Complete Guide: How to Enable or Disable Bluetooth in Windows

We live in an era when technological development incorporates wireless connectivity in many new releases. From computer peripherals to wearable accessories, being able to go wireless using Bluetooth is one of the main selling points of devices today. Although Bluetooth connectivity offers convenience in many ways, there are still some situations where you’ll want to turn it off, especially in managed environments where security is a priority.

In this guide, we’ll discuss different ways on how to enable or disable Bluetooth on Windows alongside steps to disable it. Before going any further, make sure you have administrative privileges and a Bluetooth-capable device so you can easily follow along.

Different ways to enable or disable Bluetooth on Windows

There are many reasons why an environment should configure its Bluetooth settings. First, turning this feature on helps sync smartphones and tablets for multi-device workflows, which is especially useful in BYOD environments. On the flip side, disabling Bluetooth allows for more robust security by preventing unauthorized wireless connections that can exfiltrate data and exploit an environment’s Bluetooth-based vulnerabilities.

The methods outlined below cover a broad umbrella of use cases, from configuring this setting for a single device to implementing this change for an environment. Use the following methods to match your organization’s security policies and wireless connectivity requirements.

Note: All the methods outlined in this guide also apply to Windows 10. Whether you’re using Windows 10 or Windows 11, the tools, commands, registry paths, and administrative policies for managing Bluetooth settings are functionally the same. The only differences you may encounter are cosmetic (e.g., layout in Settings) not functional.

Method 1: Enable or disable Bluetooth via Windows Settings

1. Press Win + I to open Settings, then click Bluetooth & devices found on the left panel.
2. Toggle the Bluetooth settings switch On or Off.
   • Setting the switch to On enables Bluetooth.
   • Setting the switch to Off disables Bluetooth.

🥷 Remember: This is the most simple and beginner-friendly method when configuring a user account’s Bluetooth settings, which makes it ideal for everyday users. However, this change doesn’t apply to all users in a device.

Method 2: Enable or disable via Device Manager

You can use Device Manager to configure Bluetooth settings for all user accounts in a local device. Additionally, it’s ideal for VDI master images when deploying Bluetooth setting changes for cloned devices.

1. Press Win + X and choose Device Manager.
   • Ensure that you have administrative privileges to make changes in the Device Manager.
2. Find and click the drop-down beside Bluetooth on the list of devices.
3. Right-click your Bluetooth adapter and choose Disable device to deactivate its driver.
   • Right-click your Bluetooth adapter and select Enable device to reverse this change.

⚠️ Important: Some disabled drivers, especially outdated ones, may not properly re-enable on older hardware. We recommend backing up your drivers first before disabling them for easy restoration. Additionally, turning off Bluetooth via Device Manager makes the feature disappear from Windows Settings, preventing users from reversing the change for their account.

Method 3: Disable Bluetooth via BIOS/UEFI firmware settings

This method is for you if you’re looking for a persistent disablement to prevent unauthorized connections even across reboots, especially when implementing zero trust security measures. Turning off Bluetooth via BIOS or UEFI firmware settings ensures total hardware-level and tamper-proof enforcement—completely disabling the feature at boot by preventing the OS from detecting or loading drivers for it.

1. Reboot your device and press the appropriate BIOS key to enter the UEFI or BIOS firmware settings.
   • Your device’s BIOS key will depend on your motherboard’s manufacturer.
     1. Normally, the vendor-appropriate BIOS key is located on the BIOS startup screen.
     2. Alternatively, you can check your manufacturer’s website for more information before booting into your firmware settings.
2. Locate the firmware settings for Bluetooth under Integrated Peripherals, Advanced, or Wireless Configuration.
   • The menu layout and terminology in BIOS and UEFI firmware settings vary per manufacturer.
3. Set the Bluetooth settings to Disabled.
   • Set it to Enabled to reverse the change.
4. Save the changes, exit the BIOS, and reboot your device.

⚠️ Important: There is no set-in-stone way to modify a device’s firmware settings. All the steps outlined in this portion of the guide will change depending on your motherboard’s manufacturer. In addition, most BIOS and UEFI settings can’t be pushed remotely and at scale unless you’re using enterprise BIOS management tools.

Method 4: Disable Bluetooth via Registry Editor

Say you’re making a base disk image for deployment on non-active directory devices and want to disable Bluetooth for all users right off the bat; you can make this change via Registry Editor. You can also leverage this method to turn off the Bluetooth feature for VDI clones.

