ou can pair all kinds of Bluetooth devices with your PC—including keyboards, mice, phones, speakers, and a whole lot more. To do this, your PC needs to have Bluetooth. Some PCs, such as laptops and tablets, have Bluetooth built in. If your PC doesn’t, you can plug a USB Bluetooth adapter into the USB port on your PC to get it.
Before you start, make sure that your Windows 11 PC supports Bluetooth. For more info on how to check, see Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows. If you need help adding a device without Bluetooth capabilities, see Add a device to a Windows PC.
Turn on Bluetooth #
After you’ve checked that your Windows 11 PC supports Bluetooth, you’ll need to turn it on. Here’s how:
- In Settings: Select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices , and then turn on Bluetooth .
- In quick settings: To find the quick setting for Bluetooth, select the Network, Sound, or Battery icons ( ) next to the time and date on the right side of your taskbar. Select Bluetooth to turn it on. If it’s turned on without any Bluetooth devices connected, it might appear as Not connected .
If you don’t see Bluetooth in quick settings, you might need to add it. For more info, see Change notifications and quick settings in Windows 11.
To pair a Bluetooth device #
- Turn on your Bluetooth device and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufacturer’s website to learn how.
- On your PC, select the Network , Sound, or Battery icons ( ) next to the time and date on the right side of your taskbar.
- Select Manage Bluetooth devices on the Bluetooth quick setting, then select your device under New devices.
- Follow additional instructions if they appear, then select Done.
Your Bluetooth device and PC will usually automatically connect anytime the two devices are in range of each other with Bluetooth turned on.
Tip: If you don’t see the Bluetooth device you want displayed in the list, you may need to set the Bluetooth devices discovery setting to Advanced. To learn how, see Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows.
To pair a Bluetooth printer or scanner #
- Turn on your Bluetooth printer or scanner and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufacturer’s website to learn how.
- Select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Add device. Wait for it to find nearby printers, choose the one you want to use, then select Add device.
If you’re having problems installing your printer or scanner, see either Fix printer problems or Install and use a scanner in Windows.
To pair a Bluetooth device using Swift Pair #
Swift Pair in Windows 11 lets you quickly pair a supported Bluetooth device with your PC. If the Bluetooth device supports Swift Pair, you’ll receive a notification when it’s nearby and you put it into pairing mode to make it discoverable.
- Turn on a Bluetooth device that supports Swift Pair and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufacturer’s website to learn more.
- If this is your first time using Swift Pair, select Yes when asked if you want to get notifications and use Swift Pair.
- When a notification appears that a new Bluetooth device was found, select Connect.
Tip: If you’re a small business owner looking for more information on how to get Microsoft 365 set up, visit Small business help & learning.