{"id":16601,"date":"2023-04-15T05:46:15","date_gmt":"2023-04-15T03:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/?p=16601"},"modified":"2025-10-15T23:15:29","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T21:15:29","slug":"raspberry-pi-bluetooth-setup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/raspberry-pi-bluetooth-setup\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Bluetooth on Raspberry Pi: GUI &#038; Command Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More and more devices today can use Bluetooth, and interestingly, it&#8217;s not that complicated to pair these Bluetooth devices with a Raspberry Pi (even without a desktop environment). So, if you have a Bluetooth mouse or speaker you&#8217;d like to use with your Pi, keep reading, and I&#8217;ll show you everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>On Raspberry Pi OS with Desktop, there&#8217;s a graphical tool to configure Bluetooth devices in the top-right corner, and most distributions will have similar options. From the command line, the &#8220;bluetoothctl&#8221; utility can be used to scan, pair, and configure Bluetooth devices.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s start with a desktop environment, using the tool on Raspberry Pi OS with Desktop, and I&#8217;ll then give you the commands to do it from a terminal (or Lite edition). I&#8217;ll finish with a few examples of Bluetooth devices you can use to enhance your Pi experience.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id19563_c031ec-35 .kb-table-of-content-wrap{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);background-color:var(--global-palette7, #EDF2F7);box-shadow:0px 0px 14px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id19563_c031ec-35 .kb-table-of-contents-title-wrap{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id19563_c031ec-35 .kb-table-of-contents-title{font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id19563_c031ec-35 .kb-table-of-content-wrap .kb-table-of-content-list{font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-sm, 0.9rem);font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;margin-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id19563_c031ec-35 .kb-toggle-icon-style-basiccircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id19563_c031ec-35 .kb-toggle-icon-style-basiccircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id19563_c031ec-35 .kb-toggle-icon-style-arrowcircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id19563_c031ec-35 .kb-toggle-icon-style-arrowcircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id19563_c031ec-35 .kb-toggle-icon-style-xclosecircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id19563_c031ec-35 .kb-toggle-icon-style-xclosecircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before{background-color:var(--global-palette7, #EDF2F7);}<\/style>\n\n<p class='ml_begpost' id='ml_begpost_commands'>If you&#8217;re new to Raspberry Pi or Linux, I\u2019ve got something that can help you right away! <br \/><a rel='noopener' href='https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/downloads\/?source=begpost&#038;lm=4' target='_blank'>Download my free Linux commands cheat sheet<\/a> \u2013 it\u2019s a quick reference guide with all the essential commands you\u2019ll need to get things done on your Raspberry Pi. <a rel='noopener' href='https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/downloads\/?source=begpost&#038;lm=4' target='_blank'><b>Click here to get it for free!<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Set Up Bluetooth From the GUI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you use the default Raspberry Pi OS desktop environment (PiXeL), there&#8217;s a Bluetooth icon in the top-right corner next to the clock. This utility can be used to enable or disable the Bluetooth adapter and pair new devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Turn On Bluetooth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>By default, Bluetooth is enabled on a fresh installation of Raspberry Pi OS with <\/strong><strong>Desktop<\/strong>, so you can probably skip this step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But if for some reason the Bluetooth is disabled on your Pi (grayed out), click on it and select &#8220;Turn On Bluetooth&#8221; from the dropdown menu. It looks like this:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"534\" height=\"133\" src=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/trixie_activate_bluetooth.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/trixie_activate_bluetooth.jpg 534w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/trixie_activate_bluetooth-300x75.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 534px) 100vw, 534px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bluetooth is now enabled, and you can move on to pairing your Bluetooth devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pair a New Device<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Raspberry Pi will only detect Bluetooth devices set to pairing mode<\/strong>. Refer to your device&#8217;s user guide to learn how to do this. Generally, there&#8217;s a Bluetooth button on it that you need to press once or hold down for a few seconds to make it discoverable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some devices can&#8217;t be paired to more than one device, so you may need to disconnect it from your other computer, for example. As it&#8217;s different with all accessories, it&#8217;s better to check the official documentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s how you can start the Bluetooth pairing process on Raspberry Pi OS Desktop: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Click on the Bluetooth icon in the top-right corner.