Bluetooth connectivity issues

At first, switching to 5GHz on my router did not solve my problem. I had to reset the Bluetooth module.

If you don't already have the Bluetooth icon in your menu bar, go into System Preferences > Bluetooth and turn that option on.

Next, option-shift-click the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar.

Highlight Debug.

Click on Reset the Bluetooth module.

As long as I am on 5G I don't have the problem any longer. Apple should include this information in documentation that comes with the Mini2018.

Again, please make sure you have NOTHING plugged into the USB. Apparently there isn't enough power to run both the USB and the Bluetooth at the same time. I fixed my problem with a powered USB hub, and the Bluetooth works fine now.

Remember that some wireless keyboards and mice are NOT Bluetooth, but operate in the WiFi 2.4GHz band and will interfere. I have an ancient CenturyLink router with only 2.4GHz WiFi, but I don't want to switch after working for months to get them to fix it... :-)

Switching off wifi and using hardwired ethernet resolved the bluetooth issue for me, at least until Apple fixes problem in 10.14.3. Received tip from Apple Support. See related posts under title "Wireless trackpad and keyboard disconnect frequently from the new Mini"

Unplug all non-Apple USB cables, adapter, hub, speakers, keyborad ... what ever, and see if the problem goes away. If so, add each one back to identify the one that is causing the problem. The best way to problem-shoot the BT problem is to use unlock with Apple Watch feature because this allows you to test the BT very quickly and reproducibly.

Hi, ukwoodgnome !

Given this entire thread is testament to this article :

Resolve Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues caused by wireless interference

I would like to know : why do you believe this is an Apple problem? Given that Apple is aware of the problem to the point of cranking out a help article to deal with problems Apple did not create, why do you believe Apple is being silent?

It has been well documented in this thread alone the vast majority of Mac bluetooth and WiFi issues are being caused by unshielded cables not manufactured by Apple. By your own words, switching out your Mac Mini didn't really improve your situation. Logic dictates if the problem was not in your Mac Mini, it needs be the problem lies in your environment. If the problem lies in your environment, why does Apple have to provide the fix? Why is it so hard to believe the problem is not in your Mac, but in the unshielded cables of your peripherals?

The first step to solving your particular problem would be unplugging every non-power cable from your Mini, then every Mac and adapter within 30 feet of your Mac Mini, then plugging the cables back in, one at a time, until your interference problem re-appears. Until you perform this step, you cannot say one way or another what is causing your particular problem let alone claim it is a design flaw inherent in Mac Minis.

Good luck !

"I had it repaired, nothing has improved. Apple replaced the logic board (they say they could not reproduce the problem, but as a possible solution replaced the logic board.)"

Indeed if you follow the discussion here, you would see that the problems may be outside your Mac. Have you systematically examined your wifi router and all USB-3 devices? Hardwares incompatibility is not uncommon. Just because your old Macs works with those 3rd party peripherals does not mean a brand new computer came out a few months ago will be backward compatible with older (sometimes cheap) third party devices.

Apple also offered to "repaire" my Mac but I decided to wait it out in case the problem is not inside the computer as Macs generally are very reliable. It turned out that all my BT problems were caused by a single USB-3 hub that costed $10.

I bought my Mac mini in December 2018 and have been struggling with connecting my Apple Keyboard and Magic Trackpad ever since.

This week I was struggling with another annoying problem in Final Cut Pro so I erased my hard disk and installed a clean version of OSX 10.14.3 and that seems to have solved the bluetooth problem.

Important to mention that I tried a re-install of OSX earlier, but then I didn't erase the disk and just installed a fresh version with keeping my data intact. It's a pretty ****** solution, because now I'll need a day to reinstall everything and hope for a Final Cut Pro fix, because that problem isn't solved yet. But anyhow, bluetooth seems to work flawlessly now.

@MKberlin, that's all it took for me to resolve the problem with my 2018 Mac Mini; I just installed a new router and connected to a 5GHz network. ALL Bluetooth and Wifi connectivity problems vanished immediately. (I reported that here a couple of months ago.)

Happily for me, I did that before going through all the trouble of reinstalling the OS. I've had no problems at all ever since. I don't get the random shutdowns you get. (Unrelated: I do experience the "wake from sleep" problem on my 2017 MBP, but that's for another thread...)

I’ve been working on this issue all day. Turns out after doing all the resetting and removing of devices etc, the thing that has worked for more than an hour was changing WiFi router to use 5Ghz only frequency. Might be too soon the open the champagne, but it’s the best it’s been.

