How To Fix Unknown Bluetooth device error in Windows 11/10

Bluetooth is a way with which you can connect a Bluetooth device wirelessly to your computer. Under normal circumstances, when you switch on Bluetooth on your device, you can see those devices which are within your range and that your PC can connect to. But, what if you are not able to see your desired device and instead see “Unknown device” or many devices flashing as “Unknown Device” with no name?

bluetooth devices

How would you know which of these “Unknown devices” is yours? The problem eats up your patience when every time you disconnect your Bluetooth device and despite reconnecting it properly all you see is “Unknown device”.

That’s what this blog is for. We are going to discuss ways in which you will be able to resolve the issue.

Best Ways To Resolve “Unknown Device” Issue When Trying to Connect To A Bluetooth Device

1. Run Bluetooth Troubleshooter

First, you can utilize Windows’ inbuilt Bluetooth Troubleshooter, a tool that can help rectify issues related to the Bluetooth device. Here are the steps to run the Bluetooth troubleshooter on your Windows PC.

  1. Open Settings by pressing Windows + I
  2. Click on System from the left-hand pane if not already done.
  3. Click on Troubleshoot from the right-hand side.
    Run Bluetooth Troubleshooter
  4. Click on Other troubleshooters.
    Other troubleshooters
  5. Under Other locate Bluetooth and click on Run next to it.
    Other locate Bluetooth

Follow the on-screen instructions. Once you have done that see if you are still facing the issue or not. Similarly, you can also run the hardware troubleshooter which can resolve errors such as error code 19.

2. Restart Bluetooth Service

If Bluetooth Support Service is disabled, you are likely to run into a variety of Bluetooth issues. Here is how you can restart this service and set it to automatic to fix the “Unknown Device” while trying to connect to a Bluetooth device on your Windows PC –

  1. Open Run by pressing Windows + R
  2. Type services.msc and press Enter.
  3. Locate Bluetooth Support Service, right-click on it and click on Restart.
    Restart Bluetooth Service
  4. Again right-click on the same option and select Properties.
  5. Under the General tab, head to Startup type, click on it and select Automatic.
    Automatic startup type
  6. Next, under Service status, click on Start.
  7. Click on Apply and then OK

3. Switch Wi-Fi Band To 5GHz From 2.4 GHz

Try switching your Wi-Fi band from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz. The reason is, Bluetooth networks also work on 2.4 GHz. In case your Wi-Fi doesn’t support 5 GHz or you aren’t able to see 5GHz on your Wi-Fi, turn off your Wi-Fi and then try resolving the “Unknown device”  issue while trying to connect to a Bluetooth device.

  1. Press Windows + X
  2. Select Device Manager.
  3. Expand the Network adapters dropdown.
    Network adapters
  4. Right-click on your network adapter and select Properties.
  5. Click on the Advanced tab.
  6. Under Property scroll down a bit and click on Preferred Band.
    Preferred Band
  7. Click on the Value dropdown and select 5G first
  8. Click on OK.

4. Uninstall, Reinstall or Update Bluetooth Device Driver

There are chances that your Bluetooth driver has become corrupt or outdated. You can either take the manual route to uninstall, reinstall or update the driver or a safer and more effective way is to employ a driver updater tool.

Let’s take the example of Advanced Driver Updater which is regarded as one of the best driver updater tools.
Update Bluetooth Device Driver

Here are some of the notable features that it offers –

  • Facility to backup drivers before updating.
    backup drivers before updating
  • Restore drivers in case of an emergency.
    Restore drivers
  • Schedule driver updates.
    Schedule driver updates
  • Batch update drivers.
  • Exclude drivers from the scan.
    Exclude drivers from the scan

Curious about how Advanced Driver Updater works – Its pricing and features in detail? You can check out this post.

5. Run SFC and DISM Command

Corrupt system files are often the reason for a variety of Windows issues, not being able to detect the right Bluetooth device being one of them. To repair corrupt system files two commands that can be helpful are SFC and DISM. Here are the steps to use them –

  1. In the Windows search bar type Command and click on Run as administrator from the right.
  2. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter.

If you can resolve the issue, needn’t proceed further, else, you can use the DISM commands as well.

Wrapping Up

In most cases, this Bluetooth issue can occur if you have an outdated or corrupted Bluetooth driver. By updating or installing the correct driver, you would most likely be able to fix the issue. If not, you can try the other fixes mentioned in the post. And, if you have been successful in resolving the issue, do let us know in the comments section which of the above methods worked out for you. For more such content, keep reading WeTheGeek. You can also find us on PinterestYouTubeFacebookInstagramTwitter, and Flipboard. 

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