How to fix macOS Sonoma Bluetooth issues

Bluetooth is a hugely important technology for most of us who use Macs. Whether we have a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, Bluetooth headset or speakers, or use another Bluetooth accessory, most of us use Bluetooth for something. That means that if it stops working, it can cause serious issues with the way we use our Mac. In this article, we’ll show you what to do if you have Bluetooth problems after upgrading to Sonoma.

What Sonoma Bluetooth issues occur?

Bluetooth problems you experience could be anything from getting no connection at all to getting intermittent connections or a connection that’s impacted by interference. On a keyboard or mouse, this could show up as nothing happening at all when you move the mouse or type on the keyboard, or it could work sometimes but not at others. Or it could behave very erratically and type characters that weren’t the ones you pressed on the keyboard. On headphones or speakers, you might get complete silence or glitching – where you hear short bursts of sound or audio that is of very low quality.

Why do Sonoma Bluetooth problems happen?

Usually, it’s a software issue. There may be a conflict somewhere, or the software is not running properly for some reason. It could also be caused by radio interference — something can happen with any technology that uses radio waves. Or, occasionally, it could be a problem with hardware — the Bluetooth module in your device may be faulty or damaged.

Run maintenance on your Mac

Before we get into the specifics of how to fix macOS Sonoma Bluetooth issues, it’s worth taking a moment to talk about maintenance. Just like a car or a property, your Mac will benefit from regular maintenance. Freeing up RAM, running macOS maintenance scripts, and repairing disk permissions can all help your Mac run smoothly and may even fix the Sonoma Bluetooth problems you’re having. The easiest way to carry out all of those tasks, as well as thinning out Time Machine snapshots, reindexing Spotlight, and speeding up Mail, is to use the Maintenance module in CleanMyMac X. It couldn’t be easier to use. Just select Maintenance, then choose the tasks you want to run, and click Run. You can download CleanMyMac X for free here and try it out for yourself.

How to fix macOS Sonoma Bluetooth problems

1. Restart your Mac

This is always a good place to start when you need to fix any problem, including times when Bluetooth keeps disconnecting on Sonoma or similar issues. When your Mac restarts, try again.

2. Check for updates

The first step is to update macOS, just in case the issue is an OS problem and is fixed in an update. Go to System Settings > General > Software Update to check if there is an update available. If there is, follow the instructions to install it.

3. Check your device is charged

If your Bluetooth device is low on charge, that could cause issues like glitching or Bluetooth device not showing up on Sonoma. So, if it’s not fully charged, charge it for a while and then try again.

4. Turn it off and on again

Yep, that advice never gets too old. Call it power cycling if you like, but the principle is the same, turn your Bluetooth device off, then wait for a few seconds, and turn it on again. You can do the same with your Mac by clicking on Bluetooth in the menu bar, Control Center, or System Settings > Bluetooth and toggling the switch to off and then, after a few seconds, on again.

5. Disconnect and reconnect

There are a couple of options here. One is to disconnect the device and reconnect it; the other is to unpair it and then pair it again. To disconnect the device, click on Control Center, then Bluetooth. Click on the device to disconnect it, then click it again to connect it. You can do the same in System Settings > Bluetooth. Hover over the device and click Disconnect. Then hover over it again and click Connect.

To unpair a device, click the ‘i’ next to it in System Settings > Bluetooth and select Forget this device. Then follow the instructions in the device’s manual to pair it again.

6. Eliminate interference

If nothing so far has worked, the next step is to eliminate interference as a possible cause. Try each of the following:

• Move the device closer to your Mac.
• Move other electrical devices or appliances away. If you’re close to a microwave oven or router, move away from it.
• Switch wifi devices to 5GHz if you can. Bluetooth uses 2.4GHz, and if you have lots of wifi devices on the same frequency, that could cause problems.
• Disconnect or turn off USB or Thunderbolt devices that are connected to your Mac, or move them away if you can.
• Make sure there is nothing solid sitting between your Mac and the Bluetooth device.

If the issue goes away or is reduced when you try any of the above, you’ll know what’s causing the problem and can take steps to fix it.

7. Reset your Mac’s Bluetooth module

This is a last resort and will disconnect all the Bluetooth devices you use with your Mac, but it is worth a try if nothing else works. Here is how to reset Bluetooth on macOS Sonoma or any other macOS version, for that matter:

1. Go to Applications > Utilities and open Terminal.
2. Type: sudo pkill bluetoothd and press Return
3. Type in your password if you’re asked.
4. Quit Terminal and restart your Mac.

Frequently asked questions

Does macOS Sonoma have Bluetooth problems?

Not usually and no more than any other version of macOS, but it’s possible you may encounter issues with Bluetooth.

Can other devices interfere with Bluetooth?

Yes, if they use radio waves for communication, especially if they are on the 2.4GHz frequency. See Step 6 for advice on how to eliminate these issues.

What causes Bluetooth problems?

Bluetooth issues are usually caused by software problems, but they could also be a symptom of a faulty Bluetooth module in your Mac or device.