Can't pair iPhone via Bluetooth

I am also trying to connect to the net with my Macbook Air via bluetooth tethering to my iphone 4.

I have the same problem ("Device not Supported", but the solution for me was to ignore the error message from the iphone, which only happens when I tried to connect to the Macbook from the iphone.

After the pairing (which the Macbook says is succesful), enable personal hotspot and switch on bluetooth, switch off wifi in the iphone, go into network preferences in the macbook, select the bluetooth PAN, and click the "connect" button. Works for me.

Another probably unrelated problem is that personal hotspot regularly freezes my iphone (not the macbook) if I tether from my Macbook with wireless or the USB. Regular and repeatable. Bluetooth seems fine though. Crazy since my Windows PCs never had that problem and tethered reliably. Only the Macbook Air causes problems! And when the phone freezes like this the only way out is to press the home and off buttons together for a minute or so to reboot the phone. Weird that no-one else reports this problem: must be hardware issue with my phone?

Scott's solution works great for me. Thanks a lot!

Macbook Air 11" (Mid 2011) and iPhone 3GS.

I had the same issue with Bluetooth (IPhone 4s) and my Macbook Air 13. I figured the bluetooth would just work but got the same message that the device was incompatible and would always prompt me to "forget" the device. As i had previous Bluetooth pairing and network configuations with my old blackberry, I deleted them but without luck.

I then realized that the bluetooth pairing will only work if the Personal Hotspot is turned on. Once turned on, i was able to connect to the Iphone from my Mac Network settings, voila! Works like a charm now.

Markspark, thank you, your solution worked very well for me, it is just like you said: ignore!!!!!!!!!

Markspark, thank you, your solution ALSO worked very well for me, it is just like you said: ignore!!!!!!!!!

I can't pair my iPhone 4 with my MacBook Pro after trying every possible solution....I was able to pair my boyfriend's android to my MacBook instantly and sent files with no issue.....Apple you need to tighten up with the things you limit iPhone users from doing!! :(

I tried everything in the book to pair my iphone and macbook pro. My MBP was discovering the device, no problem - then sending the passcode. The problem I was having was after accepting the passcode, there would be a delay and then finally a message saying something to the effect of "Pairing Unsuccessful. Make sure your device is on and in range"

Turns out I never realized you need to click "continue" on the MBP after the passcode has been exchanged. Hope that helps someone else 😝

In order to pair the Mac Book Pro with your iphone, you MUST enable tethering via your cell phone carrier, e.g. A.T.&T. for and additional charge (for me, it's $50 per month). So much for that idea!!

Where do you find those files?

Hey Scott, where do you find those files?

Try using a Google search under ATT tethering.

Hi Guys

I have an iphone 4s which has the same pairing probllem with my Mac air. It shows on the phone that its conncted but i cannnot tether. No errors at all coming up. Before i had the iphone 4 which was pairing perfectly withthe same Mac air i have. i guess its an iphone 4s problem.

all my devices are up to date.

Need help

Thanks

Nader

Hello, I`m typing from Brazil and I`d like to share my experience about this issue.

First - I think there is no problem with the devices!

Second - The problem, I guess, is in the way we were trying to conect the iPhones to MBsA.

I wasn`t getting a connection between my 3GS and my MBA and the same was going on when I tried with my wife`s and brother`s 4S.

I was at first turnig on Persoanl Hotspot in iPhone then bluetooth in MBA. The devices were paired and then I tried to connect the iPhones to the network and I always got a message when I did that from iPhone saying that the device is not supported or nothing happened when I tried the connection from the MBA. So I changed the way things were being done!

I erased all paring process made before in both devices and did this way:

1 - Turned off Personal Hotspot.

2 - Turned on Bluetooth in iPhone to make it discoverable.

3 - Turned on Bluetooth in MBA.

4 - Paired iPhone and MBA.

5 - Turned on Personal Hotspot.

6 - Clicked on Bluetooth icon in MBA, selected my iPhone and then "Connect to network".

7 - Voilà! The connection was successfuly established!

I did the same thing in the others iPhones and connection in both were successfully established!

Hope I could help all of you!

Ps.: Sorry for any grammar error I could have done.

Thanks dude! Worked like a charm!

I used to be able to tether my iPhone 3G with my MacBook Pro (circa 2008) via bluetooth but when I ungraded to iPhone 4G I started getting an error message "MacBook not supported" on my iPhone. I was still able to tether by plugging the iPhone in with a USB cable. I took my hardware to the genius bar and they determined that the bluetooth version on my laptop is version one which is not supported by version three on my iPhone. They are incompatable and simply will not work. They did offer me a great solution, though, and that is to just set up my iPhone as a personal hotspot using wifi. I was under the impression that the "wifi" in the iPhone settings was the wifi network in my house. This is not the case, if you set up a personal hotspot using wifi, your iPhone becomes the "modem". I am now able to connect my laptop (via the cellular network on my cell phone) to the net when I'm out and about and do not have access to a wifi hotspot etc.