Step-by-Step Guide: How to Turn On Bluetooth on Windows 10

Welcome!

Today I wanted to jump into a fairly simple subject: ‘How to Turn On Bluetooth on Windows 10.’ I also wanted to add some further information. Of course, turning Bluetooth on in Windows 10 is a very simple task, so I wanted to take the time to elaborate further on the subjects discussed.

I’ve also put this post on my Medium page, in case you prefer reading over there!

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Turn On Bluetooth on Windows 10

Terms

Bluetooth

This is a wireless technology which enabled devices to communicate over short distances. Commonly used for connecting peripherals like headphones, keyboards and mice to computers. This protocol used to be more popular for transferring files between phones before cloud storage made sharing files far simpler.

Windows 10

The single most widely used desktop operating system on the planet. Developed by Microsoft, Windows 10 was release in 2015 and quickly become a fan favourite. Upgrading from the outdated Windows 7 and the poorly received Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.

Importance

It’s important to enable Bluetooth on your Windows 10 system as it enables a huge array of difference wireless devices to connect to your system and vice versa.

If you find that your wireless keyboard or mouse isn’t working one day, it’s worth checking if you have Bluetooth turned on or not. Not having Bluetooth enabled will prevent devices from connecting or pairing.

How to Turn On Bluetooth on Windows 10

Turning on Bluetooth in Windows 10 is a simple task, you can follow the steps below:

Start Menu -> Settings -> Devices -> Bluetooth & Other Devices -> Bluetooth -> On/Off

It really is that simple to turn Bluetooth on or off in Windows 10.

Read on and we’ll show you how to pair Bluetooth devices!

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How to Pair Bluetooth Devices in Windows 10

Once again, this is made super simple by Windows 10. You can follow the below steps for pairing Bluetooth devices:

Start Menu -> Settings -> Devices -> Bluetooth & Other Devices -> Add Bluetooth or Other Device -> Bluetooth

Whilst it is a bit of a mouthful, once you’ve found the correct menu it easy enough!

Note: Once you’ve connected a device to Windows 10 using Bluetooth, it should automatically connect every time they are close enough to each other.

The Limitations

The main limitation to Bluetooth is the range and data transfer speed, but there are lesser known limitations. Lets discuss these below so that you can gain a better understanding!

Range

Since Bluetooth only works up to around 30 feet or 10 meters, whatever device you are trying to connecting to needs to be very close by. Beyond this, is there is a lot of interference or obstacles, such as walls, this can also effect the signal strength.

Data Transfer Speed

Whilst there have been improvements to the speed of Bluetooth, it’s still capped at a fairly low 1Mbps. However, using Bluetooth Low Energy or BLE, you can increase that to a theoretical 24 Mbps. Looking at these speeds, it’s easy to see why Bluetooth is a good technology for low data devices, such as keyboards and mice.

Compatibility

You might think that Bluetooth is supported by every device, since it’s a fairly old and well-known protocol. However, you would be wrong to think that. Whilst it is well supported in most devices, not all devices are compatible with every Bluetooth version. You may have noticed this when trying to transfer files from an old device to a new device, they just can’t pair with each other.

Power Consumption

Using Bluetooth can cause a significant draw on your battery, especially when transmitting data. Since most modern smart phones usually max out at a full day with fairly low usage, it’s definitely worth waiting until there is a power socket near by before you use Bluetooth for an extended period of time.

Security

Bluetooth is very vulnerable to attacks which risk data falling into the wrong hands. An attack known as Bluejacking involves a malicious person spamming your device with messages and requests which are very hard to block. Whilst encryption is used in modern implementations of Bluetooth, older versions might be unencrypted, so make sure not to transfer any sensitive data.

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Conclusion

So there you have it, Bluetooth is a super useful wireless communication protocol used in just about every single modern device. Whilst older versions might have been less secure and much slower, Bluetooth definitely still does have a place in the modern technology landscape.

As we discussed previously, Bluetooth is mainly used for wireless peripherals nowadays, since there are much better ways of transmitting and receiving data whilst in close proximity. Even if you are close by, sometimes it is just easier to use some sort of cloud storage as internet speeds are so fast.

I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new!

Enjoy! 🎉

3 thoughts on “Step-by-Step Guide: How to Turn On Bluetooth on Windows 10”

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