Wireless connectivity issues including unstable Bluetooth connection are among the widespread problems affecting iOS devices like the iPhone 7 Plus. Some people have had troubles connecting to the iPhone to other Bluetooth accessories like headsets, keyboard, or car Bluetooth. Others are able to connect to Bluetooth but for some reasons often get disconnected. What could have possibly triggered Bluetooth problems to occur on the iPhone 7 Plus and how to fix it? Read on to find out the answers to these questions.
But before anything else, if you have other concerns with your iPhone 7 Plus, make sure you drop by our troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most commonly reported issues with this new iPhone. If you need further assistance or if you can’t find what you’re looking for in that page, fill up our iPhone issues questionnaire and hit submit. Don’t worry, it’s a free consultation service so you don’t have to worry about anything. Just give us more information about the problem and we’ll do our best to help you fix it.
Why your iPhone does not connect to or often get disconnected from your Bluetooth accessory?
Most cases of Bluetooth connectivity issues transpiring in iOS devices like your iPhone 7 Plus are related to the software. It can be triggered by a software glitch on either the iPhone or the Bluetooth accessories in use. Minor and major software updates to iOS and/or your Bluetooth device can likewise be the culprit especially if they contain some bugs that override your current settings and eventually hinders Bluetooth connectivity feature to work as intended. Sometimes, people are having trouble getting a stable Bluetooth connectivity due to proximity issues like when your iPhone and Bluetooth device are too far away from each other. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus sport a Bluetooth wireless 4.2 technology, otherwise referred to as Bluetooth Smart. It’s a more power and advanced Bluetooth version that allows Bluetooth devices to communicate within a 100-meter proximity range. Using paired Bluetooth devices beyond the specified proximity range could lead to problems like unstable connection or no connection at all.
Aside from proximity, other Bluetooth problems on pairing and connecting have been tied to some misconfigured or incorrect settings configuration on the iPhone 7 Plus. Before you can use Bluetooth, it has to be enabled on your iOS device. To verify and confirm it’s turned on, you can access to Control Center then tap the Bluetooth icon off and on.
To determine if the problem is isolated to your iPhone, try to use other Bluetooth accessories and pair them with your iPhone 7 Plus. If your other Bluetooth devices work with your iPhone, then the problem is not on the iPhone but rather on your first Bluetooth accessory. But if none of your Bluetooth devices is able to work with your iPhone 7 Plus, then that’s when you’ll need to fix something on your iPhone. This is when you will need to go a bit deeper and diagnose the problem and find out whether it is being triggered by your iPhone’s software or hardware.
You may consider a physical or liquid damage among the culprits especially if you’ve previously got your iPhone dropped or exposed to liquid. A hard drop or liquid exposure can potentially cause damage to the iPhone antenna responsible for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to function as intended. If you’re having troubles with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your iPhone 7 Plus, then it’s most likely due to a damaged antenna.
Potential solutions to deal with unstable Bluetooth connection on your iPhone 7 Plus
Highlighted below is a rundown of possible solutions and workarounds that will help you deal with Bluetooth connectivity issues on your iPhone 7 Plus that are related to the software. If none of these methods will work and your iPhone Bluetooth problem persists, then that’s when you may consider physical or hardware repair as an option. Be sure to test your device after completing each method to determine whether or not the problem is fixed. You may have to try more options, if needed.
Reboot your iPhone 7 Plus and Bluetooth device (soft reset).
A simple reboot can fix minor issues that occur randomly in mobile devices. Just like any other functions, Bluetooth can also succumb into random glitches including issues manifested with unstable or intermittent connection. To rule this out from the possible causes, try to reboot your iPhone and your Bluetooth device. Allow both your iPhone and Bluetooth device to power off for about 30 seconds then turn them back on.
Toggle Bluetooth off and on again.
This trick can also help rectify minor software glitches that may be preventing your iPhone 7 Plus and Bluetooth device from pairing or establishing stable connection. You can turn Bluetooth on or off through Settings, Control Center, and using Siri.
Here’s how to turn Bluetooth off or on through Settings app:
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Bluetooth.
- Toggle the switch to turn Bluetooth off for a few seconds and then back on.
Here’s how to turn Bluetooth off or on through the Control Center:
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to launch the Control Center.
- Tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it off and then tap the icon again to turn it back on.
Here’s how to turn Bluetooth off or on using Siri:
- Say Hey Siri or press and hold the Home button for a few seconds to turn on Siri.
- Say Turn off Bluetooth to turn Bluetooth off.
- Then say Turn on Bluetooth to turn Bluetooth back on again.
Pair and connect your iPhone and Bluetooth device then see if that works.
Turn off pairing mode on your Bluetooth device.
