to see and connect with other devices especially non apple devices!!

Any suggesting that does not involve continually having to switch blue tooth on and off and restarting MacBooks .... been there done that!!

Posted on Nov 25, 2023 1:26 PM

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Answer 1

ZwartVonk1 Author

Level 1

12 points

Nov 26, 2023 5:17 AM in response to razmee209

razmee209 thank you for your rapid response.

I must admit that when I added the word 'bluetooth' to this question in the back of my mind I was wondering that maybe 'AirDrop' is not bluetooth based but actually wifi and mobile data based and you have now confirmed that for me. Thank you.

However even when this is the case I am still having the same connection issues because wifi settings were switched on and connected to the same network on both devices. I also know this is what iCloud is for but I do not see why I always have to send every file or image I have created into cyberspace first when the two devices are sitting right next to each other in front of me. (Yes I also could use the physical cable connection method but even that seems to be having its own visibility and transfer issues as well)

I just decided to experiment while writing this response by switching all internet connection wifi and mobile data off and it's true, something that I am pretty sure we were able to do years ago even on my old ipod touch.... transfer stuff exclusively via Bluetooth connection is no longer possible.

However I can send bluetooth files to and from android phones and I can send stuff from android phone to my MacBook but not the other way around with the standard iOS apps I have at present installed on my MacBook. I do find it kind of ironic that an android can do something that an iPhone cant via bluetooth though. If Apple does not want their devices to connect and transfer files in this way it seems strange that they do allow android devices to do this completely issue free without any extra work arounds. Probably that won't work anymore by the next software update.

It almost seems that our last remaining drops of local privacy are being taken away with us being forced to store, transfer and share everything we make and create via their servers first. I personally don’t call this progress. :(

But I guess this is just another additional price or sacrifice we have to pay if we want to go and stay mobile Apple :/

Please feel free to further enlighten me if I have missed something else here or maybe seeing this all wrong. :D

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Answer 2

razmee209

Level 10

200,212 points

Nov 25, 2023 5:16 PM in response to ZwartVonk1

ZwartVonk1 wrote:

I have been having ever increasing issues with bluetooth connectivity between my Iphone 13 purchased recently this year 2023 and my MacBook Air 2017 model purchased in 2019. Iphone is updated to iOS 17.1.1 and Macbook Air is running on macOS Monterey Version 12.7.1 When I initially bought and tried connecting with my MacBook via Air Drop or Bluetooth both items saw each other and immediately connected but gradually over the following weeks I began to get ever increasing issues with trying to connect via bluetooth with today my MacBook being able to see my Iphone but my Iphone not being able to see my MacBook at all. The irony of this all with me as an ex Android user migrating fully to Iphone is that my Iphone and MacBook sees and can connect issue free with every other non apple device ranging from my old android phone, my Amazfit Smart Watch, JBL headphones, Onkyo Amplifier etc etc. I have tried the 'switch the bluetooth on and off' suggestion and restarting devices but personally speaking I feel this is totally unacceptable for top notch apple devices merely connecting with each other. If there was something wrong with the bluetooth hardware or software in the device then it should not be able to see and connect with other devices especially non apple devices!!

Any suggesting that does not involve continually having to switch blue tooth on and off and restarting MacBooks .... been there done that!!

You can not connect two Apple devices together via bluetooth it isn't support, you can only do so for tethering. There is nothing wrong with your Apple devices.

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Iphone 13 bluetooth refuses to see and connect to MacBook Air

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