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Add device&#8230;<\/strong><br><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"158\" class=\"wp-image-45267\" style=\"width: 600px;\" src=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_trixie_bt_add.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_trixie_bt_add.jpg 535w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_trixie_bt_add-300x79.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Raspberry Pi will start listing all detected devices in a window. It should look like this:<br><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"316\" class=\"wp-image-45265\" style=\"width: 600px;\" src=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/trixie_add_bt_device.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/trixie_add_bt_device.jpg 559w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/trixie_add_bt_device-300x158.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click on the device you want, then click the <strong>Pair<\/strong> button.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A few seconds later, you&#8217;ll get a confirmation that the pairing was successful:<br><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"107\" class=\"wp-image-31175\" style=\"width: 600px;\" src=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth_pairing_success.jpg\" alt=\"bluetooth pairing success message\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth_pairing_success.jpg 658w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth_pairing_success-300x53.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After pairing, you may need to open the Bluetooth menu again and click <strong>Connect<\/strong> from the device menu to finalize the connection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the device is connected, there might be additional steps to configure it. This will depend on the type of device. I&#8217;ll give you more details at the end of this article (Bluetooth usage examples).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, a mouse or keyboard might work immediately, while a speaker or phone will require additional steps to configure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Unpair a Connected Device<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once a device is paired with the Raspberry Pi, it will be listed in the dropdown menu when you click on the Bluetooth icon. You can find at least two actions in this menu: <strong>Disconnect<\/strong> (temporarily) and <strong>Remove<\/strong> (forget this device and unpair completely).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"607\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_trixie_bt_disconnect.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_trixie_bt_disconnect.jpg 607w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_trixie_bt_disconnect-300x111.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 607px) 100vw, 607px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For audio devices in particular, you may be interested in this article if it doesn&#8217;t work right away: <a href=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/fix-sound-issues-raspberry-pi\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"20174\">How To Fix Sound Issues On Raspberry Pi: Easy Solutions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Set Up Bluetooth using the Terminal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether you use <a href=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/ssh-guide-raspberry-pi\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/ssh-guide-raspberry-pi\/\">SSH<\/a>, a Linux distribution without a GUI like <a href=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/raspberry-pi-os-versions\/\">Raspberry Pi OS Lite<\/a>, or a simple terminal, it&#8217;s possible to achieve the same result from the command line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>On the command line, the main tool is the &#8220;bluetoothctl&#8221; utility. It opens a text prompt where you can type specific actions to manage everything related to your Bluetooth adapter and devices.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Turn On Bluetooth From the Command Line<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even on Raspberry Pi OS Lite, Bluetooth is enabled by default on a fresh installation. I&#8217;ll give you the instructions just in case you use another distribution or have it disabled, but in theory, you won&#8217;t have to do this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Make sure bluetooth isn&#8217;t blocked by default: <br><\/strong><code>rfkill unblock bluetooth<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Start the bluetoothctl utility:<\/strong><br><code>bluetoothctl<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Enable:<\/strong><br><code>power on<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>And to close the tool:<br><\/strong><code>exit<\/code><br>You&#8217;ll most likely continue with the pairing procedure first, but at least you know how to quit :-).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"804\" height=\"248\" src=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_lite_bt_on.