If a minor software glitch is causing your Bluetooth device to disconnect, turning pairing mode off and back on may fix rectify the glitch. Majority if not all Bluetooth devices have a switch or button that is used to take the device in and out of pairing mode. Try to locate that button on your Bluetooth device and then press or hold it for a few seconds to take it out of Bluetooth pairing mode.
After about 30 seconds, press or hold that button or switch again to put the device back into Bluetooth pairing mode and then try connecting it to your iPhone 7 Plus once again.
Forget the Bluetooth device on your iPhone 7 Plus
Forgetting a Bluetooth device works as if the Bluetooth accessory was never connected to your iPhone. So the next time you pair it with your iOS device, it will be like they are connecting for the first time. Doing so will give both Bluetooth devices a clean fresh start. Here’s how to forget a Bluetooth device on your iPhone 7 Plus:
- Navigate to Settings->Bluetooth menu on your iPhone.
- Tap the blue i (information) icon located next to the Bluetooth device you want to forget.
- Then tap Forget This Device.
- If prompted, tap Forget Device to confirm action.
You will know if the device has been forgotten if it no longer shows up under My Devices in Settings-> Bluetooth menu.
After you have forgotten the Bluetooth device, restart your iPhone and Bluetooth device then pair them again.
Reset network settings on your iPhone 7 Plus
A network settings reset will erase the data on your iPhone from all of your Bluetooth devices, Wi-Fi networks and Virtual Private Networks (VPN). This can fix more complex software issues particularly those that are tied to incorrect or network settings errors. But before you reset network settings on your iPhone, be sure to take note of all your Wi-Fi passwords because you will need to re-enter them afterwards. Here’s how a network settings reset is done on your iPhone 7 Plus:
- Tap Settings.
- Tap General.
- Scroll to and tap Reset.
- Select the option to Reset Network Settings
- Enter your passcode if prompted.
Your iPhone will then reset network settings and restart itself when done.
After the network settings have been reset, try to pair your Bluetooth device with your iPhone once again and see if that fixes the problem.
DFU Restore or Factory Reset.
This would be the final troubleshooting procedure you can resort to if your iPhone 7 Plus still won’t connect to Bluetooth or gets unstable Bluetooth connection.
A DFU Mode restore is deemed as the most in-depth restore performed on an iPhone.. It completely erases all data stored on the iPhone and thereby eliminates any corrupt data that might have caused complex software issues to instigate including those that are related to the iPhone’s Bluetooth function. It is highly recommended to backup your device beforehand should you wish to proceed with a DFU mode restore. Once everything is backed up and set, you may refer to the following steps on how to put your iPhone 7 Plus in DFU mode and restore iOS:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer. You can use either a Mac or Windows PC preferably with later or latest OS version.
- Open iTunes on your computer.
- Press and hold the Power button and Volume Down button simultaneously for 8 seconds.
- After the elapsed time, release the Power button but continue holding the Volume Down button until you are prompted with an iTunes message saying that it has detected an iPhone in recovery mode.
- Release the Volume Down button when you see the above iTunes prompt.
- Your iPhone’s screen will then become completely black. That means that you have successfully entered DFU mode. If your display is not black or showing other icons or logos, it means that you haven’t successfully entered DFU mode and that you will need to start from the very beginning.
Once you’ve entered DFU mode, restore your iPhone 7 Plus using iTunes.
Test to see if Bluetooth connectivity is already stable after performing a DFU mode restore. If not, then try some other options including the ones mapped out below.
Other options
- Update iOS to the latest version. Software updates can potentially fix software issues that might have prevented Bluetooth from working properly on your iPhone 7 Plus. So if you haven’t already, check your iPhone to see if an update is available then give it a shot. Don’t forget to backup your iPhone data beforehand for safekeeping.
- Use AirDrop. If you are trying to share files between your iPhone 7 Plus and other Apple devices like iPad, iPad and Mac computer but your Bluetooth connection is still unstable, then you can try using AirDrop instead. It’s an instant way of sharing photos, videos, documents and other contents with other Apple devices nearby. Visit our Tutorial page to view a step-by-step walkthrough on how to use AirDrop on your iPhone.
- Contact Apple Support. Escalate the Bluetooth problem on your iPhone 7 Plus to your carrier’s customer care or Apple Support if it started after installing a new iOS update. Doing so will let them assess the issue and/or tag it among other post-update problems that are needed to be addressed by a follow-up update containing the required fix patch.
Meanwhile, if you suspect that the problem is with your Bluetooth accessory, then you should likewise consider contacting the device’s manufacturer for further assistance and suggestions. Also verify and ensure that the Bluetooth device is compatible with your iOS device and is supported by iOS 11.
Engage with us
If you have other issues with your Apple iPhone 7 Plus, we are always willing to help. Contact us through our iPhone issues questionnaire and provide us with all necessary information about your problem so we can find a solution to your issue.