As I reported last time I was having intermittent connection/disconnection issues with my Apple wireless keyboard and trackpad. I had another issue that may be related to the BT that is the auto-unlock feature by Apple Watch. This worked for me only once but most of the time it did not work until today I found that this is caused by an USB-3 hub that is plugged into one of the two USB-3 ports. This hub is powered by a power adapter however so this is not a peer drainage issue.  If I unplug the hub and plug in each device individually into the Mac, no problem. This hub is made by: Sabrent as seen here on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TPMEOYM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The second USB port on my Mac is connected to an external HD that is not itself powered, but whether this is plugged in does not interfere with Apple Watch functions.

Thus if you are having any BT related problems, check any non-Apple devices that are plugged into your USB ports. So far my keyboard and trackpad are working fine. Will see if the USB was the issue that also affected these two other BT devices.

I had these issues and they seem to be fixed by update to 10.14.3 which is weird, I was convinced it was hardware. Same usba hub now works with devices charging off it and I can use all the usb ports without interference. Would love to know exactly what caused the issue and how they fixed it. Anyone else find the update has fixed it for them?

"no bluetooth keyboard or mouse, no added software. Only an external monitor, a usb keyboard "

Didn't you have issues connecting to Apple BT devices? Since this may be caused by third party USB devices, I don't understand why you were testing this without any BT devices attached but an USB keyboard (Apple?) was attached instead?

You should plug in just an Apple wireless BT keyboard or mouse (one at a time to make sure the problem is not in the keyboard or mouse itself) and tested it w/o any USB devices or wifi connected to the Mini and see if the connected Apple BT device works. Keep in mind that for the lack of a better term BT connection can be "corrupted" at the software levels so make sure you do the regular things, such as forget device, re-boot, etc to rule that out. Instructions for this are available on line.

BT and Wifi routers are well known to be affected by USB-3. Just Google it. For example:

https://www.bluetoothandusb3.com/the-explanation

https://www.pcmag.com/commentary/315173/wireless-witch-the-truth-about-usb-3-0-and-wi-fi-interferen

So the question is who is responsible to make a device that is immune to all the interference created by all the devices ever made? May be this is more difficult with the Mini because its physical dimension? I don't know, but once I threw away that cheap USB hub, my mini is working like a charm.

Also keep in mind that USB ports are found on HD, wifi router, printer, ... many unexpected places so really look around hard. The key is to find an environment that is away from all of these, and then bring the USB back back one at a time. The distance between the Mini and the wireless device also makes a difference but moving to a new location and keep them as close as possible can also address that. Good luck.

Not that the Mini may be "weaker" but as someone tried to remind you that USB interference is a standard set by FCC and Apple has to comply and this can apparently *change from time to time*. Mac is generally highly reliable and it seems to be the case with the one you have. Be patient, you will figure it out, but you have to start the test with a no wifi and no USB state (unless it is from Apple). You cannot test this with your 3rd party USB keyboard connected, because that could be the source of interference. Do you still have an old wired Apple keyboard and mouse? You need to start the test with only Apple products and then add 3rd party device back one at a time. Does your monitor has USB-3 ports? If so, this could be the source of interference ... Assuming you already follow standard procedures to clear out software side of the problem (turn BT on and off, forget device, reboot, rest PRAM ... that sort of things), then the problem is a 3rd party USB-3 device or wifi router. When you get a brand new computer, it is expected to have some incompatibility issues with old third party devices, and this is part of the cost of upgrade that it is not just the up front cost of the new computers but also the cost of replacing peripheries ...

I probably reported this on this thread or another one already, but I managed to fix this hugely frustrating issue. Perhaps my experience can help.

Having purchased a brand new top spec MBP 2018 this January, I ran into the same bluetooth problems as many users report from this current set of hardware. Constant dis- and reconnects, at times every couple of seconds. Basically completely unworkable. Tried all the flushing caches, reinstall OSX, debugs etc to no avail, for days. Department store refuses to take Apple Products back even within the first 2 weeks of purchase, only offering 'repairs'. Utter disaster.

Then, ultimately, I did what I had dreaded doing all along. I completely erased my hard drive, thereby losing 2 full days of work it had cost me to set up my system after transferring and installing my work space by hand (to keep it clean - rather than simply migrate via Time Machine). Then I reinstalled the OSX.

Before doing so I had also purchased and connected a new router capable of 5Ghz networks. Bluetooth uses the 2,4Ghz band, as do most common wireless connections and routers. Those can apparently get crowded therefore. The router wasn't cheap (€150) but I figured it'd be cheaper than a new Apple Keyboard plus Magic Mouse 2 (€250) with the added benefit of an improved wireless connection. Also I refuse to throw expensive peripherals away just coz Apple wants me to buy brand new ones.

Result: I've had no problems ever since, using my old MM and Keyboard happily. The problem drove me literally nuts for a couple of weeks.

(That aside, other problems have appeared I never faced: the Mac has shut itself down on occasion overnight 'because of a problem'. In all the years I've had my MBP Late-2013, this never happened once. It has now happened 4 times already with a brand new MBP 2018. So there you go, Apple.)