iPhone 8 Won't Connect To Bluetooth? Here's The Fix!

David Lynch

SEPTEMBER 4, 2017

Your iPhone 8 is not connecting to Bluetooth and it's starting to give you the blues. Bluetooth helps you get the most out of your iPhone by wirelessly connecting it to devices such as keyboards, speakers, and headphones. In this article, I'll explain what to do when your iPhone 8 won't connect to Bluetooth so you can fix this problem for good.

Requirements Of Connecting Your iPhone 8 To Bluetooth Devices

There are a few things you'll need to do before you can connect your iPhone 8 to Bluetooth devices. First, make sure you've turned on Bluetooth on your iPhone.

You can do this by going to Settings -> Bluetooth and turning on the switch next to Bluetooth. You'll know the switch is on when it's green.

Secondly, make sure that your iPhone 8 is within range of your Bluetooth device. Typically, your iPhone and Bluetooth device need to be within thirty feet of each other.

Is My iPhone 8 Broken?

When an iPhone 8 won't connect to Bluetooth, the problem is almost always software related. However, there is a very slight possibility that the antenna which connects your iPhone to Bluetooth is broken. The steps below will help you diagnose whether the problem is software or hardware related and show you how to fix the problem for good!

How To Fix An iPhone 8 Not Connecting To Bluetooth

8 Steps Total
1.

Restart Your iPhone

Restarting your iPhone can sometimes fix minor software glitches and errors.

How Do I Restart My iPhone?

  1. Press and hold the power button (iPhones without Face ID) or the side button and either volume button (iPhones with Face ID) on your iPhone until the slide to power off slider appears on the display.
  2. Swipe the red power icon from left to right to turn off your iPhone.
  3. Wait about 30 seconds, then press and hold the power button (iPhones without Face ID) or the side button (iPhones with Face ID) again until the Apple logo appears in the center of the display.

Turn Off Your iPhone In The Settings App (Option 1)

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll to the bottom and tap Shut Down.
  4. Swipe the red power icon from left to right.
  5. Plug your iPhone into a power source using a Lightning cable to turn it on again.

Turn Off Your iPhone Using AssistiveTouch

  1. Watch our YouTube video or follow the steps below!
  2. Open the Settings app.
  3. Tap General.
  4. Tap Accessibility.
  5. Tap AssistiveTouch.
  6. Turn on the switch next to AssistiveTouch.
  7. Tap the AssistiveTouch button when it appears on the display.
  8. Tap Device.
  9. Tap More.
  10. Tap Restart.
  11. Tap Restart again when the confirmation alert appears.
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2.

Turn Bluetooth Off And Back On Again

Turning Bluetooth off and back on again is sometimes enough to fix minor connectivity issues between your iPhone and Bluetooth devices.

How Do I Turn Bluetooth Off And Back On Again?

There are three ways to turn Bluetooth off and back on:

In The Settings App

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Bluetooth.
  3. Tap the green switch next to Bluetooth to turn it off. You'll know Bluetooth is off when the switch is gray.
  4. Tap the switch again to turn Bluetooth back on. You'll the Bluetooth is on when the switch turns green.

In Control Center

  1. Open Control Center by swiping up from below the bottom of the screen (iPhones without Face ID) or down from the upper right-hand corner of the screen (iPhones with Face ID).
  2. Tapap the Bluetooth icon, which looks like a "B" made of triangles. You'll know Bluetooth is off when the icon is black with a gray background.
  3. To turn Bluetooth back on, tap the Bluetooth icon once again. You'll know Bluetooth is on when the icon is white with a blue background.

Using Siri

  1. Open Siri by pressing and holding the Home button (iPhones without Face ID) or the side button (iPhones with Face ID) until Siri appears, or by saying, "Hey Siri."
  2. To turn off Bluetooth, say, "Turn off Bluetooth."
  3. To turn Bluetooth back on, say, "Turn on Bluetooth."
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3.

Turn Bluetooth Pairing Mode Off And Back On Again On Your Bluetooth Device

Turn pairing mode off and back on again on your Bluetooth device can sometimes fix minor software glitches and connectivity issues between your Bluetooth device and iPhone.

  1. Press and hold the Bluetooth pairing button or switch on your Bluetooth device until the device comes out of pairing mode.
  2. To put the device back in pairing mode, press and hold the Bluetooth pairing mode button.
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4.

Forget The Bluetooth Device

When your iPhone forgets a Bluetooth device, it will be as if the two devices were never connected. Next time you pair the Bluetooth with your iPhone, it will be like pairing the devices for the first time, giving the connection a fresh start.

How Do I Forget The Bluetooth Device?

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Bluetooth.
  3. Tap on the blue "i" next to the Bluetooth device you want to forget.
  4. Tap Forget This Device.
  5. Tap Forget Device.
  6. You'll know the device has been forgotten when it doesn't appear under Devices in Bluetooth.
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5.

Try Pairing Your iPhone To A Different Bluetooth Device

When you have trouble connecting your iPhone to a Bluetooth device, you can diagnose whether the problem is coming from your iPhone or the Bluetooth device by attempting to pair your iPhone with a different Bluetooth device. If your iPhone connects to one device but not the other, then you've identified that the connectivity issue is being caused by the particular Bluetooth device, not your iPhone.

How Do I Try Pairing My iPhone To A Different Bluetooth Device?