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45268\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_lite_bt_on.jpg 804w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_lite_bt_on-300x93.jpg 300w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_lite_bt_on-768x237.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 804px) 100vw, 804px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s it, Bluetooth is enabled, and you can move to the next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n\t\t<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n\t<p  id=\"inpost_lm_linux_commands\"><b>Tip: <\/b> Command lines can be a pain to memorize. I put the essential Linux commands on a printable cheat sheet so you don't have to keep googling them.\u00a0You can <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/downloads\/?source=rb_linux&lm=4\" target=\"_blank\">grab the PDF here<\/a> if you want to save some time.<\/p>\r\n\t<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\t\t\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pair a New Bluetooth Device From the Terminal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Theory<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This procedure has almost the same steps as with a GUI:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Put the device in pairing mode.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Search for devices.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pair <\/strong>with the one you want to associate with.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Connect to<\/strong> it if you want to use it directly.<br>This step is automatic with a GUI, but there is an extra command in a terminal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As mentioned earlier, we&#8217;ll do everything with the <em>bluetoothctl<\/em> utility. There are many commands, but luckily they are pretty intuitive (with logical names and not that many options).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are the most important commands to know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>power on<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Turns on Bluetooth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>power off<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Turns off Bluetooth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>scan on<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Starts scanning for Bluetooth devices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>scan off<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Stops scanning for Bluetooth devices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>pair &lt;address&gt;<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Pairs with a Bluetooth device.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>remove &lt;address&gt;<\/strong> &#8211; Unpair a Bluetooth device.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>connect &lt;address&gt;<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Connects to a Bluetooth device.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>disconnect &lt;address&gt;<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Disconnects from a Bluetooth device.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>devices <\/strong>&#8211; List paired devices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use <strong>help <\/strong>to see all the options available, but these commands should be enough in most cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s take a concrete example. I have a Bluetooth keyboard I want to pair with on Raspberry Pi OS Lite (I&#8217;m doing this via SSH for my comfort, but it doesn&#8217;t change anything).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are the main steps to pair a keyboard to Raspberry Pi OS Lite:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Put the device in pairing mode.<br><\/strong>On my keyboard, there is a Bluetooth button on the back:<br><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"313\" class=\"wp-image-12398\" style=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/foldable-back.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/foldable-back.jpg 800w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/foldable-back-300x117.jpg 300w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/foldable-back-768x300.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Start the &#8220;bluetoothctl&#8221; tool:<br><code>bluetoothctl<br><\/code><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"922\" height=\"165\" class=\"wp-image-16612\" style=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetoothctl.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetoothctl.jpg 922w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetoothctl-300x54.jpg 300w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetoothctl-768x137.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 922px) 100vw, 922px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Start a scan to list all devices nearby:<br><code>scan on<br><\/code><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1117\" height=\"353\" class=\"wp-image-16611\" style=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-scan.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-scan.jpg 1117w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-scan-300x95.jpg 300w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-scan-1024x324.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-scan-768x243.