The HTG Guide to Adding Bluetooth to Your Computer

The HTG Guide to Adding Bluetooth to Your Computer

Although the majority of laptops now come with Bluetooth support (along with more than a few modern motherboards), there are still plenty of us in need of Bluetooth upgrades. If you’re rocking an older device or simply purchased a new device without Bluetooth support, don’t fret. Read on as we show you how to easily and cheaply add Bluetooth support to both laptops and desktops alike.

Why Do I Want To Do This?
While you can get by just fine without Bluetooth support on your computer (especially if you’re rocking a desktop machine) there are tens of thousands of peripherals and accessories that require Bluetooth (or it at least makes them more convenient to use).

You could, for example, run an auxiliary audio cable from your computer to any of the Bluetooth speakers we reviewed in our recent Bluetooth speaker guide, but it would make your speaker a lot more portable and convenient to pipe in the music via Bluetooth so you could retain the ability to move it anywhere in your office. Bluetooth is also handy for adding on wireless head phones, game controllers, and other peripherals that it’s nice to enjoy wire-free.

Checking Your Computer for Bluetooth Radios
Before we precede, we’d encourage you to give your computer a double check for Bluetooth radios. If you have an older laptop or computer you’re probably correct in assuming that you don’t have a built-in Bluetooth radio. If you have a newer laptop, however, it’s practically a given that you have Bluetooth. Further, it used to be a non-existent feature on motherboards but in the last few years a surprising number of desktop motherboards have begun shipping with Bluetooth radios.

Fortunately it’s simple to check for evidence of Bluetooth in Windows. Breadcrumbs pointing the existent of the installed radio are littered liberally throughout the operating system and various menus. You can check for Bluetooth in the Networking section, as it’s a network protocol, by navigating to Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network Connections. If there is a properly installed and configured Bluetooth radio you’ll see an entry for “Bluetooth Network Connection” alongside any other more expected network connections like Ethernet and/or Wi-Fi.



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