Most of our portable devices have a Bluetooth chip inside. It allows us to connect them to other devices wirelessly, over short distances, and get rid of the need to use wires. That is especially true when you want to connect a headset, a portable speaker or other similar devices to your iPhone or your iPad. That is why we thought it would be a good idea to show how to connect Bluetooth devices to your iPhone or iPad:
NOTE: This guide applies to iOS 11.3.1, and it was created using an iPhone SE. If you are using a different version of iOS, an iPad or a different iPhone model, our screenshots might be slightly different from what you see on your screen, but the steps involved should be similar.
Step 1. Enable Bluetooth on your iPhone or iPad
Regardless whether you want to connect a Bluetooth headset, a pair of headphones or a portable speaker to your iPhone or iPad, the process is the same. First, you have to turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone or tablet. A way to do it is to open the Settings app, tap on Bluetooth and then enable the Bluetooth switch.
However, there are other ways to turn it on too, and we have covered them in this tutorial: 3 ways to turn Bluetooth on and off, on an iPhone or an iPad.
Step 2. Power on the device that you want to connect to
The second step is to start the Bluetooth device to which you want to connect your iPhone or iPad. Usually, that means pressing its Power button or Power switch. To make it easier to understand, we take as an example a Bluetooth headset and a Bluetooth speaker.
Our Bluetooth headset has a Power switch which must be turned on for it to run:
The Bluetooth portable speaker has a power button that must be pressed for it to turn on.
Step 3. Make your device enter Bluetooth pairing mode
Next, you must make the device that you want to connect to, enter Bluetooth pairing mode. This can differ from device to device, but usually, it means either pressing a dedicated "Bluetooth pairing mode" button or by pressing the power button for a few seconds. It is also common that devices that have entered Bluetooth pairing mode will make a distinct sound or blink a LED light, to let you know what they are attempting to do.
For example, on our Bluetooth headset, we have to press the "phone answer" button for 3 seconds, and it goes into Bluetooth pairing mode. When that happens, it makes a noise and its LED lights turn blue and red, alternating.
In the case of our Bluetooth portable speaker, to make it enter its pairing mode, we have to press its power button for a few seconds. To let us know that it has entered this state, the speaker blinks its blue LED light.
Step 4. Use your iPhone or iPad to search for the Bluetooth device and pair with it
Go back to your iPhone or iPad and back into its Bluetooth settings. Stay on this screen for a while, and your smartphone or tablet searches for any nearby Bluetooth devices available to pair. When they are found, they are shown in a list.
Identify the device that you want to connect to and then tap on it. In just a few seconds, your iPhone or iPad should pair and connect to it.
Now you can start using your device through the Bluetooth connection it has to your iPhone or iPad.
How to disconnect a Bluetooth device from your iPhone or iPad
If you want to disconnect one of the devices that you have already connected to your iPhone or iPad, the fastest way to do it is to turn that device off.
However, if you prefer, you can also disconnect it by using your iPhone or iPad. To do that, open the Settings app and then Bluetooth. On the Bluetooth screen, find the device that you want to disconnect from, and tap on the "i" button to its right.
On the next screen, tap Disconnect and your iPhone or iPad will no longer be connected to that Bluetooth device.
How to forget a Bluetooth device on your iPhone or iPad
If you want to forget a Bluetooth device to which you have connected your iPhone or iPad in the past, you can do that too. However, if you do this and you want to connect to that device, later on, you must redo all the pairing process that we have talked about in this guide.
To forget a Bluetooth device, open the Settings app and then Bluetooth. On the Bluetooth screen, find the device that you want to disconnect from, and tap on the "i" button to its right.
On the next screen, tap Forget, and your iPhone or iPad will no longer know your device.
Do you use Bluetooth connections on your iPhone or iPad?
Bluetooth is a great invention of the modern world, and most people love it. Why wouldn't you love a technology that saves you from wires? Do you use many Bluetooth devices together with your iPhone or iPad? Use the comments section below to tell us how you feel about Bluetooth on iOS.