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1117px) 100vw, 1117px\" \/><br>You&#8217;ll start to see all devices with their address (in pink on my screenshot) listed on your screen.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Find the device you want to associate (the last one for me) and use the pair command to pair it with the Raspberry Pi:<br><code>pair &lt;address&gt;<br><\/code><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1403\" height=\"395\" class=\"wp-image-16610\" style=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-pairing.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-pairing.jpg 1403w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-pairing-300x84.jpg 300w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-pairing-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-pairing-768x216.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1403px) 100vw, 1403px\" \/><br>A bunch of debug lines will show up, but the important ones are in the end &#8220;Pairing: yes&#8221; and especially &#8220;Pairing successful&#8221;.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In most cases, you&#8217;ll also need to connect to it once the pairing is completed. <br>Same syntax with the &#8220;connect&#8221; command:<br><code>connect &lt;address&gt;<br><\/code><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"909\" height=\"155\" class=\"wp-image-16609\" style=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-connect.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-connect.jpg 909w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-connect-300x51.jpg 300w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-connect-768x131.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 909px) 100vw, 909px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s it\u2014my keyboard works immediately, and I didn&#8217;t have to take any extra steps to configure it. But as mentioned earlier, depending on the type of device, additional configuration might be required (changing the default audio output for example).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bluetooth Usage Examples on Raspberry Pi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You now know how to pair any Bluetooth device with your Raspberry Pi. Now here are a few ideas on how you can use Bluetooth devices to improve your experience with your Pi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Audio<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I&#8217;m a bit picky about sound quality, and I can&#8217;t bear the sound from the monitor&#8217;s speakers when I listen to music, so I don&#8217;t use the HDMI output for sound. You can plug fancy speakers into the audio jack, but I generally find using Bluetooth speakers to be the easiest way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I tried it with two of my Bluetooth speakers, and it worked pretty well, so I recommend giving it a try, especially if you use your <a href=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/raspberry-pi-os-vs-ubuntu\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"8344\">Pi for desktop usage<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/osmc-vs-libreelec\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"10297\">media center<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/play-spotify-on-raspberry-pi\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1840\">as a Spotify player<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There&#8217;s an extra step after pairing the speaker, you need to <strong>right-click on the sound icon<\/strong>, and switch to the new device in the dropdown menu. It looks like this:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"451\" height=\"151\" src=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_trixie_bt_audio.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_trixie_bt_audio.jpg 451w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_trixie_bt_audio-300x100.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 451px) 100vw, 451px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can then go to &#8220;Device Profiles&#8230;&#8221; to adjust the settings if needed (volume, etc.), but it isn&#8217;t required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you don&#8217;t have a GUI, it&#8217;s the same thing, but remember that some dependencies may be required (ex: audio packages to use a Bluetooth speaker).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mouse\/Keyboard<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another great way to take advantage of the Bluetooth feature is to use a wireless mouse and keyboard with your Raspberry Pi. In <a href=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/best-raspberry-pi-keyboard\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"12385\">my comparisons of the best keyboards for Raspberry Pi<\/a>, I had a great one that works via USB or Bluetooth (so you can still do the installation with the cable).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I tested it for this article, and it worked perfectly. Just press the Bluetooth button and follow the instructions given above.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"359\" height=\"125\" src=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios-bluetooth-keyboard-e1760562912385.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16608\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios-bluetooth-keyboard-e1760562912385.jpg 359w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios-bluetooth-keyboard-e1760562912385-300x104.