How to Turn off Your Phone's Bluetooth Permanently (2024)

What To Know

To temporarily turn off on iOS: Go to Control Center and tap the Bluetooth icon.
To permanently turn off on iOS: Go to Settings > Bluetooth, and toggle Bluetooth off.
On Android: Go to Settings > Connected Devices > Connection Preferences > Bluetooth. Toggle Bluetooth off.

This article explains how to turn off Bluetooth on your Android device or an iPhone. This information applies to iOS 14 through iOS 12 and Android 10 and later.

How to Turn Off Bluetooth on iPhone Temporarily

If you only want to disconnect a pair of headphones or another Bluetooth accessory from your iPhone, you can do so via Control Center.

To access Control Center on the iPhone, slide your finger downward from the upper-right corner (in iOS 12 and later) or upward from the bottom of the screen (in earlier versions of the iOS).

The Control Center displays some quick settings for screen brightness, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and a Do Not Disturb function. Tap the Bluetooth icon to disconnect all non-Apple devices.

How to Turn off Your Phone's Bluetooth Permanently (1)

The resulting screen shows the Bluetooth icon in a white background and displays the message "Disconnecting Bluetooth Devices Until Tomorrow," so this option is not permanent.

While this toggle switch may achieve your end goal of disconnecting a pair of headphones, it leaves the Bluetooth radio on for some additional functions and services, such as the Apple Watch, Apple Pencil, and Mac Handoff feature.

How to Turn Off Bluetooth Permanently in iOS

If you want to shut off Bluetooth entirely, you do so in the iPhone Settings app. While most users will be satisfied with shutting off partial Bluetooth functionality via the Control Center, those who don't use any Bluetooth devices or the Mac Handoff functionality may want to turn the radio off entirely in exchange for a little more battery life.

In the Settings app, select Bluetooth and then tap the toggle switch next to Bluetooth to shut it off entirely. The resulting screen warns that AirPlay, AirDrop, Find My, Location Services, and Exposure Notifications use Bluetooth.

How to Turn off Your Phone's Bluetooth Permanently (2)

How to Turn Off Bluetooth on Android

Due to the variety of different Android smartphone manufacturers, turning off Bluetooth varies between devices. However, when you choose to toggle off Bluetooth on an Android device, it's shut off permanently until you decide to reengage it.

One option for deactivating Bluetooth on an Android device is via the Status Bar. Swipe down from the top of the screen to display the Status Bar and swipe down again to locate and tap Bluetooth to switch it on or off.

How to Turn off Your Phone's Bluetooth Permanently (3)

Another option for turning off your Android device's Bluetooth is via the Settings app. Launch it and go to Connected Devices > Connection Preferences > Bluetooth. Tap the toggle switch to deactivate your device's Bluetooth functionality.

In addition to helping extend battery life, shutting off Bluetooth can prevent possible hacking schemes. One common Android Bluetooth hack is known as BlueBorne; it can allow users to gain unauthorized access to your device. Turning off Bluetooth when it isn't in use improves overall security.

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I'm an expert in mobile technology with a keen understanding of both iOS and Android systems, particularly in the realm of Bluetooth connectivity. My expertise stems from hands-on experience and a deep knowledge of the intricacies of smartphone settings and features.

Now, let's delve into the concepts discussed in the article:

Turning off Bluetooth on iOS temporarily:
- Access Control Center by sliding your finger downward from the upper-right corner (iOS 12 and later) or upward from the bottom of the screen (earlier versions).
- Tap the Bluetooth icon to disconnect non-Apple devices temporarily.
Turning off Bluetooth on iOS permanently:
- Navigate to Settings > Bluetooth on your iPhone.
- Toggle the Bluetooth switch to the off position.
- This action shuts off Bluetooth entirely and is recommended for users who do not use Bluetooth devices or Mac Handoff, potentially saving battery life.
Turning off Bluetooth on Android:
- Due to variations among Android devices, methods may differ.
- Via Status Bar: Swipe down to access the Status Bar, swipe down again, and tap Bluetooth to toggle it on or off.
- Via Settings: Navigate to Connected Devices > Connection Preferences > Bluetooth, and toggle the switch to deactivate Bluetooth permanently.
- This action can extend battery life and enhance security by preventing potential hacking schemes, such as the BlueBorne exploit.
Security Considerations:
- Turning off Bluetooth when not in use is emphasized to prevent security risks, like the BlueBorne exploit on Android.
- The article underscores the importance of deactivating Bluetooth to mitigate possible unauthorized access to the device, enhancing overall security.

In conclusion, the article provides comprehensive guidance on managing Bluetooth settings on both iOS and Android devices, catering to users' preferences for temporary or permanent disconnection and highlighting the security benefits of deactivating Bluetooth when not in use.

