How to change name of bluetooth keyboard?

itsliz89 · Oct 12, 2008, 01:17 AM

Hi all,

I have an Apple bluetooth keyboard for my macbook pro. I got it a while ago and remember that a friend of mine had used it with his macbook once just to try it out. I haven't used the keyboard for some months and decided to start using it again recently, however, every time I turn it on, it is recognized as "John Smith's keyboard" rather than my name. I'm rather annoyed since it's always been my keyboard! I'm browsing around and can't seem to figure out how to change the name of the keyboard. Help please?

Cyclotrode · Oct 12, 2008, 03:13 AM

System Preferences/Keyboard & Mouse/Bluetooth

Under Bluetooth Keyboard you should be able to change the name.

itsliz89 · Oct 12, 2008, 03:27 AM

Fantastic, thank you!

animesux · Feb 12, 2010, 11:40 AM

It's a bit different now if anyone still has this problem with snow leopard. Now you go to system preferences, bluetooth, click on the keyboard on the box and then click the modify gear looking thing at the bottom of the list, click rename, rename, and there was much rejoicing.

offwidafairies · Mar 23, 2010, 11:28 PM

how do you change the name of other devices - for example the wii remote?

CJS7070 · Mar 23, 2010, 11:30 PM

System Preferences > Bluetooth > (Select the device) > (click the little gear in the bottom left) > Rename

offwidafairies · Mar 23, 2010, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJS7070

System Preferences > Bluetooth > (Select the device) > (click the little gear in the bottom left) > Rename

it doesn't give the option to RENAME, only to UPDATE DEVICE NAME, but that doesn't seem to do anything

Diggity Dang · Jul 28, 2010, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by offwidafairies

it doesn't give the option to RENAME, only to UPDATE DEVICE NAME, but that doesn't seem to do anything

Did you ever get an answer to this? I am having the same issue... thanks in advance!

Bamboeater · Aug 6, 2010, 11:06 AM

Hi, i got the exact same problem.
I tried out my keyboard and mouse on a mac since i was in another town for a few days so it wasnt my pc.

When i got home and connected them it said rebeccas keyboard and mouse, which is well annoying since im a guy, duh.

I changed the names there was no probs at first. Everytime i used it, it said my name after i changed it. But then i didnt use it for few months, and connected it to my PC again, its a windows machine btw, which i've built, and it says rebeccas keyboard and mouse again. And ofc i changed it again. and then didnt use it for some months.

And few days ago i got my iphone 4 and wanted to try out with the keyboard and *surprise!* rebeccas keyboard! Gaaaah

, im getting mad anybody that can help? or is it a must to change it on a mac?

HeldTheAncient · Aug 27, 2010, 11:10 PM

Solution: connect your keyboard to your mac via bluetooth. Run software update. There should be an available updated called something like "aluminum keyboard software." Install the updates and then you should have the option of renaming the keyboard from the bluetooth menu.

didb · Mar 3, 2011, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by animesux

It's a bit different now if anyone still has this problem with snow leopard. Now you go to system preferences, bluetooth, click on the keyboard on the box and then click the modify gear looking thing at the bottom of the list, click rename, rename, and there was much rejoicing.

Jst wanted to say thanks here. It did kind of bug me for a while

QuakeProd · Mar 30, 2011, 02:27 AM

Thanks for this thread.. I couldnt find it out and it was killing me! lol

John T · Mar 30, 2011, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuakeProd

I couldnt find it out and it was killing me! lol

A bit of logical thinking usually does the trick!

mex4eric · Jul 31, 2011, 04:41 PM

It worked fine in Snow Leopard, but has stopped working in Lion.

Wait for 10.7.1?

Neither Rename nor Update Name work.

tirerim · Oct 12, 2011, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mex4eric

It worked fine in Snow Leopard, but has stopped working in Lion.

Wait for 10.7.1?

Neither Rename nor Update Name work.

Nope, doesn't work in 10.7.1 either... at least, not on my iMac. It works fine on my MacBook Air, but devices which have been renamed on the Air still only show up by address on the iMac. Kind of annoying when I have a keyboard, trackpad, and mouse, and have to remember which is which by MAC address. I've submitted a bug to Apple, though, so maybe it will be fixed eventually...

claidheamdanns · Oct 17, 2011, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJS7070

System Preferences > Bluetooth > (Select the device) > (click the little gear in the bottom left) > Rename

Thanks! that did the trick for me!

sbhabyn · Nov 6, 2011, 03:33 PM

I think I have all the updates, but still cannot rename my Bluetooth Device using the 'gear'. Is the problem still not fixed ? Come on Apple. Mac 10.6 OSX Snow Leopard

SimJ · Jan 28, 2012, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJS7070

System Preferences > Bluetooth > (Select the device) > (click the little gear in the bottom left) > Rename

Hi,

New here.

Thank You so much!

This has been bugging me for a while.

Just fixed.

(Using Snow Leopard).

Many Thanks.

autoken · Mar 3, 2012, 07:58 PM

For Lion only

Apparently it seems impossible to change the Display Name of the Bluetooth devices in Lion once they are paired.
The names are remembered in the plist.

So I figured to just delete the Bluetooth Preference plist files and re-paired all the Bluetooth devices again.

Click on the modify gear icon, make sure you had "Rename" the current device and then "Update Name".
Although it seems nothing had happened, it actually send and register the new name to the target Bluetooth device.
(Lion will read this new name from the device during re-pairing afterward)

Then Remove the selected device with the [-] in the Bluetooth Preferences window.

Next trash this 2 files in /Library/Preferences
com.apple.Bluetooth.plist
com.apple.Bluetooth.plist.lockfile

RESTART the MAC and re-pair all the Bluetooth devices.

