macOs Monterey 12.7.6 not pairing with iphone16 Pro using Bluetooth

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macOs Monterey 12.7.6 not pairing with iphone16 Pro using Bluetooth

I m trying to pair my partner's iPhone16 Pro with my iMac using Bluetooth and the same WIFI network. This is to enable easier transfer of files between devices using Airdrop.

I tried to toggle the Bluetooth on and off, checked the Privacy Settings, Restarted both devices.....I can see that the iphone detected the iMac and vice versa. I even saw the same codes on both devices to start the pairing process. However, that's when the process fell apart. In the Bluetooth Preferences window on the Mac, I can see it trying to connect. But in a split second the 'Connect' becomes 'Not connected'. On the iPhone side, the box popped up that told me either that the Pairing was unsuccessful; or, that the Mac is not supported. I can't believe the last message about the Mac not being supported. That's not very 'Apple'.

One other thing, I was able to send files from the Mac to the iPhone. But not the other way around.

All the OSs are up to date for the Mac (Monterey 12.7.6) and iPhone16 Pro (iOS 18.7.1)

Thank you for your kind assistance.

Posted on Oct 7, 2025 8:31 PM

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Answer 1

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Servant of Cats

Level 7

33,527 points

Oct 8, 2025 5:12 AM in response to titatom

titatom wrote:

I m trying to pair my partner's iPhone16 Pro with my iMac using Bluetooth and the same WIFI network. This is to enable easier transfer of files between devices using Airdrop.

iPhones and Macs don't work with each other using BlueTooth pairing. Some Continuity features may make use of Bluetooth – but typically not in a pairing way.

Depending on what you want to do, there are various ways to get Macs and iPhones to work together, including

Synchronization through iCloud (Photos, Contacts, Notes, iCloud Drive, etc.)
Connections to shared e-mail accounts (which can have associated calendars)
Continuity features (Continuity features and requirements for Apple devices - Apple Support)

With respect to AirDrop, see:

Another way to transfer files might be to use iCloud Drive:

Set up iCloud Drive on all your devices - Apple Support

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Answer 2

titatom Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 9, 2025 3:51 PM in response to Servant of Cats

Thank you very much for your help. Finally got it to work. Just a matter of setting both devices to 'everyone' when using AirDrop. Didn't need to use this setting before, but, whatever works :)

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Answer 3

Oct 8, 2025 9:53 PM in response to titatom

titatom wrote:

Is it possible to use a USB-C to USB cable to 'physically' do the pair instead of using Bluetooth? Will it work?

If you want to connect your Mac and iPhone with a cable to "manually" synchronize things, see the following:

Sync content between your Mac and iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

Sync files from your Mac to iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

You can synchronize some things this way without synchronizing everything this way. (E.g., I'm using "manual" synchronization for music, and iCloud- or email-account-based synchronization for just about everything else.)

Once you've used a USB cable, you can set things up to let you do future synchronizations either over a cable or over Wi-Fi.

Sync content between your Mac and iPhone or iPad over Wi-Fi - Apple Support

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Answer 4

Oct 8, 2025 10:01 PM in response to titatom

titatom wrote:

I m trying to pair my partner's iPhone16 Pro with my iMac

I just noticed this.

Assuming that you are using different Apple IDs – as Apple recommends – that could be an issue for iCloud-based synchronization unless you explicitly set up shared folders.

Use iCloud File Sharing to share folders and documents with others - Apple Support

Share files and folders in iCloud Drive on iCloud.com - Apple Support

I don't know how it is going to affect connecting your partner's Phone 16 Pro to your Mac with a cable.

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Answer 5

titatom Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 9, 2025 10:56 AM in response to Servant of Cats

Thank you. I'll try the different ways suggested and see if anything works.

I didn't have problem with iphone12; I managed to pair the 12 with the 16 with differing Apple IDs. For the Mac, I managed to airdrop pictures from the Mac to the 16 with differing IDs, just not the other way around. I added a 2nd Apple ID to the 16 in order to have the same Apple ID between the 16 and the Mac. I tried it again just a few minutes ago but it was unsuccessful. The 2 devices recognized each other to the extent that they'd connect for a split second but couldn't sustain their connection/pairing.

I noted that other iPhone 16 users seem to have a similar issue. Thank you for the links. I will try again. But perhaps a software update in the future may help resolve this problem

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Answer 6

titatom Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 8, 2025 9:13 AM in response to Servant of Cats

Thank you.

Is it possible to use a USB-C to USB cable to 'physically' do the pair instead of using Bluetooth? Will it work?

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