This article will show you how to determine if your computer has a built-in Bluetooth adapter. Most Windows computers and almost all Macs have an adapter like this, but some desktops and older desktops don't.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Windows
Step 1. Open the Start Menu
Click on the Windows logo in the lower left corner of the screen.
Alternatively, you can right-click on Start to open a menu with additional options
Step 2. Open Device Manager
Type device manager and then click Device Manager from the Start menu. The Device Manager window will open.
If you right-clicked on Start, select Device Manager from the menu that appears
Step 3. Find the heading "Bluetooth"
If there is one (for example, at the top of the window), a Bluetooth adapter is installed on the computer.
If you cannot find such a header, there is no Bluetooth on the computer
Method 2 of 3: Mac OS X
Step 1. Open the Apple menu
Click on the Apple logo in the upper left corner of the screen.
Step 2. Click About This Mac
This option is on the menu. A pop-up window will appear.
Step 3. Click System Report
It's near the bottom of the About This Mac window. A new window will open.
On older versions of Mac OS X, you need to click Details
Step 4. Expand the Hardware section
Click the right-pointing triangle
to the left of Equipment. The contents of the "Hardware" section will be displayed.
If the triangle next to Hardware points down, the section is already expanded
Step 5. Find the heading "Bluetooth"
At the top of the Hardware section, find the Bluetooth heading.
If you cannot find such a header, there is no Bluetooth on the computer
Step 6. Confirm that the computer has Bluetooth
If you find the heading "Bluetooth", click on it - if information about Bluetooth is displayed on the right, the corresponding adapter is installed on the computer; otherwise, you will not be able to turn on Bluetooth on your computer.
Method 3 of 3: Linux
Step 1. Start the terminal
Click or double-click on the terminal icon in the form of a black square with white "> _" symbols.
You can also press Alt + Ctrl + T to open a terminal on most Linux distributions
Step 2. Enter the Bluetooth search command
Enter the following command and then press ↵ Enter:
sudo lsusb | grep Bluetooth
Step 3. Enter your password
When prompted, enter the password you use to log in, then press ↵ Enter.
Step 4. Review the results
If the next line of the terminal displays the model and manufacturer of the Bluetooth adapter, it is installed on the computer.
- If the line is empty, there is no Bluetooth on the computer.
- Be aware that some Linux distributions do not support built-in Bluetooth adapters.