Mac (MacBook Air M3 2024) does not recognise iPhone or iPad in Bluetooth anymore

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Level 1

4 points

Mac (MacBook Air M3 2024) does not recognise iPhone or iPad in Bluetooth anymore

My MacBook Air M3 2024 macOS Sequoia 15.2 no longer recognises my iPhone (11 Pro iOS 18.2.1) or my IPad Pro iPadOS 17.7.3 and also not my wife's iPad and iPhone. My iPhone recognizes my Mac - when trying to pair the feedback comes: "Stefan's MacBook Air is not supported". I tried the hand-off before - which was by the way all the time on. It does not work. I also tried to connect via cable - did also not have the effect that iPad or iPhone are recognised despite the fact that in WLan all 4 devices are visible. I would be grateful for any advice.

MacBook Air 15″, macOS 15.2

Posted on Jan 23, 2025 7:47 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

D.I. Johnson

Level 8

36,711 points

Jan 23, 2025 8:03 AM in response to Achterzwerg

iPhone/iPad do not "pair" with the Mac in the sense that one would pair a headphones or speaker.

Yes, the iPhone will see the Mac in Bluetooth settings, but still does not pair. Pairing is not a thing between Apple devices in that way, aside from Beats headphones and AirPods.

There are some features of Apple's OS and iOS that do require devices to have Bluetooth enabled on both and/or both devices to be connected to the same wi-fi network.

You can use wi-fi or USB cable to sync your iPhone/iPad to your Mac, but not Bluetooth.

Sync your iPhone, iPad, or iPod using your computer - Apple Support

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Answer 2

KiltedTim

Level 10

230,140 points

Jan 23, 2025 7:58 AM in response to Achterzwerg

Pairing an ipad or iphone with a Mac or any other computer using Bluetooth has never been supported. Handoff, continuity, etc. do not require pairing. They only require that the devices be signed into the same Apple account and are in proximity to each other.

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Answer 3

Achterzwerg Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 25, 2025 8:21 AM in response to KiltedTim

Thank you both! My core problem is that the Mac is not connecting to any of the 4 i-devices for hotspot connections, despite the hotspot functionality being on for all 4 devices. This means I can send and receive e-mail when travelling and not having access to any WLan. I thought the bluetooth connection would be a prerequisite. Any hint please?

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Mac (MacBook Air M3 2024) does not recognise iPhone or iPad in Bluetooth anymore

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