This wikiHow teaches you how to find out if your computer has built-in Bluetooth capabilities/features. While most Windows computers and all Mac computers come with a built-in Bluetooth card, some desktop computers and older models don't have this feature.
Step
Method 1 of 3: On Windows Computer
Step 1. Open the “Start” menu
Click the Windows logo in the lower-left corner of the screen.
You can also right-click the “Start” menu to display the advanced settings pop-up menu
Step 2. Open the Device Manager program
Type in device manager, then click the option “ Device Manager ” on the “Start” menu. The Device Manager window will appear immediately.
If you right-click the “Start” menu icon, simply select the “ Device Manager ” in the pop-up menu that appears.
Step 3. Look for the "Bluetooth" heading
If you see the " Bluetooth " option at the top of the window (eg in the "B" segment), the computer has Bluetooth functionality/feature built in.
If you don't see "Bluetooth" option, your computer doesn't have built-in Bluetooth function/feature
Method 2 of 3: On Mac Computer
Step 1. Open Apple menu
Click the Apple logo in the upper-left corner of the screen. After that, a drop-down menu will be displayed.
Step 2. Click About This Mac
This option is in the drop-down menu. A pop-up window will appear after that.
Step 3. Click System Report…
It's at the bottom of the “About This Mac” window. Once clicked, a new window will open.
On earlier macOS versions, click “ More Info… ”.
Step 4. Expand the "Hardware" segment
Click the triangle pointing to the right
on the left side of the "Hardware" heading to expand the segment. You can now see a more indented list of subcategories under the " Hardware " heading.
If the triangle next to the " Hardware " heading is pointing downwards, this list or segment has been expanded
Step 5. Look for the "Bluetooth" heading
Under the "Hardware" heading, look for the "Bluetooth" subheading. This option is at the top of the hardware options list.
If you don't see the "Bluetooth" heading, your Mac doesn't have Bluetooth functionality built in
Step 6. Check if your computer has Bluetooth
If you see a "Bluetooth" subtitle, click the title once to select it. If Bluetooth information is displayed on the right side of the window after the option is clicked, your computer has Bluetooth capability/function. Otherwise, the computer does not allow the use of Bluetooth.
Method 3 of 3: On Linux Computer
Step 1. Open the Terminal program
Click or double-click the Terminal app icon, which looks like a black box with a white ">_" symbol.
You can also use the keyboard shortcut Alt+Ctrl+T to open Terminal on most versions of Linux
Step 2. Enter the Bluetooth search command
Type the following command, then press Enter:
sudo lsusb |grep Bluetooth
Step 3. Enter the password
When prompted, type the password you use to log into your computer, then press Enter.
Step 4. Review the search results
If the next line in the Terminal window displays the name and manufacturer of the Bluetooth device, your computer is already equipped with Bluetooth functions/features.
- If you see a blank line, Bluetooth is not yet installed on the computer.
- Keep in mind that some versions of Linux do not support the built-in Bluetooth adapter.
