Can't connect iPhone to MacBook Pro via Bluetooth

Question

Can't connect iPhone to MacBook Pro via Bluetooth

I'm trying to connect my iPhone 3G to my MacBook Pro via Bluetooth. I can pair them using Bluetooth Setup, which then reports that they are successfully paired. However, on the iPhone, the cog spins endlessly next to "Devices" and next to MacBook Pro in the device list it is says 'Not Connected'.

The iPhone appears in the computer's Bluetooth menu and selecting it brings up the option to "Connect to Network". (I don't understand why it says this rather than just "Connect" like my other Bluetooth devices.) I selected "Connect to Network" and got an error message that the Bluetooth network (what's this?) was unavailable and the phone remained disconnected. It did, however, break my wi-fi network to the extent that I had to restart my router (Time Capsule).

Anybody know what I'm doing wrong here?

Thanks in advance,
Steve = : ^ )

17" MacBook Pro; Mac Pro 2 x Quad 3.2, iPhone 3G, Mac OS X (10.6.5), Parallels 5 and Windows XP SP2 on the MPB

Posted on Mar 23, 2011 4:42 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 23, 2011 5:06 AM in response to Community User

You can only pair those devices if you are using your iPhone as a personal hotspot (i.e. tethering = sharing your iPhone's 3G cellular data connection with other devices via bluetooth or wifi). Otherwise, there are no bluetooth protocols on the iPhone that support connecting to a laptop.

The iPhone bluetooth protocols supported are tethering, Hands Free and Speaker Phone, and stereo headsets - that's it (no FTP or other file transfer protocols and such).

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Answer 2

merlinca

Level 1

5 points

Mar 23, 2011 1:19 PM in response to Michael Black

Before updating my iPhone 3GS to V 4.3 I could tether using Bluetooth or USB. Now only the USB option works.

I had a very long telephone session with an Apple Expert yesterday and it seems that the V 4.3 update leaves the 3GS with less capability than it had before, in that the Personal Hotspot does not work and the Bluetooth Tethering option is no longer accessible. Seems Apple may have made a major blunder in rolling out 4.3 before fully checking that it wouldn't adversely affect 3GS capability.

Does anyone know if/how I could roll-back to the previous version to regain Bluetooth tethering capability?

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Answer 3

Mar 23, 2011 10:41 PM in response to Community User

Seems connecting my iPhone and a computer is broken and, even if they did connect, I couldn't get audio from it into the computer, which is what I want to do.

Thanks for the help,
Steve = : ^ )

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Answer 4

Mar 24, 2011 5:34 AM in response to Community User

Well, it is not broken per se, it's just that the bluetooth protocols to allow that kind of operation have not been implmented on the iPhone.

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Answer 5

Mar 24, 2011 5:14 PM in response to Michael Black

Well, both the iPhone and the Mac behave as if you could make a Bluetooth network. Bluetooth setup happily pairs them - rather than saying they can't be connected - but attempting to connect them gets an error message. Looks like something's broken to me.

Steve = : ^ )

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Answer 6

roaminggnome

Level 10

106,407 points

Mar 24, 2011 6:29 PM in response to Community User

It is not broken, it simply has never been a feature of the iphone.

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Answer 7

merlinca

Level 1

5 points

Mar 24, 2011 8:15 PM in response to roaminggnome

I think their is a disconnect in understanding here.

The Macbook (or iMac) used to be able to tether with the IPhone 3GS by Bluetooth or USB until the latest V4.3 software update arrived. i know that for a fact because I used both features many, many times.

Now it will not tether via Bluetooth, although it displays all the messages during the paring process that leads the user to believe it will pair.

Also, the WiFi Personal Hotspot feature that "appears" to be available with V 4.3 will not actually work on the 3GS - you have to have the iPhone 4 or later for that feature to work.

So, basically, the V 4.3 upgrade has removed a useful feature from the iPhone 3GS (Bluetooth tethering) and has replaced it with something that does not work (Personal Hotspot). That's the sort of incomplete update that I would more usually associate with MS, not Apple - very disappointing!

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Answer 8

roaminggnome

Level 10

106,407 points

Mar 24, 2011 9:43 PM in response to merlinca

The poster to whom I was responding was trying to share audio via bluetooth with his computer, which has never been a feature of the iphone.

" I couldn't get audio from it into the computer, which is what I want to do."

In this regard, it is not broken, it has never done this. It is not a feature.

This thread is not about tethering. The OP want to get audio from iphone to computer via bluetooth.

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Answer 9

Mar 24, 2011 10:04 PM in response to roaminggnome

You snipped my text to make it seem that I said something I didn't.

What I said is "Seems connecting my iPhone and a computer is broken and, even if they did connect, I couldn't get audio from it into the computer, which is what I want to do."

So first, as the previous responder pointed out, the pairing of iPhone and computer, which is apparently supported by both the iPhone and Bluetooth setup on the Mac (which even reports that the iPhone and computer are successfully paired) and which used to work is now broken.

You responded to this and said is wasn't broken, but never supported. That's wrong. It used to work and is now broken.

Secondly, transferring audio from iPhone to computer was never supported so it doesn't really matter to me anyway.

Steve = : ^ )

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Answer 10

Jun 30, 2011 5:48 AM in response to Michael Black

Thanks for the above discussion, same problems goes to me as what Mr. Steve Ball encountered regarding the connection between Macbook Pro & iPhone 4. Just wondering Steve if you're avail to connect to another phones via bluetooth (my iPhone cannot detect any bluetooth although other bluetooth devices can easily detects mine).

Hope for your feedback.

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Answer 11

Jul 7, 2011 8:13 PM in response to Community User

I have had exactly the same frustrating experience trying to connect my iphone GS to my macbook pro. It was exactly as Steve described it in his original post. I want to connect computer and iphone so I can use the iphone's microphone for Dragon Dictate.

Dragon Dictate has been another frustrating experience and as yet I have not progressed with a solution. I bought Dragon Dictate and installed it on my computer. I also downloaded the free app "Dragon Microphone" thinking I could use the iphone microphone. I was trying to avoid buying a headset and the computer's microphone was not giving me wonderful results, even after considerable voice training on Dragon Dictate.

The free Dragon Dictation app for iphone works excellently. But it is a pain then getting my script back on to my computer (cutting, pasting, emailing, transferring to Word). If I could use the iphone microphone directly with my computer then I would be happy. But at the moment, I am not happy with these aspects of my computer/phone. Otherwise, I love my macbook pro and my iphone.

Can anyone hepl?

Nola 😉

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Answer 12

Big_Ben

Level 1

0 points

Jul 24, 2011 1:03 PM in response to nfromglen iris

If you plug in the headset that came with your iphone it will work as your microphone.

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Answer 13

Jul 24, 2011 5:49 PM in response to Big_Ben

I agree with you i have a macbook and before have used several phones including the iphone through bluetooth to use the macbook as speakers. i even connected it to a car once. so if nothing works something is definitely with either your phone or your mackbook. sorry i couldn't answer your question but i just wanted to let you know that it is possible.

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