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How to change name of bluetooth keyboard?

itsliz89

itsliz89

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 9, 2008
52
1
california
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?
 
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.
 
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 :mad::mad:, im getting mad anybody that can help? or is it a must to change it on a mac?
 
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.
 
animesux said:
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.
Click to expand...

Jst wanted to say thanks here. It did kind of bug me for a while :)
 
Just passing by..

Thanks for this thread.. I couldnt find it out and it was killing me! lol
 
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.
 
mex4eric said:
It worked fine in Snow Leopard, but has stopped working in Lion.

Wait for 10.7.1?

Neither Rename nor Update Name work.
Click to expand...

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...
 
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
 
CJS7070 said:
System Preferences > Bluetooth > (Select the device) > (click the little gear in the bottom left) > Rename
Click to expand...

Hi,

New here.

Thank You so much!

This has been bugging me for a while.

Just fixed.

(Using Snow Leopard).

Many Thanks.
 
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 :)
 
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.
 
animesux said:
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.
Click to expand...

And there was MUCH REJOICING indeed!!!Thank you. This still works with Yosemite as well.
@itsliz89 My brother did the same--tried out MY keyboard and mouse and named it as HIS saying you can change it anytime, but didn't show me how. Has bugged me for a year. THANKS again.
 
I just received a used iMac running El Capitan and I don't have a gear, or any other options that I can see to change the name.

Any suggestions on how to rename my Keyboard?
 
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