The new Bluetooth display name will be registered

therealjoco · Feb 21, 2013, 09:07 AM

They changed the location of changing the name of the keyboard or TrackPad. If you go to System Preferences -> Bluetooth you will see your connected devices and if you click the gear at the bottom left you will be able to rename it. This post is old, but I hope this helps anyone who is still wondering.

Oct 12, 2008, 01:17 AM	#1
itsliz89 macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: california	How to change name of bluetooth keyboard? Hi all, I have an Apple bluetooth keyboard for my macbook pro. I got it a while ago and remember that a friend of mine had used it with his macbook once just to try it out. I haven't used the keyboard for some months and decided to start using it again recently, however, every time I turn it on, it is recognized as "John Smith's keyboard" rather than my name. I'm rather annoyed since it's always been my keyboard! I'm browsing around and can't seem to figure out how to change the name of the keyboard. Help please?
	0

Feb 12, 2010, 11:40 AM	#4
animesux macrumors newbie Join Date: Feb 2010	Snow leopard It's a bit different now if anyone still has this problem with snow leopard. Now you go to system preferences, bluetooth, click on the keyboard on the box and then click the modify gear looking thing at the bottom of the list, click rename, rename, and there was much rejoicing.
	2

Mar 23, 2010, 11:28 PM	#5
offwidafairies macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia	change bluetooth device name how do you change the name of other devices - for example the wii remote? __________________ K.I.S.S 15" 2010 i7 8Gb 120SSD optibay + 500HDD MBP; 24" 2008 iMac; Dual Boot Dell Mini10v; iPhone 5; 2Gb iPod shuffle. 13" retina & 27" iMac coming soon!
	0

Mar 23, 2010, 11:30 PM	#6
CJS7070 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Chicago, IL	System Preferences > Bluetooth > (Select the device) > (click the little gear in the bottom left) > Rename __________________ ~Calvin 2x3.2ghZ Octo-core Mac Pro \| 15" 2011 MacBook Pro \| 32GB iPhone 4 \| 4th Gen 32GB iPod touch \| 16GB iPad 2
	0

Mar 30, 2011, 02:27 AM	#12
QuakeProd macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2010 Location: KC	Just passing by.. Thanks for this thread.. I couldnt find it out and it was killing me! lol
	0

Oct 12, 2008, 03:13 AM	#2
Cyclotrode macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Virginia	System Preferences/Keyboard & Mouse/Bluetooth Under Bluetooth Keyboard you should be able to change the name.
	1

Oct 12, 2008, 03:27 AM	#3
itsliz89 Thread Starter macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: california	Fantastic, thank you!
	0

Aug 6, 2010, 11:06 AM	#9
Bamboeater macrumors newbie Join Date: Aug 2010	Hi, i got the exact same problem. I tried out my keyboard and mouse on a mac since i was in another town for a few days so it wasnt my pc. When i got home and connected them it said rebeccas keyboard and mouse, which is well annoying since im a guy, duh. I changed the names there was no probs at first. Everytime i used it, it said my name after i changed it. But then i didnt use it for few months, and connected it to my PC again, its a windows machine btw, which i've built, and it says rebeccas keyboard and mouse again. And ofc i changed it again. and then didnt use it for some months. And few days ago i got my iphone 4 and wanted to try out with the keyboard and surprise! rebeccas keyboard! Gaaaah , im getting mad anybody that can help? or is it a must to change it on a mac?
	0

Aug 27, 2010, 11:10 PM	#10
HeldTheAncient macrumors newbie Join Date: Aug 2010	Solution: connect your keyboard to your mac via bluetooth. Run software update. There should be an available updated called something like "aluminum keyboard software." Install the updates and then you should have the option of renaming the keyboard from the bluetooth menu.
	0

Jul 31, 2011, 04:41 PM	#14
mex4eric macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Ottawa, Canada	Bluetooth Rename in Lion It worked fine in Snow Leopard, but has stopped working in Lion. Wait for 10.7.1? Neither Rename nor Update Name work.
	0

Nov 6, 2011, 03:33 PM	#17
sbhabyn macrumors newbie Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: West Sussex, UK	Unable to rename Bluetooth Device. I think I have all the updates, but still cannot rename my Bluetooth Device using the 'gear'. Is the problem still not fixed ? Come on Apple. Mac 10.6 OSX Snow Leopard
	0

Mar 3, 2012, 07:58 PM	#19
autoken macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2012	Resetting Bluetooth Preference in Lion For Lion only Apparently it seems impossible to change the Display Name of the Bluetooth devices in Lion once they are paired. The names are remembered in the plist. So I figured to just delete the Bluetooth Preference plist files and re-paired all the Bluetooth devices again. Click on the modify gear icon, make sure you had "Rename" the current device and then "Update Name". Although it seems nothing had happened, it actually send and register the new name to the target Bluetooth device. (Lion will read this new name from the device during re-pairing afterward) Then Remove the selected device with the [-] in the Bluetooth Preferences window. Next trash this 2 files in /Library/Preferences com.apple.Bluetooth.plist com.apple.Bluetooth.plist.lockfile RESTART the MAC and re-pair all the Bluetooth devices. The new Bluetooth display name will be registered
	0

Feb 21, 2013, 09:07 AM	#20
therealjoco macrumors newbie Join Date: Feb 2013	Here is the fix for mountain lion They changed the location of changing the name of the keyboard or TrackPad. If you go to System Preferences -> Bluetooth you will see your connected devices and if you click the gear at the bottom left you will be able to rename it. This post is old, but I hope this helps anyone who is still wondering.
	0

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