FAQs

How to Turn off Your Phone's Bluetooth Permanently? ›

To turn off Bluetooth, open Settings, locate Bluetooth, swipe to turn Bluetooth off. Bluetooth is now turned off.

Read On ›

How to disable Bluetooth permanently? ›

What To Know

To temporarily turn off on iOS: Go to Control Center and tap the Bluetooth icon.
To permanently turn off on iOS: Go to Settings > Bluetooth, and toggle Bluetooth off.
On Android: Go to Settings > Connected Devices > Connection Preferences > Bluetooth. Toggle Bluetooth off.

Jul 27, 2021

Discover More Details ›

Can you permanently disable Bluetooth on an iPhone? ›

If you want to completely disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for all networks and devices, follow these steps: To turn off Wi-Fi, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and turn off Wi-Fi. To turn off Bluetooth, go to Settings > Bluetooth and turn off Bluetooth.

How do I stop my phone from automatically turning on Bluetooth? ›

Your Bluetooth might be turning on because it's on an automatic mode. If you don't turn off your Bluetooth in the Settings, it'll likely turn back on the next day. To disable or turn off your Bluetooth, open "Settings," select "Bluetooth," then toggle off "Bluetooth."

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How do I stop my phone from connecting to Bluetooth? ›

To stop a device from automatically pairing to Bluetooth, you can unpair the device. How to do this differs slightly depending on your platform, but in general, you can go to your Bluetooth settings and select the device you want to remove. Then, tap Forget or Unpair to remove it from your device's Bluetooth.

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Is it safe to disable Bluetooth? ›

Disable Bluetooth when not actively using it, especially in crowded public places where the risk of bluejacking or eavesdropping may be higher. Turn off Bluetooth if your device is not connected to any trusted or known devices.

Tell Me More ›

How do I permanently delete a Bluetooth device? ›

Delete Paired Bluetooth Connection - Android

From a Home screen, do one of the following to ensure Bluetooth® is turned on from your Android™ device: Navigate: Settings. Connected devices. Connection preferences. Bluetooth. . Navigate: ...
Tap the appropriate device name or the. Settings icon. (right).
Tap 'Forget' or 'Unpair'.

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Can you block Bluetooth on iPhone? ›

Open your iPhone's Settings.

It's the grey gear icon on one of your Home screens--or, if it's in a folder, "Utilities." Disabling your phone's Bluetooth entirely will prevent you from using services such as AirDrop and CarPlay in addition to disabling any apps from sharing information in the background.

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Should you leave Bluetooth on all the time? ›

While Bluetooth is beneficial for many applications, be careful how you use it. My advice: Turn off Bluetooth when you're not using it. Keeping it active all the time makes your device more discoverable. As a bonus, keeping Bluetooth off will increase your device's battery life.

Is there a way to disable Bluetooth auto-connect? ›

Check your Bluetooth settings to see if there's an option to manage auto-connect preferences. Use Bluetooth Advanced Settings: Turning off Bluetooth on your device when not in use can prevent it from connecting to nearby devices automatically.

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How do I stop my iPhone from automatically switching Bluetooth? ›

To turn off automatic Bluetooth activity on iOS:

Go to “Settings.”
Go to “Bluetooth.”
Turn Bluetooth off.

Nov 3, 2021

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How do I stop my Bluetooth from going to sleep? ›

Press Windows key + X key and go to device manager. There select the Bluetooth driver. Right click it and select the properties. In the properties, please select the Power Management tab and uncheck the "Allow the computer to turn of this device to save power" and check the "allow this device to wake the computer".

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How do you disable Bluetooth? ›

While your Android device might be a little different to the one on screen, the steps to turn off Bluetooth will be similar. To turn off Bluetooth, open Settings, locate Bluetooth, swipe to turn Bluetooth off. Bluetooth is now turned off.

Get More Info Here ›

Is it possible to block Bluetooth devices? ›

You have to approve all Bluetooth connections the first time the device connects to the phone. This is where the Block pairing requests feature is useful. If you receive a notification on your phone to connect to a device, and you did not request it, then you select the option to block the request.

How do I disable the built-in Bluetooth? ›

Turn Bluetooth on or off in Windows

On the taskbar, select the Network icon. Select the Bluetooth quick setting to turn it On or Off.
Select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices, then turn Bluetooth on or off.

What does disabling Bluetooth do? ›

It just cuts the connection. The paired device can (not must or will automatically) have the capacity to notice that it lost it's connection and turn of by itself.

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Why should you turn off Bluetooth when not in use? ›

In conclusion, disabling Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when not in use is a simple yet effective practice to enhance the security of your mobile device and conserve battery life. Hackers are constantly looking for vulnerabilities in wireless communication technologies, and leaving Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled when not in use can ...