Howcome iPhone bluetooth can't pair with Macbook or another phone

[kulimer]

I use a iPhone 4S, and could not pair it with my MacBook. I was told by Apple Care, it's impossible. iPhone bluetooth can ONLY pair with a headset. In fact, I can't even pair it with my just retired Nokia.

Correct me if I am wrong, or others have gotten theirs to work. Or possibly any work around?

 

[trekkie604]

the iPhone doesn't support the bluetooth file transfer profile.

 

[saving107]

Why are you trying to pair it with your MacBook (to sync?)

If so, using the USB cable (or even WiFi sync) will always be faster than bluetooth.

 

[kulimer]

Why are you trying to pair it with your MacBook (to sync?)

If so, using the USB cable (or even WiFi sync) will always be faster than bluetooth.

I apologize in advance if I sound rude. I am frustrated by this! Why does it matter to Apple what I use my bluetooth for?

My retired Nokia can pair with MacBook perfectly fine. Also, this means file transfer can be done in bluetooth.

My guess is, this is an inherent feature in bluetooth. Did Apple go out its way to disable it? Possibly to eliminate tethering and pay for data?

 

[M Quick]

You cannot use bluetooth for example tethering or sharing the internet off the phone? I do can on my macbook from my iPhone, have been available to do this since i had the iPhone 3G..

 

[kulimer]

You cannot use bluetooth for example tethering or sharing the internet off the phone? I do can on my macbook from my iPhone, have been available to do this since i had the iPhone 3G..

I am not sure if you are reading my post wrong, or I am not getting your question.

To clarify, I cannot pair iPhone with Macbook, so no tethering. In the case that tethering is possible between 4S and Macbook, how did you do it?

 

[saving107]

To clarify, I cannot pair iPhone with Macbook, so no tethering. In the case that tethering is possible between 4S and Macbook, how did you do it?

What you're asking is supported (has been since iOS 3.0), but requires that you have a Tethering/Personal Hotspot plan on your account (in the US for an additional fee, some international carriers sometimes offer this for free).

 

[verwon]

Wrong thread.

 

[M Quick]

I am not sure if you are reading my post wrong, or I am not getting your question.

To clarify, I cannot pair iPhone with Macbook, so no tethering. In the case that tethering is possible between 4S and Macbook, how did you do it?

I can pair my iPhone with my macbook to share my internet connection of the phone using bluetooth. I cannot pair it for anything else than that using bluetooth though, except headsets or audio systems in the car.

 

[penfan82]

Wasn't happy about this either my ex droidx was able to pair with my iPad which came in handy at places like my moms who still has no Internet paying for the personal hotspot annoys me why give big red more money

 

[M Quick]

Wasn't happy about this either my ex droidx was able to pair with my iPad which came in handy at places like my moms who still has no Internet paying for the personal hotspot annoys me why give big red more money

This is not because of the iPhone but rather because of your service provider not providing this feature to you on your iPhone, like i said, i can do this fine and have always been able to with my service provider!

I have noticed that State side, most service providers doesn't have this function enabled by default and therefor you guys are missing it out, which i find strange..

I mean, even my pre-paid supports it hehe..

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I use a iPhone 4S, and could not pair it with my MacBook. I was told by Apple Care, it's impossible. iPhone bluetooth can ONLY pair with a headset. In fact, I can't even pair it with my just retired Nokia.

Correct me if I am wrong, or others have gotten theirs to work. Or possibly any work around?

It's not that it can't pair really, an iPhone can pair to a computer in tethering mode as others have mentioned... it can even pair with other iPhones, there are Bluetooth "Walkie Talkie" apps in the App Store.

Apple has chosen not to implement some of the Bluetooth profiles, such as file transfer profile. Currently they support only HSP/HFP (Headset Profile / Hands Free Profile, for phone calls) - A2DP/AVRCP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile / Audio Video Remote Control Profile) for stereo music, HID (Human Interface Device) for keyboards, and perhaps a couple of the lower-level messaging profiles. Internet sharing most likely won't be added as a generic Bluetooth feature since that is already addressed with the hotspot capability.

There are a TON of available profiles, most of which Apple doesn't support.

They do add profiles from time to time (the hardware is capable of most, if not all) - for example when I got my iPhone 3G, it did HSP/HFP - then (iOS3) they added A2DP - then at some point (iOS4 maybe) they added AVRCP. If there is a particular Bluetooth capability you want to see added, tell them about it.

 

[Irock619]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Sorry if this is hijacking your thread. I tried to pair to another iPhone via Bluetooth so we could play a game together and it wouldn't recognize the other phone. Why is this? My iTouch connects to iPhones just fine, but not my 4S

 

[kulimer]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Sorry if this is hijacking your thread. I tried to pair to another iPhone via Bluetooth so we could play a game together and it wouldn't recognize the other phone. Why is this? My iTouch connects to iPhones just fine, but not my 4S

I just confirmed with another friend, she cannot pair iPhone and Macbook either.

