How do I delete a previously paired Bluetooth device from the listing in the menu?

DWElwell,

I'm with you.

I cannot delete a bluetooth device (one which I no longer have) from my Bluetooth list, and see the exact same behavior as you describe: When I click the "X", it instead tries to connect (which obviously it can't). I have tried to delete the Bluetooth pref file (com.apple.bluetooth.plist) from my home folder library, but it does not exist there. I did, however, find (and attempt to delete) the file com.apple.Bluetooth.DF3B7E4D-(and a whole bunch more letters).plist in the ByHost folder in Preferences, but no amount of deleting, restarting, whatever will prevent that same instance of the same prefs file reappearing upon restart, somehow still retaining the same exact list of Bluetooth devices that I was facing before - despite Bluetooth being shut off, pref files trashed, and machine restarted.

So something is clearly wrong here, for me and for others*

* Something that, like nearly all issues asked hear, requires insight far beyond the Grandma-with-a-new-iMac-what's-this-Bluetooth-thing level support document that was proffered above. (Nothing wrong with starting from the beginning when looking to solve a problem, but nobody should anticipate that he's actually going to solve too many problems just pasting in links from the knowledge base and documentation. These boards are hilariously cluttered with countless instances of frequent posters wading into discussions and thinking they're helping by just pasting in known information, when the likelihood that someone who creates an account on this site to ask a question, who knows how to search, and who knows how to read hasn't already found or know that information is rather small. It's like you get points or something. Anyways... and this is buried in a topic that no one will read but I'm just addressing this instance, a) original posters, save everyone some time and state either "I have no idea what I'm doing with this product", or "I fully know what I'm doing, I understand how to fix problems, and I'm still having a problem, and b) Level Collectors, if you, yourself, are not seeing this issue, don't make make your first assumption that someone posting about a problem just needs help searching the Apple support site. They're almost certainly posting here because they're seeing their machine behave in ways decidedly different than what is expected.

Hi there jimchik2,

You may find the information in the article below helpful.

iOS: Troubleshooting Bluetooth connections

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4562

Tap Settings > Bluetooth and locate the Bluetooth accessory you are currently connected to or attempting to connect to. Then tap and Forget this Device.

Use the steps above to forget the device you want to remove.

-Griff W.

So I have the same question. So when I open bluetooth preferences, I see a list of devices. If I highlight one and click the "x" to delete it, it just tries to connect. How you you remove it from the list without having to have it connected first?

(I'm on El Capitan)

Thanks, EastDog!!!

This worked!! Quick version:

1) Turned off Bluetooth in settings
2) Trash the com.apple.bluetooth file in the main Library/Preferences folder
3) Empty the trash
4) Then re-opened Bluetooth preferences.

Hi there jimchik2,

I may have misunderstood your post. If you are trying to remove a Bluetooth device in OS X, then try these steps:

To remove a device, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Bluetooth. Select the device you want to delete in the list, then click Remove. The next time you want to use the device, you may have to connect with it.

via: OS X Mavericks: Set up a Bluetooth device

To clarify that a little bit, when you highlight the device you want to delete, there is an X to the right of the name, this is the Remove button.

Hope that helps,

-Griff W.

I have a similar issue, but when I go to my bluetooth preferences it doesn't have my bluetooth listed there, but it is listed when I click on the bluetooth icon on my task bar. It won't connect and I can't unpair it. My Macbook Pro was paired to it at one time, but now won't do anything with it. Any help?

In order to DELETE you must first pair and connect the device.

Once paired and connected you can THEN select the "X" and you will receive the message to remove.

The device will disappear from the list AFTER you close BlueTooth Preferences and relaunch.

AJ

Well I tried one more time, doing what I thought were essentially frustrated variations of the same thing (deleting bluetooth prefs, turning bluetooth off and on, restarting, eye rolling) and I somehow was able to get wiped Bluetooth prefs and a clean Bluetooth slate. After doing a restart, I opened up the Bluetooth preference pane in System Settings and ugh, that un-editable list was still there, and the two Bluetooth pref files were still there. Then I turned off Bluetooth in settings, trashed com.apple.bluetooth in the main Library/Preferences folder*, emptied the dang trash, and then re-opened Bluetooth prefs. And saw nothing but fresh cleanness. And I was able to easily pair a set of headphones, so it looks like we're apparently good to go. Yay. Sigh.

*now, on further investigation, it appears that the file structure I was seeing in my user folder at ~/Library/Preferences was perhaps correct, in that there shouldn't be a com.apple.bluetooth pref file in the top level of that folder, but there should be a version (with all the appended alphanumeric screwyness) in the nested By Host folder. So that may have been a red herring.

Deleting the com.apple.bluetooth pref file in the top level directory worked but there was a glitch. I have a 2015 iMac and the keyboard and trackpad are both wireless bluetooth devices. Turning off bluetooth and restarting looked like it could be a problem. I plugged both the keyboard and trackpad into their charging cables before restarting. The system came up and I had the keyboard and trackpad which it quickly logged into bluetooth.