Bluetooth symbol is not visible in the status bar after updating to iOS 12

Why? Now we can’t tell whether our headphone device synced with our phones. Am I missing something?

Apparently you are. There is an icon at the top of the screen (at least up through the iPhone 8) that shows when headphones or speakers are connected.

Could you elaborate on your answer, does it mean it no longer displays on the screen when its activated.

If yes, why has the symbol been removed?

Thank you. Lindsay Young

Hi I’ve also updated to ios12 and lost the BT symbol, which is emrather annoying

By giving me my choice over my phones functions, I retain ownership. Yes it may use more power, however little but as I use multiple vehicles, not all of them mine, I dont want it pairing with everything I use. It was so simple to check the home screen but now involves a convoluted process. I thought it was a smart phone, now it apppears to be getting it harder to use. I think that your premises are less than reliable. In the end, its my phone and not Apples and I will use it the way I want.

Why should I be forced to go that way. It should be my choice asto which features I chose to enable. After all, who uses any device that has all features enabled. Just with a quick look, I know my phones stutus. With bluetooth everywhere, do you wish to connect with your friends or strangers phones or equipped as you wander around which then posses a security issue. I like my privacy. to Apple, please bring it back.

1. You aren't forced. Other companies sell smartphones.

2. There is no security risk walking around with Bluetooth activated. Your privacy hasn't been invaded and you do have the option of turning it completely off in settings.

3. Apple isn't here: Feedback - iPhone - Apple

Bigbird52 wrote:

Why should I be forced to go that way. It should be my choice asto which features I chose to enable. After all, who uses any device that has all features enabled. Just with a quick look, I know my phones stutus. With bluetooth everywhere, do you wish to connect with your friends or strangers phones or equipped as you wander around which then posses a security issue. I like my privacy. to Apple, please bring it back.

Pretty clear from your post that you truly don't have any understanding of how Bluetooth works. First, you have the very same control you've had. No control was taken from you. Go to Control Center or Settings and turn on or off Bluetooth to your hearts content. As to your phone just all of the sudden connecting to other phones or devices, that's simply not how Bluetooth works. A phone can't just connect via Bluetooth without you accepting the connection. So your assertion is completely wrong. Like 1,000% wrong.

Thanks for the support. Yes, it is wonderful to waste time with acceptance/denial notification Etc. My time is precious without being harrased by know it alls. Perhaps, and I dare anyone to admit that they read and agree in full to all the terms and conditions before an update. Perhaps if Apple have nothing to hide, they publish a full and entire list of changes prior to releasing any update. (Cant see that happening ) I am with you, enough complaints and maybe thay will reintroduce the icon. Lets face it, a happy customer is the best advertising feature a retailer can have. Really, Apple must CARE, Customers Are Really Everything. It may not annoy some people but what I can understand that there are many that it has.

Anything's possible. I'd hazard a guess there are millions upon millions of users who haven't even noticed the useless, did nothing Bluetooth symbol is gone from their home screen. Of if they have noticed, it wasn't important to them in the first place. The few here grumbling about this are statistically insignificant. You can surely hope. But I wouldn't recommend you hold your breath.

Well Mr. Negativity, there is no such thing as an insignificant person and I feel sorry for you as you must be lonely in your narrow views. All things that change start from humble beginningS. As I tell my kids, if you have nothing nice or possitive to say, say nothing. I am now happy to wait and see what happens.

I never said "YOU" were insignificant. And you know I didn't. I said the number of people who are complaining are STATISTICALLY insignificant compared to the millions upon millions who are not complaining. And you can wait as that's your only choice. Enjoy!

Because my car activates it automatically. I go home and I want to listen to my Bluetooth speak with my iPad streaming my music service. The phone connects to the speak and it takes me a while to figure out what the heck happened as I never manually turned on bluetooth on my phone...it's a convenience and having the option to display it if Apple "chose" to take it away is not helpful for many of us.

LOL...I expect it would take many an unhappy camper.

I went full on Apple years ago for most my stuff outside of work. The phone is my least favorite part of the experience. The Mac, Mac Air, Ipad Pro, etc... are fairly positive.

I'm thinking I'll take a droid for a spin for sport next. Little to lose at this point. If worst comes to worst I buy another iPhone. I usually only upgrade when one of my sons trashes theirs...

After the update I too was upset that the Bluetooth symbol no longer appears on my screen. There’s absolutely no logical reason for that. This is the exact reason why I always hesitate to make an update on Apple.

It IS in fact important when you have more than 3 Apple devices in one home which periodically, each of the 3+ devices is connected to an individual BT speaker At any random moment. The BT speaker that will automatically connect to which ever device has the strongest signal, which becomes quite frustrating when you are forced to unlock each Apple device to find its the last of 3-4 that has the connection made.

Because this may not directly affect you, please don’t dismiss this as the rest of us are fools for appreciating the fact we used to be able to simply glance at our Apple devices to see which device has BT enabled, and which ones did not without having to pick up, unlock and go through the hassle of digging up the path for each of the BT settings.

If if you didn’t have a difinitave answer for anyone with a legitimate question, your best bet would’ve just have been to remain silent, or find a thread to argue on between Apple vs. Android people, because this is a site to obtain real answers to real questions, not a game of when was first to the finish line.