Why does Bluetooth not appear in Device Manager?

Answered by Willian Lymon

In my experience, there can be several reasons why Bluetooth may not appear in the Device Manager. One common issue is that the Bluetooth driver may be hidden. To check for hidden devices, you can follow these steps:

1. Open the Device Manager by right-clicking on the Start button and selecting “Device Manager” from the menu that appears.

2. In the Device Manager window, go to the “View” menu at the top and select “Show hidden devices.” This will display any hidden devices in the list.

3. Look for the Bluetooth node in the Device Manager. If it appears grayed out or with a downward arrow, it means the Bluetooth driver is hidden.

4. If you don’t see the Bluetooth node, you can try scanning for hardware changes. To do this, right-click on any device in the Device Manager and select “Scan for hardware changes.” This will trigger a scan for any new or hidden devices.

5. If the Bluetooth driver appears after the scan, right-click on it and select “Update driver.” This will prompt Windows to search for the latest driver software for your Bluetooth device and install it if available.

It’s worth noting that sometimes the Bluetooth driver may not appear in the Device Manager due to a hardware issue. In such cases, you may need to check if the Bluetooth device is properly connected to your computer or if there are any compatibility issues.

Additionally, if you recently upgraded your operating system or made any changes to your computer’s hardware, it’s possible that the Bluetooth driver may need to be reinstalled or updated manually. You can usually find the latest driver software on the manufacturer’s website.

In my personal experience, I once encountered a situation where the Bluetooth driver disappeared from the Device Manager after a Windows update. After trying the steps mentioned above, I ended up reinstalling the Bluetooth driver manually, which resolved the issue.

If Bluetooth does not appear in the Device Manager, you can try checking for hidden devices, scanning for hardware changes, and updating the Bluetooth driver. If the issue persists, it may be necessary to troubleshoot further or seek assistance from the manufacturer or a technical support professional.