Although unlikely, it’s possible that the hardware vendor behind your hardware uses a specialty driver or some other tool that you need to download in order to enable the Bluetooth connection. We also suggest double checking the stats on your PC just to be sure. Device Manager will show you if your PC has a Bluetooth device, even if it’s not correctly set up. If there is a properly installed and configured Bluetooth radio, you’ll see an entry for “Bluetooth Network Connection” alongside other network connections like Ethernet and Wi-Fi.Īlternatively, you can open up Device Manager-just hit Start and search for “device manager”-and then look for a “Bluetooth” entry. You can check for Bluetooth by heading to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network Connections. It’s simple to check for evidence of Bluetooth in Windows. Similarly, it used to be a non-existent feature on desktop PCs, but in the last few years a surprising number of desktops have begun shipping with Bluetooth radios. If you have a newer laptop, however, it’s practically a given that you have Bluetooth.
If you have an older laptop or computer, you’re probably correct in assuming that you don’t have Bluetooth built-in. RELATED: The Best Bluetooth Speakers of 2023 See If Your Computer Already Has Bluetoothīefore we proceed, we’d encourage you to give your computer a double check for Bluetooth radios. Bluetooth is also handy when using wireless headsets, bluetooth trackers, game controllers, mice, keyboards, and other peripherals.
You could, for example, run an auxiliary audio cable from your computer to any of the Bluetooth speakers we reviewed in our Bluetooth speaker guide, but it would make your speaker a lot more portable and convenient to pipe in the music over Bluetooth so you could retain the ability to move it anywhere in your office. While you can get by just fine without Bluetooth support on your computer (especially if you’re using a desktop) there are tens of thousands of peripherals and accessories that require-or would be made more convenient by-Bluetooth. Read on as we show you how to add Bluetooth support easily and cheaply to any computer. If you’re rocking a device without Bluetooth support, don’t fret. Although the majority of laptops-and even desktops-now come with Bluetooth support, some of us still need Bluetooth upgrades.