BluetoothIconXBluetooth is what your Mac uses to connect to wireless devices like keyboards, mice, trackpads, speakers, and other peripherals. Generally, it's a reliable technology. At some point however, the chances are you'll run into difficulty establishing a Bluetooth connection with one or more of your devices.

Most problems can be fixed by unpairing and repairing the Bluetooth device, changing its batteries, rebooting your Mac, or performing an SMC reset. But if none of these methods work, you can always try resetting your Mac's Bluetooth module. Here's how to do it in macOS using the hidden Bluetooth Debug menu.

How to Reset Your Mac's Bluetooth Module

Before proceeding, bear in mind that if your setup relies exclusively on Bluetooth for communicating with your keyboard and mouse, then you're going to temporarily lose connection to them using the following methods, so you might want to have a backup wired input device option just in case.

  1. Holding the Shift + Option (Alt) keys on your Mac's keyboard, click the Bluetooth symbol in the top-right corner of the macOS menu bar. (If you don't see it there, you need to check Show Bluetooth in menu bar in System Preferences -> Bluetooth.)
    macos bluetooth debug menu bar

  2. Locate the revealed Debug submenu and hover your mouse cursor over it.

  3. Click Reset the Bluetooth module.
    macos reset Bluetooth module

  4. Now, restart your Mac.

You'll notice a couple of other potentially useful options in the Debug submenu. Factory reset all connected Apple devices does exactly what it says – forces any Apple-branded Bluetooth accessories back to the default settings they came with out of the box. It's a reliable fallback option if you've tried everything else to fix a connection issue, including resetting the Bluetooth module.

Lastly, the Remove all devices option might prove useful if you're moving your Bluetooth mouse and keyboard to another Mac, for example. However, you can also remove devices on an individual basis from the macOS menu bar, as long as you hold down Shift + Option (Alt) before you click the Bluetooth symbol.

remove Bluetooth device macOS
Removing devices in this manner means you're not also banishing a whole bunch of other established Bluetooth connections like speakers and so on that you might want to keep.

Top Rated Comments

ignatius345 Avatar
98 months ago
Enjoying all these hints lately a lot more than "news" about iOS games or rumored emoji changes.

Kind of reminds me of that great OS X Hints site (now defunct), if anybody remembers that. http://hints.macworld.com
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zoemacuser Avatar
98 months ago
get some AirPods. They work great
Not sure how that’d help with my car system, Bluetooth speaker from Bose, etc.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rychiar Avatar
98 months ago
I find Bluetooth frustrating with my iPhone. My headset never auto-connects and I have to manually do it in settings. We should've come further than this.
get some AirPods. They work great
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Traverse Avatar
98 months ago
This is actually very useful. I’ve had problems with BT every so often
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nimrad Avatar
98 months ago
I find Bluetooth frustrating with my iPhone. My headset never auto-connects and I have to manually do it in settings. We should've come further than this.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Benz63amg Avatar
66 months ago

Thanks for this article; resetting the bluetooth module solved my year-old problem!
What problem was it?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

Apple Says Installing iOS 26 Might Impact Battery Life

Monday September 15, 2025 10:56 am PDT by
In the iOS 26 release notes, Apple is warning iPhone users that installing the new software might have a temporary impact on battery life, which is normal. A new support document explains that major iOS updates require background setup like indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps. Further, Apple says that new features could require more resources,...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 Get iOS 26 Features With New Firmware Update

Monday September 15, 2025 10:50 am PDT by
Apple today released updated firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4, introducing support for the new AirPods features that are included in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe. The firmware has a build number of 8A356, and it replaces the current 7E93 firmware. With Apple's new software updates, the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4 support better audio quality for phone calls and...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4: Here Are 5 New Features to Expect on Your iPhone

Tuesday September 16, 2025 11:17 am PDT by
iOS 26 was finally released on Monday, but the software train never stops, and the first developer beta of iOS 26.1 will likely be released soon. iOS 18.1 was an anomaly, as the first developer beta of that version was released in late July last year, to allow for early testing of Apple Intelligence features. The first betas of iOS 15.1, iOS 16.1, and iOS 17.1 were all released in the second ...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design Draws Criticism From Users

Wednesday September 17, 2025 2:56 pm PDT by
It's been two days since iOS 26 was released, and Apple's new Liquid Glass design is even more divisive than expected. Any major design change can create controversy as people get used to the new look, but the MacRumors forums, Reddit, Apple Support Communities, and social media sites seem to feature more criticism than praise as people discuss the update. Complaints There are a long...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Reportedly Plans to Launch These 10 Products in 'Coming Months'

Sunday September 14, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple's annual September event is now in the rearview mirror, with the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3 set to launch this Friday, September 19. As always, there is more to come. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple plans to release many products in the...
iOS 26 Glass Feature

iOS 26: The Top 100 New Features and Changes

Tuesday September 16, 2025 12:26 pm PDT by
Apple released iOS 26 on September 15, and it's now available for all iPhone users with a compatible device. There are a lot of changes and features to learn about, so if you want a quick, easy-to-read list that outlines what's new, we've got you covered. Design Liquid Glass design that reflects light and refracts what's underneath. It's system wide, with dynamic tab bars and toolbars...
new iphone lockscreen ios 26

iOS 26: All the New iPhone Lock Screen Customizations

Tuesday September 16, 2025 5:56 am PDT by
Apple has now made iOS 26 available to download on compatible iPhone models, and if you just installed the new software, Apple has made some changes and feature additions to the iPhone Lock Screen that you may want to check out. To download iOS 26 on your iPhone, go to Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update, then let your device check Apple's servers for the latest software. Wait for the...