  1. To pair your iPhone to a different Bluetooth device, make sure your iPhone has Bluetooth turned on and your Bluetooth device is in pairing mode.
  2. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  3. Tap Bluetooth.
  4. Under My Devices, tap the Bluetooth device you want to connect to.
  5. If the Bluetooth device and your iPhone paired properly, your original connectivity issue was being caused by the other Bluetooth device.
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6.

Reset Network Settings

When your iPhone connects to a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth device for the first time, it saves information about how to connect to that network or device. If something changes with that process, it may cause connectivity issues.

Deep software problems, especially with network settings, can be difficult to track down. Rather than trying to track an issue down, we're going to reset all network settings and give your iPhone a fresh start.

How Do I Reset Network Settings?

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll down and tap Transfer Or Reset iPhone.
  4. Tap Reset.
  5. Tap Reset Network Settings.
  6. Enter your passcode if prompted.
  7. Your iPhone will shut down, reset, and turn itself on again when the reset is complete.
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7.

DFU Restore Your iPhone

A DFU restore has the potential to fix software problems by completely erasing the code which may be causing your problem. The code is rewritten as if your iPhone is brand new, so the software problem may get solved.

Think of it like a house that has cracks in the foundation. Rather than try and fix the cracks, we are building an entirely new foundation.

If you can, back up your iPhone before completing a DFU restore. Any time you do a restore, it erases everything from your iPhone. However, after the restore is completed, you restore all your backed up data back onto your iPhone.

How Do I DFU Restore My iPhone?

How To DFU Restore An iPhone SE, 6s, Or Older

  1. Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
  2. Open iTunes if you have a PC or Mac running Mojave 10.14 or earlier. Open Finder if you have a Mac running Catalina 10.15 or newer. It doesn’t matter if your iPhone is on or off.
  3. Press and hold the Home button and the power button simultaneously.
  4. After 8 seconds, release the power button, but continue to hold the Home button.
  5. Let go of the power button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
  6. Your iPhone’s display will be completely black if you’ve successfully entered DFU mode. If it’s not, try again from the beginning.
  7. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

How To DFU Restore An iPhone 7 Or 7 Plus

  1. Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
  2. Open iTunes if you have a PC or Mac running Mojave 10.14 or earlier. Open Finder if you have a Mac running Catalina 10.15 or newer. It doesn’t matter if your iPhone is on or off.
  3. Press and hold the power and volume down button simultaneously.
  4. After 8 seconds, release the power button, but continue to hold the volume down button.
  5. Release the volume down button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
  6. You'll know your iPhone is in DFU mode if the display is completely black.
  7. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

How To DFU Restore An iPhone 8 Or Newer

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a charging cable.
  2. Open iTunes (PCs and Macs running macOS 10.14 or older) or Finder (Macs running macOS 10.15 or newer).
  3. Quickly press and release the volume up button.
  4. Quickly press and release the volume down button.
  5. Press and hold the side button until the screen goes black.
  6. When the screen goes black, press and hold the volume down button while continuing to press and hold the side button.
  7. Hold both buttons for five seconds.
  8. After five seconds, release the side button while continuing to hold the volume down button.
  9. Keep holding the volume down button until your iPhone appears in Finder or iTunes.
  10. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.
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8.

Repair Your iPhone With Apple

Apple repairs iPhones at the Genius Bar in Apple Stores and through their online mail-in repair service. Apple repairs are high-quality, but out-of-warranty repairs can be much more expensive than third-party solutions. If you're looking to save some money you're not covered by Apple's warranty, you may want to check out our other recommendations.

How Do I Repair My iPhone With Apple?

How To Repair Your iPhone With Apple's Mail-In Service

  1. Visit Apple's support website to begin the online mail-in repair process.
  2. Alternatively, call 1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753) to set up a repair.

How To Repair Your iPhone At The Genius Bar Inside Your Local Apple Store

  1. Visit Apple's website to make a Genius Bar appointment before you go into the store. Apple Stores are extremely busy, and if you don't have an appointment, you may have to wait for hours or end up being turned away. (Editor's note: I'm a former Apple tech and we're not exaggerating — please, do yourself a favor and make an appointment first!)
  2. When you arrive, go to the Genius Bar to check in for your appointment.
  3. Genius Bar appointments always include free diagnosis. If you're under warranty, many repairs can be done on the spot, but it all depends upon which parts are in stock. If you're not under warranty, the Genius will give you a quote for the cost of a repair.
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No Longer Feeling Blue About Bluetooth!

Your iPhone 8 is connecting to Bluetooth devices once again! Now that you know why your iPhone 8 won't connect to Bluetooth, make sure to bookmark this article in case it happens again. Thanks for reading and feel free to leave us a comment down below if you have any other iPhone 8 questions.

AUTHOR

David Lynch

David Lynch is an expert on cell phones, cell phone plans, and other tech. After using a flip phone into his early 20s, he learned the ropes about iPhones and Androids from a former Apple employee. Today, his articles and videos are read and viewed by millions, and he has been cited by major publications including Reader's Digest, Wired, CMSWire, Consumers Advocate, and more.

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Tammy Jo Dawson
Tammy Jo Dawson
5 years ago

This is a brand new phone and I have only had it 4 days. It will not connect to my Chevy equinox or my headset. I guess I’ll just take it back!