To your question, I think it's something within the iPhone itself. Maybe this feature is disabled.

I noticed in a post above, pairing works fine in Europe. So, this is only in the USA?

 

[saving107]

I noticed in a post above, pairing works fine in Europe. So, this is only in the USA?

Do you or your friend have a Tethering plan on your carrier plan?

 

[kulimer]

This is not because of the iPhone but rather because of your service provider not providing this feature to you on your iPhone.

Really? I thought Apple makes the iPhone, not AT&T or Verizon. Do they demand the iPhone to be made in a certain way?

 

[Jordan921]

I just confirmed with another friend, she cannot pair iPhone and Macbook either.

To your question, I think it's something within the iPhone itself. Maybe this feature is disabled.

I noticed in a post above, pairing works fine in Europe. So, this is only in the USA?

Why are you trying to pair your iPhone with your mac? To tether the internet? If that is why you are trying to do it then you can with the appropriate tethering plan from your carrier. There's no way for you to pair it through bluetooth for file transfers.

 

[kulimer]

Do you or your friend have a Tethering plan on your carrier plan?

Nope. I don't actually know anyone who has it. Maybe I should find one (in USA) who has it, and see if their bluetooth pairing works.

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Why are you trying to pair your iPhone with your mac? To tether the internet? If that is why you are trying to do it then you can with the appropriate tethering plan from your carrier. There's no way for you to pair it through bluetooth for file transfers.

Nope, not for internet. Bluetooth comes handy in many ways, transfer photos, notes you wrote on your phone, even a text with a link.

Anyways, I find myself using this feature a lot.

And yes, I am fully aware of iCould and usb transfer. btw, iTunes can be a pain to sync sometimes.

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It's not that it can't pair really, an iPhone can pair to a computer in tethering mode as others have mentioned... it can even pair with other iPhones, there are Bluetooth "Walkie Talkie" apps in the App Store.

Apple has chosen not to implement some of the Bluetooth profiles, such as file transfer profile. Currently they support only HSP/HFP (Headset Profile / Hands Free Profile, for phone calls) - A2DP/AVRCP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile / Audio Video Remote Control Profile) for stereo music, HID (Human Interface Device) for keyboards, and perhaps a couple of the lower-level messaging profiles. Internet sharing most likely won't be added as a generic Bluetooth feature since that is already addressed with the hotspot capability.

There are a TON of available profiles, most of which Apple doesn't support.

They do add profiles from time to time (the hardware is capable of most, if not all) - for example when I got my iPhone 3G, it did HSP/HFP - then (iOS3) they added A2DP - then at some point (iOS4 maybe) they added AVRCP. If there is a particular Bluetooth capability you want to see added, tell them about it.

Thanks for the helpful link. Will read it later, seems very informative.

 

[takeshi74]

I apologize in advance if I sound rude. I am frustrated by this! Why does it matter to Apple what I use my bluetooth for?

My retired Nokia can pair with MacBook perfectly fine. Also, this means file transfer can be done in bluetooth.

Why didn't you research this before buying if it is important to you? If you assume (what your Nokia or any other device can or cannot do is irrelevant) and fail to do your due diligence then you have only yourself to blame.

I just confirmed with another friend, she cannot pair iPhone and Macbook either.

To your question, I think it's something within the iPhone itself. Maybe this feature is disabled.

Read post 12 again.

 

[Consultant]

Nope, not for internet. Bluetooth comes handy in many ways, transfer photos, notes you wrote on your phone, even a text with a link.

Ever heard of:
email (can transfer photos, notes, and even an URL!)
MMS / SMS (can transfer photos, notes, and even an URL!)

 

[xorjo]

WOW, why is everyone giving this guy a hard time? What he wants to do is something simple. Why do peeps keep bringing up the whole tethering deal? I guess you guys never had another phone but an iphone and you assume thats the only reason you need bluetooth for. Bluetooth is very useful as a file transfer. Like on my old sony phone, I could send over a song or a pic to another phone via bluetooth. Sometimes email is not an option like at my work where I spend 9 hours a day, I get NO reception with no carrier so I guess no email for me. Also, email does use up data, but bluetooth doesn't. So you can send files, videos, songs, whatever over for no cost. Again, this is something I believe EVERY phone can do, at least every phone I used can do it and I've used a huge variety. For whatever reason Apple does not allow this which sucks.

Just because you don't need this feature, doesn't mean no one else does. I didn't read these forums back in 2007 but I'm sure eveyrone who worships apple here was defending apple for the iphone not being able to send and receive picture messages...