If your iPhone 12 refuses to connect to your Bluetooth headset or speaker, don’t panic. Bluetooth pairing problems are usually minor and easy to fix with a few quick steps. This guide walks you through the most effective solutions to get your devices paired and working again.
Make Sure Bluetooth Is Turned On
First, double-check that Bluetooth is actually enabled and your accessory is in pairing mode.
- On your iPhone 12, swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center.
- Make sure the Bluetooth icon is blue. If not, tap it to turn it on.
- If it’s already on, toggle it off, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.
Make sure your headset or speaker is in pairing mode. If you’ve connected these devices before, they may auto-reconnect — if not, keep going.
Restart Your Devices
Sometimes all your phone and headset need is a quick reset.
To restart your iPhone 12:
- Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
- Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo.
While your phone is restarting, power off and restart your Bluetooth device, then put it back in pairing mode.
Once both devices are powered back on, try pairing again.
Forget the Device and Reconnect
If they’ve been paired before but now won’t connect, try removing the saved Bluetooth profile and re-pairing from scratch.
- Open Settings > Bluetooth.
- Tap the ⓘ icon next to the device that won’t pair.
- Tap Forget This Device, then confirm.
- Turn Bluetooth off, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on.
- Put your Bluetooth device into pairing mode again and try reconnecting.
This clears any corrupted pairing data that could be causing the problem.
Reset Network Settings
If none of the above works, reset your iPhone’s network settings. This wipes out all saved Wi-Fi networks, VPNs, and Bluetooth connections — so you’ll need to reconnect everything afterward.
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Reset, then choose Reset Network Settings.
- Enter your passcode if prompted.
- Tap Reset Network Settings again to confirm.
Once your iPhone restarts, enable Bluetooth and try pairing your headset or speaker again.
If you’re still having issues after trying everything above, it could be a hardware fault — either with your iPhone or the Bluetooth accessory. Testing with another headset or speaker can help confirm where the problem lies.