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 359px) 100vw, 359px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If needed, you can then go to the <strong>main menu > Preferences > Control Centre<\/strong> and then either the Keyboard or Mouse tab to configure advanced options (mouse speed, for example).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Game Controller<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are into retro-gaming and <a href=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/retropie-beginners-guide\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1189\">play Retropie<\/a> on your Raspberry Pi, keep in mind that it&#8217;s definitely possible to use a wireless controller with it, even in Bluetooth mode (like PS4 controllers).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I have several tutorials about this on this website, I&#8217;ll let you check them out for more details if you&#8217;re interested:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/retropie-ps4-controller\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1519\">How to Use a PS4 controller on Retropie? (The Easy Way)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/pair-ps4-controller-recalbox\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"5200\">How to Pair PS4 Controller with Recalbox? (Bluetooth)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/connect-bluetooth-controller-lakka\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"5431\">How to Connect a Bluetooth Controller to Lakka? (Really Works)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Connect to the Pi From Another Computer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-theme-palette-7-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Note<\/strong>: If for any reason you need to connect to your Raspberry Pi from another device, you need to make it discoverable first. And you&#8217;ll probably have to use a PIN code to confirm the connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the command line, you&#8217;ll enter the <strong>bluetoothctl<\/strong> utility like before:<br><code>discoverable on<br><\/code><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1077\" height=\"247\" class=\"wp-image-16613\" style=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-make-discoverable.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-make-discoverable.jpg 1077w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-make-discoverable-300x69.jpg 300w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-make-discoverable-1024x235.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-make-discoverable-768x176.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1077px) 100vw, 1077px\" \/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You also have the option from the desktop interface (&#8220;Make discoverable&#8221; in the dropdown menu when you click the Bluetooth icon):<br><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"171\" class=\"wp-image-45270\" style=\"width: 650px;\" src=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_trixie_bt_discoverable.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_trixie_bt_discoverable.jpg 550w, https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rpios_trixie_bt_discoverable-300x79.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I connected it to my laptop, but I didn&#8217;t have much success in terms of applications I could use with this connection, so I don&#8217;t know how useful this can be. In theory, I guess you should be able to transfer files, but it didn&#8217;t work for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Until next time, experience the joys of Bluetooth bliss with your Raspberry Pi. <\/p>\n\n\n<section id=\"end-block-pi\">\r\n<div class=\"rt-community-card \">\r\n\t<div class=\"rt-community-card__inner\">\r\n\r\n\t\t<div class=\"rt-community-card__main\">\r\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"rt-community-card__headline\">\r\n\t\t\t\tNot getting the same result?\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<p class=\"rt-community-card__description\">\r\n\t\t\t\tEven when you follow every step, small differences in OS version, hardware or config can change the outcome. Instead of wasting time guessing, get help from people who have already fixed the same kind of issue.\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"rt-community-card__actions\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"rt-community-card__button\" href=\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/school\/community\/?coupon=EBCTY\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>Ask your question now<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"rt-community-card__button-arrow\">\u2192<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"rt-community-card__small\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"rt-community-card__small-lock\">\ud83d\udd12<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNo risk. Cancel anytime.