Fix iOS 18 Bluetooth Connection Problems

Some iPhone users have noticed Bluetooth connection problems after updating their device to iOS 18, often presenting as dropping connections, or as an inability to connect to Bluetooth devices, whether those Bluetooth devices are speakers, hearing aids, headphones, car stereo systems, or even gaming controllers.

Often you can resolve Bluetooth issues by simply toggling Bluetooth, restarting an iPhone by turning it off and on again, or by turning the Bluetooth device itself off and on again. But we’re going to assume you already tried that, unsuccessfully, and you’re still having issues with Bluetooth connections in iOS 18. In that case, read along for a tried and true method of resolving Bluetooth issues on iPhone.

Fix Bluetooth Connection Issues with iOS 18

Before proceeding with the Bluetooth troubleshooting steps below, make sure you install any available iOS system software updates on the iPhone. Known bugs will be resolved by Apple with software updates.

You can update your iPhone by going to Settings > General > Software Update and installing anything available.

Once your iPhone is updated to the latest available version of iOS 18.1 (or later), here’s how you can fix Bluetooth connection issues:

1. Go to “Settings” app then go to Bluetooth and turn Bluetooth OFF (you can also turn off Bluetooth in iOS 18 by pressing the small blue Bluetooth icon in Control Center)
2. Now in the same Bluetooth menu, tap the (i) button next to the devices that you want to connect to but aren’t working as intended
3. Tap on “Forget this Device” to remove the Bluetooth device from your connections list
4. Now restart the iPhone with a force reboot, by pressing Volume Up, Volume Down, and then pressing and holding the Power button until the  Apple logo appears on screen
5. When the iPhone boots back up again, return to the Settings app and go back to “Bluetooth”
6. Toggle the Bluetooth switch back on
7. Now find the Bluetooth device(s) you want to connect to and go through the pairing process again

At this point, the iPhone should be successfully connected to the Bluetooth device again.

Simply unpairing, restarting, and then pairing again the Bluetooth device, usually fixes

If for some reason, there continues to be Bluetooth connection issues or devices not working as intended, you can go through these general Bluetooth troubleshooting tips and fixes.

While it is frustrating to experiences problems with connectivity, like this with Bluetooth, or with wi-fi turning itself on or having connection difficulties, it’s also not completely unheard of behavior. Oftentimes after a major system software update, a group of users will experience oddities and issues with connectivity that is thankfully usually fairly easy to remedy with troubleshooting tips like those detailed here.

Did you have any unexpected Bluetooth issues with iPhone and iOS 18? Did the tips here help to resolve the problem for you? Did you find another solution? Share with us your experiences in the comments.