FixHub
Networking

Bluetooth Won't Pair or Keeps Disconnecting ("Try Connecting Your Device Again")?

Published June 10, 2026 · by The FixHub Team

A Bluetooth device won’t pair — or pairs then keeps dropping — and Windows says “Try connecting your device again.”

Why the popular “restart the Bluetooth Support Service” tip isn’t the headline fix: Microsoft’s own page doesn’t lead with that. The most common real causes are mundane — the device isn’t in pairing mode, its battery is low, or it’s still bonded to another device — so do those checks first.

Fix 1: Put the device in pairing mode (and check battery)

  • Most accessories need a deliberate pairing-mode step — hold the power/Bluetooth button until the LED flashes (not just solid-on). Check the device’s manual.
  • Low battery causes flaky pairing/disconnects — charge it.
  • A device already connected to your phone/another PC often won’t pair here — disconnect it there first (many devices only bond to one host at a time).

Fix 2: Remove the device and re-add it

  1. Settings → Bluetooth & devices → find the device → ⋯ → Remove device.
  2. Put it back in pairing mode → Add device → Bluetooth → select it.

A stale/half-bonded pairing is a top cause of “try connecting again.”

Fix 3: Toggle Bluetooth off/on (and Airplane mode)

  • Turn Bluetooth off, wait, on in Quick Settings.
  • Make sure Airplane mode is off. Reboot the PC and the device.

Fix 4: Update the Bluetooth driver

Device Manager → Bluetooth → your radio → Update driver (Search automatically), or install the latest driver from your PC/laptop maker. An outdated radio driver causes pairing failures and random drops.

FAQ

The toggle is gone entirely. That’s a different issue — see Bluetooth icon/toggle missing.

Audio pairs but cuts out. Bluetooth audio drops are often driver/interference related — update the driver, and keep the device close (2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and USB 3.0 devices can interfere).

It pairs then immediately disconnects. Remove and re-add (Fix 2), then update the driver (Fix 4); a corrupt bond or old driver is the usual cause.

Sources: Microsoft Support — Troubleshoot Bluetooth not connecting in Windows