Type change Bluetooth settings in the 'Search Programs and Files' box directly above the Start button.

The procedure is slightly different in Windows 7 and in Windows 8.x/10, but once found, the icon is easy to restore. Called Change Bluetooth Settings, it can be opened by searching for it in the Start menu. Restoring the IconĪ detailed Bluetooth control applet does exist. In Windows 8.x, a Bluetooth settings panel is available several levels deep from the Settings icon in the Charms menu, but like most Charms panels, its functionality is limited, and it includes no method to restore the Bluetooth icon. Despite the importance of Bluetooth these days, especially to tablet users, Windows provides no Bluetooth control applet in the Control Panel. It is difficult to understand why Microsoft included this, since icons in the System Tray can be easily hidden using the 'Customize' link on the menu.Īlthough it is extremely easy to remove the icon by accident, Windows provides no easy way to restore it. With no icon or other indication that Bluetooth is available, it is easy to assume that Bluetooth is broken or no longer exists on the computer. The next time you go to use Bluetooth, the icon is unexpectedly gone. This removes the icon and closes the menu with no notification or confirmation. At the bottom of the menu, in a location that is easy to click by mistake, there is a 'Remove Icon' entry. It will either appear on the task bar or can be accessed by clicking the upward pointing triangle.Ĭlicking the Bluetooth icon displays a menu with entries for adding and managing Bluetooth devices.

When Bluetooth is activated in a Windows 7, 8.x, or 10 computer, Windows places a Bluetooth icon in the System Tray-the collection of easily accessible icons near the clock. But an accidental click in the wrong place can cause you to lose that icon, leaving no obvious way to access Bluetooth settings.

The Bluetooth icon in the Windows system tray provides an easy way to connect and manage Bluetooth devices on your Windows 7, 8.x, or 10 computer, and many Bluetooth users rely on it.

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