\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"rt-community-card__side\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"rt-community-card__benefits\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>Get help on your exact issue<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>Access step-by-step videos for tricky setups<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>Browse the website without ads<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.rt-community-card {\r\n\t--rt-bg: #f7f7f9;\r\n\t--rt-border: #e4e4e8;\r\n\t--rt-text: #15171b;\r\n\t--rt-muted: #5b6270;\r\n\t--rt-accent: #C61E4A;\r\n\t--rt-accent-hover: #aa183f;\r\n\t--rt-shadow: 0 12px 30px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06);\r\n\r\n\tmargin: 36px 0;\r\n\tcolor: var(--rt-text);\r\n\tfont-family: inherit;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.rt-community-card__inner {\r\n\tdisplay: grid;\r\n\tgrid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1.55fr) minmax(260px, 0.95fr);\r\n\tgap: 34px;\r\n\talign-items: start;\r\n\tbackground: var(--rt-bg);\r\n\tborder: 1px solid var(--rt-border);\r\n\tborder-radius: 22px;\r\n\tpadding: 34px 36px;\r\n\tbox-shadow: var(--rt-shadow);\r\n}\r\n\r\n.rt-community-card__main {\r\n\tmin-width: 0;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.rt-community-card__side {\r\n\tborder-left: 1px solid #e1e1e6;\r\n\tpadding-left: 28px;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.rt-community-card__benefits {\r\n\tmargin: 6px 0 0;\r\n\tpadding: 0;\r\n\tlist-style: none;\r\n\tdisplay: grid;\r\n\tgap: 18px;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.rt-community-card__benefits li {\r\n\tposition: relative;\r\n\tpadding-left: 18px;\r\n\tfont-size: 18px;\r\n\tline-height: 1.55;\r\n\tcolor: var(--rt-text);\r\n}\r\n\r\n.rt-community-card__benefits li::before {\r\n\tcontent: \"\";\r\n\tposition: absolute;\r\n\tleft: 0;\r\n\ttop: 0.72em;\r\n\twidth: 7px;\r\n\theight: 7px;\r\n\tborder-radius: 999px;\r\n\tbackground: var(--rt-accent);\r\n\ttransform: translateY(-50%);\r\n}\r\n\r\n.rt-community-card__actions {\r\n\tdisplay: flex;\r\n\tflex-direction: column;\r\n\talign-items: flex-start;\r\n\tgap: 10px;\r\n\tmargin-top: 30px;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.rt-community-card__button {\r\n\tdisplay: inline-flex;\r\n\talign-items: center;\r\n\tjustify-content: center;\r\n\tgap: 10px;\r\n\tmin-height: 60px;\r\n\tpadding: 0 28px;\r\n\tborder-radius: 14px;\r\n\tbackground: var(--rt-accent);\r\n\tcolor: #fff !important;\r\n\ttext-decoration: none !important;\r\n\tfont-size: 21px;\r\n\tfont-weight: 700;\r\n\tline-height: 1;\r\n\tbox-shadow: 0 12px 22px rgba(198, 30, 74, 0.22);\r\n\ttransition: background .2s ease, transform .2s ease, box-shadow .2s ease;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.rt-community-card__button:hover {\r\n\tbackground: var(--rt-accent-hover);\r\n\tcolor: #fff !important;\r\n\ttransform: translateY(-1px);\r\n\tbox-shadow: 0 14px 26px rgba(198, 30, 74, 0.28);\r\n}\r\n\r\n.rt-community-card__button-arrow {\r\n\tfont-size: 20px;\r\n\tline-height: 1;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.rt-community-card__small {\r\n\tfont-size: 15px;\r\n\tline-height: 1.5;\r\n\tcolor: #6a717d;\r\n\tpadding-left: 2px;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.rt-community-card__small-lock {\r\n\tmargin-right: 6px;\r\n\tfont-size: 14px;\r\n\tvertical-align: baseline;\r\n}\r\n\r\n\/* Tablet *\/\r\n@media (max-width: 900px) {\r\n\t.rt-community-card {\r\n\t\tmargin: 28px 0;\r\n\t}\r\n\r\n\t.rt-community-card__inner {\r\n\t\tgrid-template-columns: 1fr;\r\n\t\tgap: 24px;\r\n\t\tpadding: 28px 24px;\r\n\t}\r\n\r\n\t.rt-community-card__side {\r\n\t\tborder-left: 0;\r\n\t\tborder-top: 1px solid #e1e1e6;\r\n\t\tpadding-left: 0;\r\n\t\tpadding-top: 22px;\r\n\t}\r\n\r\n\t.rt-community-card__benefits {\r\n\t\tgrid-template-columns: 1fr;\r\n\t\tgap: 12px;\r\n\t}\r\n}\r\n\r\n\/* Mobile *\/\r\n@media (max-width: 640px) {\r\n\t.rt-community-card__inner {\r\n\t\tpadding: 22px 18px;\r\n\t\tborder-radius: 18px;\r\n\t\tgap: 20px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t\r\n\t.rt-community-card__side {\r\n\t\tpadding-top: 18px;\r\n\t}\r\n\r\n\t.rt-community-card__benefits li {\r\n\t\tfont-size: 16px;\r\n\t}\r\n\r\n\t.rt-community-card__actions {\r\n\t\tmargin-top: 24px;\r\n\t\talign-items: stretch;\r\n\t}\r\n\r\n\t.rt-community-card__button {\r\n\t\twidth: 100%;\r\n\t\tmin-height: 56px;\r\n\t\tfont-size: 18px;\r\n\t\tpadding: 0 20px;\r\n\t}\r\n\r\n\t.rt-community-card__small {\r\n\t\ttext-align: center;\r\n\t\tpadding-left: 0;\r\n\t}\r\n}\r\n<\/style>\r\n\t\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More and more devices today can use Bluetooth, and interestingly, it&#8217;s not that complicated to pair these Bluetooth devices with a Raspberry Pi (even without a desktop environment). So, if you have a Bluetooth mouse or speaker you&#8217;d like to use with your Pi, keep reading, and I&#8217;ll show you everything. On Raspberry Pi OS&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16616,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-tutorials"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":2,"label":"How-To Tutorials"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bluetooth-setup-guide-raspberry-pi-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Patrick Fromaget","author_link":"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/author\/admin\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":2,"name":"How-To Tutorials","slug":"how-to-tutorials","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":228,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":2,"category_count":228,"category_description":"","cat_name":"How-To Tutorials","category_nicename":"how-to-tutorials","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16601"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45272,"href":"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16601\/revisions\/45272"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}