Add the Bluetooth button through Windows 11 Quick Settings; if Bluetooth is unavailable there and in Settings, recover the Bluetooth adapter instead.
Add Bluetooth to Quick Settings
The taskbar Bluetooth button is a Quick Settings tile, not a separately pinned taskbar app.
- Press Windows key + A.
- Select the Edit quick settings gear.
- If no gear appears, right-click any Quick Settings tile and select Edit.
- Select Add.
- Choose Bluetooth, and then select Done.^1^
- Select the Bluetooth tile to turn it on. A highlighted tile should show Connected, Not connected, or the connected device’s name.^2^
Also press Windows key + I, open Bluetooth & devices, and verify that the Bluetooth switch is on.
Show the small Bluetooth icon near the clock
This is the classic notification-area icon, which is different from the Quick Settings tile:
- Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices.
- Open More Bluetooth settings. On some Windows 11 builds, first select Devices.
- Select Show the Bluetooth icon in the notification area.
- Select OK.^1^
If Bluetooth is absent from both places
Since the earlier attempts did not restore it, check whether Windows can detect the adapter:
- Press Windows key + A and make sure Airplane mode is off.
- Open Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters.
- Next to Bluetooth, select Run and complete the prompts.^3^
- Right-click Start → Device Manager.
- Expand Bluetooth and look for an adapter whose name contains “Bluetooth” or “Radio.”
- Right-click it and select Update driver → Search automatically for drivers.
- If Bluetooth is not listed, check Other devices for an unidentified or warning-marked device.
- Open Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Optional updates and install any available Bluetooth, firmware, BIOS, or UEFI update.^4^
If the adapter appears in Device Manager but the icon remains missing:
- Right-click the Bluetooth adapter and select Uninstall device → Uninstall.
- Choose Start → Power → Shut down.
- Turn the PC back on; Windows should attempt to reinstall the adapter.
- If it does not, open Device Manager and select Action → Scan for hardware changes.^3^
If no Bluetooth adapter appears after that, confirm the PC model includes Bluetooth, then obtain the Bluetooth driver and any applicable firmware directly from the PC or motherboard manufacturer. Microsoft notes that a completely unavailable Bluetooth control can indicate that no adapter is installed or that its driver is missing.^2^
References
- My new pc is fully updated with latest Windows 11. There is no pencil option to enable bluetooth. How do I enable bluetooth and instate the icon - Microsoft Q&A
- [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/hardware/bluetooth/turn-bluetooth-on-or-off-in-windows#turn-bluetooth-on-and-off-in-quick-settings)
- [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/hardware/bluetooth/fix-bluetooth-problems-in-windows)
- [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/hardware/bluetooth/fix-bluetooth-disappeared-in-windows#summary)