How to fix iPhone XS Max Bluetooth pairing error or can’t pair?

Bluetooth is one of the key features you would find on iPhones. Although it involves a simple pairing process where you turn on Bluetooth on your iPhone XS Max...

Abd Razaaq

Last updated on July 24, 2019

Abd Razaaq

Author

I'm a Tech Content Writer and Full-Time blogger. Since I love Android and Google's device, I started my career in writing for Android OS and their features. This led me to start "GetDroidTips". I have completed Master of Business Administration at Mangalore University, Karnataka.

Solution #1: Restart your iPhone XS Max

This is one of the most common troubleshooting methods that you would find on the internet if you search for Bluetooth pairing or can’t pair issues on iPhone XS Max to shed light on it, almost any issue that you report on your device. The reason why it works is that it eliminates minor technical glitches and bugs that could have occurred preventing the Bluetooth or any other app or service that you want to use to start falling apart temporarily. Rebooting the device puts the iPhone in good health as it clears all the memory and other resources that were hoarded by apps and services that either was running in the foreground or the background. The procedure is simple, however, just to provide a detailed method, here’s how you can do about it.
Step 01: Press the Side button and any of the volume buttons for a few seconds.
Step 02: Release the said buttons when you spot ‘Slide to Power Off’ on the screen which you need to slide to turn off the phone and wait.
Step 03: After 30 seconds or so, press the Side button again and turn on the phone.

Solution #2: Toggle the Bluetooth to reset it

As The Cell Guide puts it, Bluetooth pairing issues could occur due to corrupt cache or even iOS directories that can render it impossible to connect to any Bluetooth enabled device and thus, it would land you in unsuccessful pairing and whatnot. This is why you need to fix it since it wouldn’t let you connect to a Bluetooth speaker and neither headphones or any other devices. Here’s how you can toggle it to jumpstart it and hopefully, it will work.

First up is to proceed to the Home screen and tap on Settings.
Next is to tap and open the Bluetooth menu and turn OFF the switch if it is ON.
Next thing you should do here is to wait for a few seconds before toggling it again.
You can also check out the same simply by recalling the Control Center which is similar to Android’s Notification Panel and toggle the Bluetooth icon right away.

Experts suggest that toggling airplane mode or flight mode on your iPhone XS Max can verily fix a majority of network and software related issues including the Bluetooth pairing error that we are trying to fix here. To initiate the process, you need to tap on the Airplane mode icon within the Control Center and wait for a few seconds before toggling it OFF and check if it makes any difference or not.

Solution #3: Forget and pair up

Next bit is to forget any paired up Bluetooth connection if connecting to these devices is problematic. The reason could be corrupted Bluetooth connections or cache that might have swing into action when you tried connecting to the same Bluetooth device twice. This is how you can get this off this Bluetooth pairing error on your iPhone XS Max.

You need to open the Settings app on your device.
Proceed to the Bluetooth menu and turn it ON.
This will open a list of all the paired connections wherein you can delete the same simply by tapping on the ‘i’ icon alongside the connection and ‘delete’ or ‘forget’ it.
You need to select ‘Forget this Device’ and confirm the same when prompted.
Wait for a few seconds before reconnecting to the Bluetooth device in question.

Solution #4: Reset Network Settings on your iPhone XS Max

Resetting network settings can make a lot of difference if the problem is triggered due to any network-related issue. Here’s how you can complete this troubleshooting method on your iPhone XS Max.

Go to Settings from the Home screen.
Proceed to General >> Reset >> Reset Network Settings.
The system could prompt the user to enter the password or passcode before confirming the same.
After entering the said credentials, tap on ‘Reset Network Settings’.

Solution #5: Upgrade to the latest iOS firmware

Apple iOS is one of the fastest to produce incremental updates which means all the bugs that developers and users have discovered on any version will be practically resolved in the next iOS update. It is possible that bugs or glitches or even malware or any unwanted agent caused the problem to the device’s Bluetooth feature rendering it difficult to pair or connect to any other Bluetooth device or it could also target any specific type of device or version of Bluetooth as well. If the problem is literally due to the current iOS firmware version, Apple will swiftly resolve it and here’s how you can track it.

You need to tap on the Settings tool on your phone.
Next is to navigate to General >> Software Update where you will have to check if there’s any update available or not.
If yes, tap on ‘Download and Install’ and complete the procedure to get things done.
Note that it is possible that the problem wasn’t caused by a faulty firmware and such cases, you’ll need help from Apple Care or Apple Store.

Solution #6: Seek professional help

If nothing works, this method will surely work in your favor. If you are still facing Bluetooth pairing error or can’t pair on your iPhone XS Max, it’s time you report the problem to an authorized service center or Apple Care. This is where you can check if the phone has any software or hardware related issues. This way, you will be able to check if the problem and its solution are covered under warranty that will be economical or else you can visit a nearby third-party service center which is always inexpensive. I don’t recommend going to a third-party service center explicitly since it will void the warranty but it is an option available at your disposal.

How to fix iPhone XS Max Bluetooth pairing error or can’t pair?