Windows 10 not detecting a Bluetooth device

Factual Questions
#1

So I have this fancy new desk (Bedchill; got in on the Kickstarter) that has Bluetooth speakers built in.

My phone (Samsung S10e, latest Android) can see them and use them (name shows as Bedchill). No code required to complete the pairing.

My laptop (ASUS GL702VS-RS71; Windows 10 Pro, version 1903; Intel Bluetooth driver 21.60.0.4) can’t see them at all.

WTF?

(I tried my work laptop, also; it’s an older Dell, but its drivers are up to date. It, also, does not see the Bedchill in its list of Bluetooth devices.)

I’ve contacted the vendor but it’s the weekend, so I’m hoping someone here might have ideas as to why Windows can’t see the damned speakers but Android can.

FTR, the laptops are just about *sitting *on the speakers, so it’s not a distance issue!

#2

Just to get the obvious question out of the way:

You put the speakers in pairing mode when you tried this, right?

#3

All you have to do is turn them on. There’re no other controls for them. Even the volume is controlled by whatever device is streaming to them.

The phone showed them in its list of Bluetooth devices at the same time that the computer didn’t, so I’m pretty sure it has to be a Windows issue.

#4

Some Bluetooth devices don’t work with every OS.

Had some cheap Chinese stuff (mouse, keyboard) which would only pair with Windows, not Android. Also a heart rate monitor which advertised Bluetooth on the packaging, but only supported iPhone. I got confirmation of the fact from their customer service Hotline, and had to have the CS agent explicitly inform my mom, to prove I was not simply incompetent.

Bluetooth is a standard but it is not always implemented fully/correctly. I hope it is just a Windows issue for you.

#5

Did you check your audio settings to see if it shows there? Sometimes, you have to manually switch to that choice for it to connect.

#6

It isn’t showing up as an output device.

The response I got from the Bedchill people is:

Still not working for me. I even tried the somewhat obscure Bluetooth Personal Area Network settings, too.

The only other Bluetooth device I have is a headset I use to listen to music from my phone. The laptop can’t see it, either.

road lobo, you bring me no comfort.

#7

Additional datapoint, the laptop *does *see my mobile.

#8

I’ve never seen a bluetooth device that doesn’t provide a way to put it into pairing mode.

It’s very possible that when you first turned on the speakers, it went into pairing mode, which is why your phone could connect to it. But now that it’s paired with the phone, it’s not in pairing mode, unless you manually put it into pairing mode.

#9

Holy crap, that was it. I unpaired the speakers from my phone, and suddenly it showed up for my computer!

Do these things only allow one pairing at a time?

#10

Generally a Bluetooth device can be paired with multiple hosts, but it can only be connected to one at a time. And the device needs to be in pairing mode for other hosts to find it and pair with it. You shouldn’t have to unpair the first host to pair with another, but you might need to disconnect (e.g. by turning off Bluetooth on the phone).

(There are exceptions, e.g. Bose headphones can connect to two hosts at the same time.)

#11

I don’t know about all devices, but my Oonz Angle and TaoTronics headphones will only pair with one device at a time.
I’m not sure if they show up in the list of available devices in the bluetooth settings of my phone and laptop if they are not currently connected to that device.

#12

Did some quick experiments, which contradict my initial assertion.

I tried to write up my experiment but I got myself a bit confused, so TL;DR version:

You can connect a speaker/headphones to multiple devices provided they are already paired with the devices.
If the speaker/headphones are connected to a device, the other device can’t see it to do the initial pairing.

E.g.
If the TaoTronics headphones are connected with my iPhone, Windows can’t see them in order to initially pair
If I disconnect them from the iPhone, Windows can see them and pair and then connect.
Once they are paired with both devices, I can connect both of them and play stuff from both to my headphones.

My Oontz Angle is at home so I can’t test that.

#13

Interesting. I’m not certain I want to test it out. There’s no different music on the phone (which still shows the Bedchill as available), and it’s not like I’ll be carting an entire table around with me just to use speakers, especially when I have a decent headset.

I got the Bedchill for use with my laptop at home when I’m sitting in my comfy chair, anyway, so having its speakers paired with the laptop is fine. It is too bad I can’t use them with the work laptop as well, though, as it might make hearing what’s happening in meetings when I work from home easier. I think the speakers are smallish, but I think the table is enhancing them in someway. The volume is pretty impressive and the sound quality is very good.

#14

Oooo! I may have to test that out, then. Very interesting!