Q: my iPhone 5 doesnt see my MacBook Pro via Bluetooth

Hi!!  Well, it does work.  The MacBook Pro and iPhone 5 are connected.  So, thanks very much.

However...

I am unable to connect to the internet.  I was hoping to use the phone as a wireless hotspot, thereby sharing the phone's internet connection via its cellular data gateway.  This works via wifi and USB.

Is there something I need to do in addition?

Your instructions were easy to follow, including all windows/objects that came up, and are a HUGE step forward, so thank you so much for taking the time to share these.

Hi RD!!  Indeed, that is the case.  A bit more detail...

1. I can connect to the internet while tethered via wifi.
2. I can connect to the internet while tethered via USB cable.
3. I CANNOT connect to the internet while tethered via USB per the pairing I achieved thanks to your excellent instructions.

I realize this might beg the question - why bluetooth of the other options work?  There are times at work, as part of IS testing of systems that I need to connect with our network outside of our firewall.  When inside, I am connected to our wifi at work, and that prohibits connecting to wireless hotspot unless i tell the macbook to forget the work wifi connection.  We are MAC-based in wifi connectivity, so forgetting the network means that I would have to have the laptop readministered to the wifi network - possibly?  Yes.  Inconvenience to our main IS gurus?  Definitely.

USB cable is always a possibility unless I forget the USB cable.  And at my age that becomes more and more of a possibility.    Essentially, I like contingencies, and if the darned iPhone says it's tetherable via bluetooth to achieve a wireless hotspot connection, and thus have internet connectivity that it can share with the macbook, then I'd like that to work.

I hope that provides some helpful info.  Thanks!!

OZones

May I say an enormous thank you - this worked for me exactly as you said, after days of frustration.

It was really great that you told us how to do it step by step, and you said EXACTLY what would be on the screen each time. (Usually I get to step number million and there is something on the screen that is not mentioned, and the whole thing falls to bits.)

Phew, now I can get on with the next problem...

Big smiley face from Somerset, UK.

rdalueg wrote:

 

Alright - Sorry I havent posted a reply online - But YES you can tether your iPhone 5 via bluetooth with your MacBook Pro Retina (im using it right now). Not sure why this can only work one way but YOU CAN NOT CONNET YOUR PHONE AND MACBOOK PRO RETINA FROM THE PHONE. YOU HAVE TO CLICK CONNECT TO NETWORK FROM YOUR MACBOOK NOT THE PHONE. CONNECTING FROM THE PHONE WILL AWAYS SAY IT CANT CONNECT. Please read the below to get your setup working.

 

Print or write this down as your trying this out so that your not stuck without a connection while your going through the setup.

 

You might not have to disable all of them, but just to humor me and for the sake of doing it like this cause thats how i did it to get it to work, On your iPhone 5 - go into the bluetooth settings - Turn it to off,  Wifi settings - Turn it to off, and finally Personal Hotspot - Turn it off.  ......  Go back to the bluetooth settings and switch it back on (dont pair with anything yet) - Go back to Personal Hotspot and turn it back on. You'll get a box come up " Wi-Fi is Off " Personal Hotspot will only be available.........  tap on Bluetooth and USB only. Now go back into the bluetooth section (dont doi anything more on your phone once your in the bluetooth settings)

 

Go to you MacBook - go to your bluetooth settings and setup a new device. When your device comes up select it/double click it to pair them. The code will come up on the macbook and then a pop up on the phone with a message and that same code - be sure theyre the same code, if they are, tap PAIR. When the message on the Macbook Pro  (not your iphone) Congratz,  Your mobile phone is now setup to use with your computer click quit. On your phone it will appear in the deivces list but says not connected.. This is fine.. leave it. Exit out of the bluetooth settings and go to your home screen.   On your Macbook / Macbook Pro w/Retina - open your bluetooth settings in the System Prefs, you'll see your phone listed. Select it and then click the gear looking icon next to the + -  (plus and minus ) icons or at the top on the task bar next to the wifi symbol and a menu will come down, select Connect to Network. It will change on the macbook to "Connected" and now you should see the blue banar Personal Hotspot on your phone.  You can also click the bluetooth icon at the top of your screen and go down to your phone under devices, and click on Connect to network.  You cannot connect to your phone from the phone.. You can only connect to your phone over bluetooth from your MacBook Pro. While its connected you can check the bluetooth settings on your phone to see if its connected. It should work fine.  Oh, and you can turn the Wi-Fi back on in the WiFi settings on your phone.

I spoke too soon...

After about five minutes, the bluetooth connection dropped out.

I did the procedure from scratch, paired again, the whole thing, and all was well. After about five minutes, the bluetooth connection dropped out.

I don't really understand the Personal Hotspot thing - that isn't interfering in some way with the Bluetooth?

could you please help me becuse i want to use my iphone as a pointer for my doctoral presentation, after see that im scared that my conection will be droped during presentation, what should i do to be connecting for 1 hour via blutooth and macbook?

You will need an app on the phone for this purpose. If you have the app and it has an option to not turn off the phone you should be OK. But practice with it first.

I'm trying to pair my iphone 5 to an imac.  So, when I get to this step: "Go to you MacBook - go to your bluetooth settings and setup a new device. When your device comes up select it/double click it to pair them." there is nothing on the screen that says, "setup a new device."

Am I doing something wrong or does this option not exist on imacs?

As already said several times in this thread and thousands of times in other threads, the iPhone does not support BlueTooth profiles for connection to a computer except for tethering.

rdalueg wrote:

 

Actually it does, I've resolved this issue as noted above and I'm tethering my mac to my phone via bluetooth.

Did you note where I said EXCEPT FOR TETHERING?

Fifty "me too" posts don't add to the conversation in any constructive way.

Please only reply if you have a working solution to the problem.