My iPhone and MacBook Air are not connecting via bluetooth

iOS to another iOS device or a Mac has never been supported, except for tethering. But it is a really poor way to do it, because Bluetooth is very slow. Wi-Fi or cable is much better. And Wi-Fi connects instantly for me, so you might want to investigate why it doesn’t for you.

More details→Bluetooth: Why can't I pair my iPhone or … - Apple Community

WiFi and Bluetooth are two separate distinct standards for wireless communications.

Macs run Mac OS, Windows ARM, and iOS Apps on 2020 and later Macs. Earlier Macs can run Mac OS and Windows.

There was no Mac OS 15. There is 10.15 Catalina, which was released in October 2019, and discontinued October 2020 before the release of the first iOS capable Macs.

Mac OS 14, Sonoma, is the current OS. We are awaiting any discovery of what Mac OS 15 will be hopefully for the conference coming up within two weeks time for developers.

iOS 15 is not current. There latest iOS is iOS 17, although older phones may only be able to upgrade to iOS 15.

Since I have not seen a reply by drgnan to our suggestions, let's wait for their response, and see what they can tell us. If you have a separate issue happening on another device, please start a new topic thread, unless you have suggestions for drgnan. It becomes much more difficult to solve multiple issues with different people on the same thread.

That would be because you can't pair an iPhone to a Mac via BT. You've never been able to.

Bluetooth: Why can't I pair my iPhone or … - Apple Community

Perhaps if you explain what you're trying to do, someone can provide the appropriate instructions.

Bluetooth does not work. My MacBook air M2 (2022) running OS 15 is not seen by my iPhone 15 Pro running iOS 17.

The iPhone sees the MacBook.

I've been with apple support for over an hour. We covered all the same steps I'd already donw

1. update the OS
2. reboot the system
3. make sure they are next to one another
4. have the bluetooth systems setting pages open on both devices

Nothing works.

I wouldn't care so much if my WiFi hot spot wouldn't take up to 15 minutes to be discovered.

All in all, I find Bluetooth to be a PITA. I can't recall all the problems I've had with it for over a decade.

This is not the only discussion over this problem.

How are you trying to use Wi-Fi? The RIGHT way:

• On your iPhone make sure Settings/Cellular/Personal Hotspot is on
• If your Mac is NOT logged in to the same Apple ID as your iPhone note the hotspot password
• On your Mac click on the Wi-Fi icon in the tool bar, and you should see your iPhone under Personal Hotspot and Click on it
• If it prompts for a password (meaning the devices don’t share an Apple ID) enter one
• It will connect within a few seconds.

John Zwiebel wrote:

Bluetooth does not work. My MacBook air M2 (2022) running OS 15 is not seen by my iPhone 15 Pro running iOS 17.

The iPhone sees the MacBook.

You can't pair a MacBook and an iPhone using Bluetooth. What is it you're trying to accomplish?

You can't pair a MacBook and an iPhone using Bluetooth. What is it you're trying to accomplish?

Since when?

My iPhone tells me that I can use Bluetooth as a hotspot.

There are several apple support articles explaining how to connect your iPhone to your mac. and literally dozens of articles on the web covering it.

The steps are extremely simple so it isn't as if there's some magic.

FWIW: it can take up to 15 minutes for the WiFi hot spot to show up so I thought I'd try something else.

This response is suppose to go to Lawrence Finch however the nature of this app keeps returning me to reply to

IdrisSeabright. I give up on trying to get it to go to the right person. My apologies for this.

Glad it "works for you". If it worked for me I wouldn't be asking this question.

Hotspot over WiFi can take as long as 15 minutes to connect. There's nothing to make it happen faster.

I have inquired as to whether or not there's something T-mobile has to do before I can connect. I'm just grabbing at straws.

There are dozens of places on Apple Support that say BlueTooth can be used as a hot spot. It is also a specific option on my phone. A 6 month old iPhone 15 running iOS 17.0 Yes, I'm aware that 17.1 is out, I've looked at the upgrades, there's nothing about bluetooth hotspots.

While I acknowledge a cable could be faster, that create other problems because cables always get tangled.

In another post you said:

However, with more recent versions of iOS and MacOS, and Apple's "Continuity" features such as Handoff, SMS sync, and Instant Hotspot (not to forget AirDrop), all of which use BlueTooth, the lack of the ability to pair between devices has created confusion.

I went to the "Instant Hotspot description" I've complied with that. You even say here that "Instant Hotspot" (which seems to be the same as "Personal Hotspot", or the difference is so trivial as to not matter) uses BlueTooth.

In which case, I'm imagining that because there is "no need" (or capability) to pair that the Mac will automatically choose. There's no indication I'm aware of that says the connection is via BlueTooth or WiFi, it appears the same "linked chain" icon will show up.

(FWIW: I note that the apple support page telling you how to use "instant hotspot" says to turn it on in "Settings/Personal Hotspot" which doesn't exist on my phone. There is "Settings/Cellular/Personal Hotspot" and that's been on for months.)

Please see my response to IdrisSeabright that was suppose to go to you.

Again, I'm glad it "works for you" if it worked for me I'd have no problem and would not be here asking.

WRT investigating why WiFi doesn't work for as long as 15 minutes, why do you think I'm trying to use Bluetooth. Been there done that.

I have a case open with Support.

I mistyped MacOS 15 I am running 14.5. My iPhone has iOS 17.0 on my iPhone 15. (I am pretty sure that's what I typed)

Pretty much my issue is the same as drgnan except to add the caveat that I want to use bluetooth to connect to the hotspot because WiFi can take 15 minutes or more to be offered a connection

Another point, since Finch's post says "instant hotspot" may use bluetooth, exactly how? does it use bluetooth to tether or is there a negotiation of some sort that results in a connection between the iPhone to the Mac always over WiFi.

I don't need a bluetooth connection, I need the hotspot to be reliable.

Lawrence: I've been a Mac user since 1985.

I've used hot spots on my iPhone for over a decade.

I've read all the support documents telling me how this is "suppose to work"

What I "should see" and what I "do" see is "no iPhone" hot-spot option.

Sometimes it does connect instantly.

Other times, (usually) following exactly the same steps, it will take over 15 minutes to allow me option of the hot spot.

This inconsistency is why I want to be able to set up the hot spot over bluetooth. Which my phone clearly says I can do.

Your post stated that "instant hotspot" used bluetooth, but I've been unable to find out "how" it uses bluetooth. I've considered dozens of possibilities that I won't list here.

The problem is not how long it takes to connect, the problem is that there's no offer to connect. Another way of putting it, there's no "iPhone xyzzy" option in the WiFi list for up to 15 minutes.

How far apart are they?

Is there anything else connected via Bluetooth?

How about sitting on top of one another.

I've had several other things connect via bluetooth on my mac. Headphones and a Sony TV

These same items connect to my iPhone.