Resolved Bluetooth always Discoverable after Yosemite upgrade

[Daniva]

After Yosemite upgrade on a 2009 Mac mini, Bluetooth card is always in discoverable mode, not only when the pref panel is open. Holding alt and clicking on the icon in menu bar, Discoverable mode is permanently active, so the Mac is detectable by other nearby devices, anytime
No change with 10.10.2 update, SMC and NVRAM reset, new plist file or new keyboard and trackpad pairing

 

[Daniva]

Any suggestion, Experts?

 

[simonsi]

My MBP (2011) is the same, can't say I've ever noticed or see it as a problem...

 

[Daniva]

My MBP (2011) is the same, can't say I've ever noticed or see it as a problem...

Hi Simon, yes, it's not a great problem but it's an issue. On my other Mac, a 2012 MBA, Bluetooth is Discoverable by other devices only when BT preference pane is open. This is the normal BT behavior since Mavericks OS X and now with Yosemite.

You confirm that this issue is related (under Yosemite) with bluetooth cards prior to 4.0 model used since 2012

edit: I sent a Feedback to Apple and hope all of you with identical issue will be the same: https://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

 

[simonsi]

Perhaps to enable Handoff to work on those devices that support it?

 

[Daniva]

Perhaps to enable Handoff to work on those devices that support it?

Sorry, Handoff is limited to Macs with Bluetooth 4.0. (except 2011 MBAir and 2011 Mac mini because Apple made them incompatible with Yosemite's Continuity features)
All Macs that support Handoff don't show that issue, so it's quite clear that it is a lack of Yosemite on Mac with Bluetooth card different from the standard 4.0

Can't believe it's an Apple conscious choice to force the purchase of a new model

 

[hallux]

For the record, my 2012 MBP shows the same thing, always discoverable. My 2012 Mini shows discoverable off unless I have the Bluetooth preferences open.

 

[Daniva]

Hope to read a message by an owner of a previous 2012 Mac with the Bluetooth that works fine under Yosemite: Discoverable ON only when BT preference panel is open

 

[Davidglenn]

Just looked at my MBP 2011 and the Bluetooth discoverable is 'off'. So I am not sure why yours is on.

 

[Daniva]

Just looked at my MBP 2011 and the Bluetooth discoverable is 'off'. So I am not sure why yours is on.

Are you running OS X Yosemite?

 

[simonsi]

Yes Im aware of that, I was suggesting that might be why BT needs to be discoverable.

so it's quite clear that it is a lack of Yosemite on Mac with Bluetooth card different from the standard 4.0

Can't believe it's an Apple conscious choice to force the purchase of a new model

No idea what you mean by this, sorry.

 

[Daniva]

I was suggesting that might be why BT needs to be discoverable.

The Bluetooth Preference Panel changed with Mavericks and remains the same with Yosemite. It works in this way:
1) When you open the BT Pref Panel, you've to click the button "Turn Bluetooth ON". The BT is active and the Mac is discoverable, so you can pair with your own devices.
2) When you close the BT Pref Panel, Bluetooth remains active but not more discoverable, so nobody can see it and ask to pair other nearby devices with your Mac.
There is no reason why the BT needs to be discoverable

 

[simonsi]

No I was suggesting that an incorrect implementation of Handoff, a hangover onto devices that it shouldnt be on, was a possible cause. You dont need to debate normal BT behaviour with me.

 

[Davidglenn]

Are you running OS X Yosemite?

Yes I am running Yosemite 10.10.2.

 

[Daniva]

Yes I am running Yosemite 10.10.2.

Thank you all......waiting for fix to this small but annoying issue

 

[Daniva]

Solved

Clean install has removed the problem. Now Bluetooth is Active but not Discoverable. The issue didn't depend on Yosemite

 

[MilaM]

I had this problem on Mojave and found this thread via Google.

Clean install was not an option. But doing the following helped to fix the "Bluetooth visibility" problem:

Using Terminal

1. Open Terminal
2. Type sudo rm -R /Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist
3. Enter.
4. Type in your password.
5. Enter.
6. Restart your Mac.
7. Go to System preferences > Bluetooth.
8. Turn Bluetooth On.

Source: https://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/mac/fix-bluetooth-mac-3682642/


Instructions how to reset Bluetooth devices from this article were helpful to fix a misbehaving Bluetooth keyboard:

Source: https://michaelkummer.com/technology/mac-bluetooth-issues-affect-keyboard-trackpad/