Bluetooth May Not Turn Back on When Using Wireless Switch on a Dell Laptop

Summary: Controlling Bluetooth using the wireless switch on some Dell laptops

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Symptoms

Bluetooth may not turn back on when using wireless switch.

Note: The wireless switch is a physical switch that can be used to enable or disable the wireless functions used by the system. The switch can be configured in the BIOS on many models and how it is used. (WiFi, WWAN, and Bluetooth)

Table of Contents:

  1. Bluetooth may not turn back on when using wireless switch
  2. Solution

Bluetooth may not turn back on when using wireless switch

Bluetooth may not turn back on when using the wireless switch.

If the Wireless switch is used to turn off Wireless/Bluetooth and the system is rebooted, and then the switch is used to turn back on wireless and Bluetooth, then Bluetooth may still be inactivated.

Note: By default from the factory, the wireless switch is only set to turn off wireless networking, but not Bluetooth.

However the defaults for the BIOS are that the switch turns off both wireless networking and Bluetooth.

If the defaults for the BIOS are loaded, then this situation may occur. 

Cause

Cause information is not available.

Resolution

A workaround for the above issue is to change the wireless switch settings in the BIOS.

  1. Turn on the system

  2. Tap the < F2 > key at the Dell logo - to enter the system BIOS.

  3. Select Wireless from the left menu

  4. Then Wireless Switch

  5. Set the Wireless Switch settings to not turn off Bluetooth

  6. Press the ' Apply ' button

  7. Exit from BIOS

  8. Perform a full shutdown from Windows for the changes to take effect.

    Note: The screen below is an example of the location of the BIOS settings for the Wireless Switch. Depending on your system BIOS, the layout may vary. Click the (+) plus signs on the menu to expand the options available.

SLN284158_en_US__41369922840620.BT-Bios

Note: If issues persist see article Guide For Pairing Bluetooth Devices for further assistance in troubleshooting Bluetooth issues.

Bluetooth  For more information and support for Bluetooth, please go to our dedicated support page.

See these Dell Knowledge Base articles for related information:

Affected Products

Chromebook, G Series, Alienware, Dell Plus, Dell Pro, Dell Pro Max, Dell Pro Plus, Dell Pro Premium, Inspiron, Latitude, Dell Pro Rugged, Vostro, XPS, Legacy Laptop Models, Mobile Workstations, Dell Pro Max 16 XE MC16250
Article Properties
Article Number: 000150369
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 04 Apr 2025
Version:  8
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