Bluetooth can be found in every modern device these days as it allows two devices in close range to be connected with each other for data-transferring without using a data cable or Wifi.
Laptops/tablets/phones are equipped with default Bluetooth and are easily detectable but in case of PC desktop, chances are that there isn’t any Bluetooth built-in and you’ll have to buy a Bluetooth device to connect it with your system on if needed.
However, before you go buy some Bluetooth hardware, you will need to put some effort to check whether you have it in your system. Many desktops have Bluetooth in it but it is not always visible on screen unless you put it up there. Here are a few simple steps to check whether you have Bluetooth in your system or not:
For Windows:
Step 1: Go to Device Manager
If you have a laptop, chances are that it’ll come with Bluetooth. However, it’s a different story for Desktops. However, it’s easy to check because even Bluetooth requires a bit of hardware before you can use it. To check what hardware your computer is currently using, you simply check the device manager.
There are different ways to go to device manager in different Windows. However, there’s a simple way to do it and that’s to just search “This PC” in your search bar and then right click and click “manage”.
Once you click on “Manage” it will open up a new window in which you need to click on “Device Manager”.
Step 2: Check for Bluetooth hardware
Inside the Device Manager, what you’re looking for is a Bluetooth Adapter, which means that you have the necessary Bluetooth hardware installed in your computer to make Bluetooth work. You should first look for something called the “Bluetooth Radios” category. The categories are sorted in Alphabetical order so it should be at the top. If you have this category then you have Bluetooth in your computer, you can then check if the driver or software is up to date which comes later.
If you don’t have the radios category, see if the simple “Bluetooth” category is there with the BT icon. Upon expanding, it should tell you which Bluetooth adapter is currently installed. If there’s no yellow exclamation mark beside the adapter, it means that the device is working fine so you don’t need to worry about anything.
Check the Network Adapters
If you haven’t seen any sign of any Bluetooth hardware on your computer from the already mentioned categories, then your last bet is the “Network Adapters” category. This category usually contains your network card but is also generally used for bundling up connections under one category so BT adapters sometimes fall under this category.
There will be a ton of adapters and weird names you’ll encounter in this category but the only one you should be concerned is the one that starts with ‘Bluetooth’. If you still don’t find anything, then, unfortunately, your computer does not have Bluetooth. However, you can find some pretty neat BT devices which you can connect to your PC via USB and use them instead.
For Mac OS:
Step 1: Open “About this Mac”
It would be rare for a Mac to not have Bluetooth. You can usually tell if you have it by looking at the top-right corner of your screen. However, it’s possible to have the necessary hardware, but not having BT activated. Nevertheless, go to the Apple menu and click on “About this Mac”.
Step 2: Now click on “More Info”
Much like the Device Manager in Windows, the More Info tab will open up a new window which will list all the hardware and software installed on your Mac. Expand the hardware category and look for Bluetooth. If you don’t find Bluetooth, then there’s one more way to check in order to confirm.
Another way: Through System Preferences
Click on the Apple Menu and select “System Preferences“. You can look for Bluetooth in two places here, first look in the ‘Hardware’ section. You can also find Bluetooth under the “Internet and Wireless” section. Be sure to check both of them out as it may be in one of them.
If you find Bluetooth in either one of them, it means that your Mac has BT capabilities and that if you didn’t see it on the top-right of your screen, then it’s just the matter of installing the right software because from the hardware end- everything is fine. If you didn’t see Bluetooth in any one of them, then, unfortunately, your Mac does not support Bluetooth.
However, if you’re using a Mac, not having Bluetooth is rare unless you have a really older version of the computer. If you end up not having Bluetooth on your Mac, then as already mentioned above, invest in a Bluetooth dongle. The device would connect with your Mac via USB while giving your computer all the benefits of Bluetooth as if the laptop had the feature itself.