How to Enable or Disable Advanced Bluetooth Discovery in Windows 11

Why Use Advanced Bluetooth Discovery?

Advanced Bluetooth discovery helps your computer search for more types of Bluetooth devices. This means you can connect to less common accessories and gadgets that might not show up during a normal search.

Turn On Advanced Bluetooth Discovery Using the Settings App

You can turn on advanced Bluetooth discovery in Windows 11 easily using the Settings app, which helps your PC find more Bluetooth devices.

1. Open the ⚙️ Settings app. You can do this by:

   • Clicking the ⊞ Start menu and choosing Settings.
   • Or pressing Windows key + I on your keyboard.
2. In Settings, click on 🔷 Bluetooth & devices on the left side.
3. Look for the Devices section and click to open it.

4. Find and click on the 🔷 Bluetooth devices discovery option.
5. From the drop-down menu, select Advanced to allow your PC to find all types of 🔷 Bluetooth devices.
6. If you want to switch back to normal discovery later, just pick Default from the menu.

7. When you’re done, simply close ⚙️ the Settings app.

Turn On Advanced Bluetooth Discovery Using the Registry Editor (For Advanced Users)

For those comfortable with Windows settings, you can turn on advanced Bluetooth discovery using the Registry Editor, but be very careful as mistakes can cause problems.

⚠️ Admin Privileges Required

Here’s how:

1. Open the Registry Editor. You can search for regedit in the ⊞ Start menu and open it.
2. Go to this folder path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Bluetooth
3. If you don’t see the 🔷 Bluetooth folder there, 🖱️ right-click on CurrentVersion, choose New > Key, and name it 🔷 Bluetooth.
4. Click on the 🔷 Bluetooth folder. In the right side panel, right-click and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
5. Name the new value AdvancedDiscoveryMode.
6. Double-click on AdvancedDiscoveryMode. In the box that pops up:

   • Set the Base to Decimal.
   • Enter 1 to turn on advanced discovery.
   • Enter 0 to turn it off.
7. Click OK, close the Registry Editor, and 🔄 restart your computer.

What Happens When You Enable Advanced Discovery?

Once you enable advanced Bluetooth discovery, your computer will search more thoroughly for Bluetooth devices. You may see more devices in your available connections list. This gives you access to a wider range of Bluetooth accessories and gadgets.

Summary

Advanced Bluetooth discovery in Windows 11 helps your PC connect to more devices, and you can turn it on or off using the simple Settings app or the Registry Editor if you’re comfortable with it.