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Connect Laptop to TV Via Bluetooth (Can You? How To?)

Have you ever wanted to connect your laptop to your TV wirelessly? I recently found myself in this exact situation and was so frustrated at not being able to figure out how to do it. After lots of research, trial and error, and asking around, I finally figured out how to do it. In this blog post, I’m going to share with you the tips and tricks I learned for connecting your laptop to your TV via Bluetooth.

Simply turn on both devices and enable the Bluetooth feature. You’ll know that the radio waves from each device have detected one another when you see the TV’s Bluetooth name on your laptop. Finally, select that name to pair both devices together. 

TaskSteps
Check if your laptop has Bluetooth1. Open Device Manager on Windows 10 by pressing Windows key + X and clicking M
2. Look for “Bluetooth” in the alphabetical list or under “Network adapters”
3. If not present, consider purchasing a Bluetooth adapter for your laptop
Check if your TV has Bluetooth1. Consult the TV manual
2. Look for a Bluetooth icon on the remote
3. Check the TV’s settings for a Bluetooth option
4. If not present, consider purchasing a Bluetooth transmitter for your TV
Connect your laptop to your TV via Bluetooth1. Turn on both devices and enable Bluetooth
2. Scan for nearby devices on your laptop
3. Select your TV from the list of devices
4. Wait for pairing to complete, be patient
5. If unsuccessful, toggle Bluetooth on both devices and try again
6. Depending on TV model, you may need to allow the connection manually or it will pair automatically

Can You Connect Laptop to TV Through Bluetooth?

The answer is yes. Bluetooth allows devices to exchange data when they’re nearby. So, if your laptop and TV are within Bluetooth range, they can connect to one another. 

Connecting your laptop to the TV enables you to use the TV’s features without using the remote. For example, if you’re streaming audio on your laptop, you’ll be able to hear it from the TV’s speakers instead.

All you’ll need to do is make sure that your laptop and TV have Bluetooth. Unless you have an obsolete model, both of your devices will most likely feature Bluetooth. 

Note that you can’t perform screen mirroring. That’s because Bluetooth can’t share larger data. 

Checking Your Laptop

On Windows 10, you can open the Device Manager by simultaneously pressing the Windows key and the X button, then clicking M. You’ll notice a pop-up window where you can see a list of accessories and features.

Alternatively, you can type Device Manager from the search bar on both Windows.

If you have Bluetooth, you’ll see the word “Bluetooth” in the list along with its icon. The name will be easy to find since all features and components are in alphabetical order.

Sometimes, “Bluetooth” gets hidden under Network adapters. So, you’ll want to click on that to expand the sublist. Double-check this list to confirm if you have Bluetooth.

Lucky for you, there’s a way to put Bluetooth on your laptop if you don’t have one. You can purchase a Bluetooth adapter to integrate it into your device.

Bluetooth adapters are wireless dongles that you can insert into your laptop’s USB port. What makes this great is that you won’t need any third-party software at all.

Simply follow the dongle’s instructions to activate the Bluetooth and make it discoverable.

Checking Your Smart TV

Before buying your TV, you should probably have an idea of whether or not it has Bluetooth. Still, there are a few ways to recheck the Bluetooth capabilities of your TV.

The first one is by looking at the manual. If you still have it, you can check if your model has the Bluetooth feature. 

You can also check your remote for a Bluetooth icon. More often than not, smart TVs will have a button dedicated to the Bluetooth feature. That makes it easily accessible and a faster way of enabling the discoverability of your device.

Another way is to check your TV’s settings. Typically, there’ll be a Bluetooth option on the list if it has one.

If the feature is on, you can check the discoverability on your phone. Simply scan to see other devices available nearby. If you see your TV’s name, that’s when you know the Bluetooth is on.

All isn’t lost if your TV doesn’t have one, though. Much like your laptop, you can also add a Bluetooth transmitter to your TV. With this device, you can easily convert your TV into a smart TV.

How to Connect Laptop to TV via Bluetooth

Now that you know you can connect a laptop to a TV via Bluetooth, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it.

  1. Make sure to turn on the laptop and TV.
  2. Turn on Bluetooth on both devices. 
  3. Using your laptop, scan nearby devices. It should pick up the TV’s signal. Try to have your laptop as close to the TV as possible to ensure that it picks up the signal.
  4. Select the TV from the list of devices. It may take a while for the pairing to happen, so try to be patient.
  5. If the pair is unsuccessful, toggle the Bluetooth button on both devices and try again.
  6. Depending on your TV model, you may have to allow the connection first. Other TVs have automatic pairing, though.
  7. Once the pairing is successful, you’ll see the word “Connected” on your laptop.

Wrapping Up

Now that you know how you can connect laptop to TV via Bluetooth, you can freely control your TV from your laptop.

So, the next time you try to have a solo concert in your living room, it may be better to use your TV’s speakers. Simply use this article as a quick guide to get you started.