How to fix Bluetooth that stops working on iPhone 7, cannot pair or connect Bluetooth devices after iOS update [Troubleshooting Guide]

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Surfacing among the common issues encountered by iPhone 7 owners after installing the latest version of iOS is on Bluetooth that’s not working. Apple rolled out iOS version 11.4.1 to offer bug fixes for existing device issues but it turned out that some people were greeted with anew problem following the new iOS installation. Although this does not occur to all who updated, it’s a dilemma that needs to be fixed to some iPhone owners.

If you happen to be among the affected users, then this post may be able to help you out. I’ve mapped out some applicable workarounds and possible solutions you can try on should you wish to troubleshoot your iPhone 7 that suddenly won’t pair or connect to a Bluetooth device after the latest iOS update implementation. Read further and try these simple solutions.

Now, before anything else, if you have other issues with your phone, make sure you drop by our troubleshooting page for we have already provided solutions to hundreds of problems reported by our readers. Odds are that we may have already provided a solution to the problem you currently have so try to find issues that are similar with yours on that page and feel free to use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work or if you need further assistance, fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

How to troubleshoot iPhone 7 that has Bluetooth issues

Before troubleshooting, make sure your Bluetooth device is situated near or within Bluetooth range from your iPhone. For Bluetooth devices to connect or communicate with each other, they have to be in close distance. Devices with the latest Bluetooth technology (5.0) can connect to other Bluetooth accessories within a 400-meter distance. For Bluetooth 4.0 and earlier, the distance range is from 100 meters to 300 meters. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus supports Bluetooth version 4.2 so it’s in the 300-meter range. Beyond that distance, Bluetooth devices won’t be able to connect. To make sure distance isn’t the underlying cause, place your iPhone 7 next to the Bluetooth accessory then retry pairing them in that distance. Also ensure that your Bluetooth accessory is turned on or in discoverable mode. Your iPhone must also have Bluetooth enabled on the settings.

If none of that helps, then you may now begin to troubleshoot your iPhone 7 and clear out software errors that might have halted its Bluetooth functions.

First solution: Reboot your iPhone and Bluetooth device.

Some apps and services may become rogue after implementing new system update. This is normal as some apps won’t be able to adapt the recently implemented platform changes. Fortunately, these are often minor issues that can easily be remedied by a soft reset or device restart. If you haven’t yet restarted your iPhone since you updated iOS, then do so with these steps:

  1. Press and hold the Power button until the slider appears.
  2. Drag the Slide to Power off right to turn your iPhone completely off.
  3. After about 30 seconds or so, press and hold the Power button again until you see the Apple logo.

Allow your phone to finish booting up then attempt to pair or connect to your Bluetooth device again.

Second solution: Turn Bluetooth off and back on.

It’s possible that Bluetooth functions have gone rogue from the update and therefore needs restarting. Doing so can also help clear minor errors that may have caused conflict to your iPhone’s Bluetooth connections. So here’s what you should do then:

  1. Tap Settings.
  2. Go to Bluetooth.
  3. Tap the Bluetooth switch to turn the feature off.
  4. After a few seconds, tap the switch again to turn Bluetooth back on.

If that still failed to get your Bluetooth connection working, restart Bluetooth pairing mode on your Bluetooth device. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Locate the switch button (Bluetooth button) on your other Bluetooth device. Every Bluetooth device must have a switch for you to be able to easily activate pairing mode on or off.
  2. Press and hold that switch or button for a few seconds to take it out of pairing mode.
  3. Wait for about 30 seconds then press that switch or button again to put it back into pairing mode.

Retry pairing your iPhone and Bluetooth device to see if the pairing is successful. Otherwise, try other options.

Third solution: Forget Bluetooth connections on your iPhone 7.

You may have to clear your Bluetooth connections especially if they were all corrupted from the update. Doing so will let you set up and connect to your Bluetooth device as if it’s the first time your iPhone does. If you wish to give it a shot, then follow these steps to delete or forget Bluetooth connections and devices on your iPhone 7.

  1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
  2. Tap Bluetooth.
  3. Tap the information (i) icon next to the Bluetooth device you want to forget.
  4. Tap the option to Forget This Device.
  5. If prompted, tap Forget Device to confirm action.

The selected device should no longer be found under My Devices in Settings-> Bluetooth menu. Reboot your iPhone then reattempt to pair with or connect to your Bluetooth devices. Make sure the device is within the specified distance from your iPhone, in discoverable mode and turned on.

Fourth solution: Reset network settings on your iPhone 7.

Network settings errors can also cause conflict to Bluetooth and other relevant functions. This is possible especially if the new update overrides your current network settings automatically. To clear out any network errors and glitches affecting Bluetooth, follow these steps to reset network settings on your iPhone 7:

  1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap Reset.
  4. Select the option to Reset Network Settings. This will prompt your device to delete current network settings from your phone and then restore the default network values.
  5. If prompted, enter your passcode to confirm action.
  6. Then tap the option to confirm network settings reset.

Your iPhone will then reboot automatically when the reset is finished with its network settings restored to defaults. After it restarts, set up your network connections including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Then reattempt pairing your iPhone 7 to your Bluetooth device.

Fifth solution: Reset and restore factory settings on your iPhone 7.

You may have to consider resorting to a factory reset if you still cannot pair or connect your iPhone 7 to your Bluetooth device after exhausting all possible means to fix the problem. Your device might have obtained some fatal system issues following the recent iOS update and that likely require a full system reset. Should you wish to continue, back up all your important data for safekeeping. Then follow these steps to reset your iPhone 7 to its factory defaults through settings:

  1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap Reset.
  4. Select the option to Erase all content and settings. This will wipe everything from your iPhone system and then restore the default settings.
  5. If prompted, enter your passcode to confirm action.
  6. Then tap the option to confirm factory reset.

After the reset, you will need to set up your iPhone 7 and enable features that you want to use including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. More often than note, software-related issues are cleared by a master reset including those that are inflicted by an update. To find out if Bluetooth is already working, retry pairing your iPhone with your Bluetooth device. If the problem isn’t fixed and Bluetooth pairing doesn’t work, then consider other options like service.

Other options

Try pairing your iPhone 7 to any other Bluetooth accessories and see if it’s able to pair. If it does, then the problem is on the previous Bluetooth device you’re attempting to connect to. In that case, call the manufacturer or the Bluetooth device for help. If your iPhone 7 doesn’t pair with or connect to any Bluetooth device and accessory, then you’re most likely dealing with a major system issue on your iPhone, if not hardware damage. Contact your device carrier or Apple Support for further assistance and official recommendations.

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