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and then press Enter.
2. Go to
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Connectivity\AllowBluetooth.
3. Inside AllowBluetooth, find value.
4. Set the value for the value DWORD according to the Bluetooth functionality you want:
   • Set it to 0 to disable Bluetooth.
   • Set it to 2 to enable Bluetooth.
5. Click OK and then close the Registry Editor.

⚠️ Important: The Registry Editor contains important keys that maintain device stability. One mistake in editing those keys can break OS functionality. That said, we advise creating a registry backup before making changes for easy recovery in case things go south.

Method 5: Configure Bluetooth via the Local Group Policy Editor

The Local Group Policy Editor provides users with a documented way of configuring the Bluetooth settings of a device for all users. Unlike the Registry Editor, this method is limited by templates, making it generally safer. Although it’s safer, it’s not totally foolproof, so consider backing up your Group Policy settings before proceeding.

1. Press Win + R to launch Run, type gpedit.msc, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
2. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Bluetooth.
3. Inside Bluetooth, double-click Turn off the Bluetooth user experience.
4. Set the policy to Enabled to hide the Bluetooth UI and prevent its usage.
   • Set the policy to Disabled to reverse the change above.
5. Optionally, you can go to services.msc to prevent the Bluetooth stack from running.
   • Press Win + R to open Run, type services.msc, and then press Enter.
   • Find Bluetooth Support Service, right-click, and select Properties.
   • Under the General tab, click the Startup type dropdown menu, and choose Disabled.
   • This stops Bluetooth processes in the background, preventing users from re-enabling it.
   • Click Stop, Apply, and then OK.
6. Apply the changes by restarting or signing out of your account.
   • Alternative method: Open an elevated cmd, type gpupdate /force, and hit Enter.

📝Take note: There’s no single Group Policy setting that disables Bluetooth for all users entirely, but you can tweak policies related to Bluetooth behavior. To get the best results, pair this method with other steps, such as disabling Bluetooth via Device Manager.

Method 6: Enabling or disabling Bluetooth using Windows PowerShell

If you want to have a preset Bluetooth setting for new users in your environment, you can implement it as a provisioned script. This ensures consistency of Bluetooth settings across your environment while saving time and reducing manual scripting errors, allowing you to apply this change at scale.

1. Press Win + R, type PowerShell, then hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter to launch an elevated PowerShell.
2. Use either command depending on the provisioning outcome you want:
   • To provision Bluetooth as disabled:
     Get-PnpDevice -Class Bluetooth | Disable-PnpDevice -Confirm:$false.
   • To provision Bluetooth as enabled:
     Get-PnpDevice -Class Bluetooth | Enable-PnpDevice -Confirm:$false.
3. Save the command in a text editor and in a path that you can easily find.
   • E.g., C:\Provisioning\DisableBluetooth.ps1 or C:\Provisioning\EnableBluetooth.ps1.
4. Create a scheduled task using an elevated PowerShell to automate the script at device startup.
   • E.g., To disable Bluetooth upon startup, use the following command:

$action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute ‘PowerShell.exe’ -Argument ‘-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File “C:\Provisioning\DisableBluetooth.ps1“‘ $trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtStartup $principal = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId “SYSTEM” -RunLevel Highest $task = New-ScheduledTask -Action $action -Trigger $trigger -Principal $principal Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName “DisableBluetooth” -InputObject $task

Key considerations when disabling Bluetooth on Windows

Battery optimization

Bluetooth consumes a minimal amount of battery, but you can still disable it and combine it with other battery-saving strategies for the best results.

Security posture

Unnecessarily turning on Bluetooth for your organization can make it more vulnerable to threats, especially from unauthorized device pairings that can be exploited to steal data. Turning off this feature locks down your environment and secures it against these kinds of attacks.

Compliance

Disabling Bluetooth for Windows devices secures air-gapped, test-secure, or restricted environments, supporting your organization’s objectives of meeting the data protection requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Mobile Device Management (MDM)

You can incorporate changing Bluetooth settings into your environment’s MDM strategy by using configuration profiles to block or enforce Bluetooth availability.

Support your organization with the right Bluetooth configuration

The decision to enable or disable Bluetooth depends on your organization’s requirements and priorities. If you want to maximize your environment’s security posture, disabling Bluetooth settings can help you meet that need. Conversely, you can enable Bluetooth to optimize your environment for multi-device workflows, boosting productivity in the long run.

Now that you know how to enable or disable Bluetooth settings on Windows, employ the most appropriate approach to ensure your Bluetooth policies support your organization’s goals. Whether you’re trying to improve an end user’s workflow efficiency or harden an organization’s security posture, the steps outlined in this guide will help you efficiently apply this change for a single user or at scale.