Headphones and others described as 'unknown device'

Question

Headphones and others described as 'unknown device'

Ardivilla, Gereon (DCP) 20

My PC reads my and other devices as "Unknown device". I could not differentiate which one is my headphone to connect via Bluetooth.

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Answer accepted by question author

Clary-N 18,950 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Ardivilla,

Thanks for explaining the issue. Since your headphones and other Bluetooth devices all appear as“Unknown device,” this may be related to how the PC’s Bluetooth adapter is identifying nearby devices.

For now, turn off any nearby Bluetooth devices, then put only the headphones into pairing mode. On the PC, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices and under Device settings, change Bluetooth devices discovery to Advanced.

If the headphones still appear as unknown, run the Bluetooth troubleshooter from Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Bluetooth > Run. I’d also recommend updating the Bluetooth adapter through Device Manager > Bluetooth. If Windows doesn’t find a newer driver, install the latest Bluetooth driver from your PC manufacturer’s support website and restart the PC.

Could you also share the make and model of your headphones and PC, along with your Windows version? You can check the version by pressing Win + R, entering winver and selecting OK.

Please let me know what you find after trying these steps, and I’ll be happy to help you narrow it down further.

Clary-N 18,950 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-29T08:33:50.8666667+00:00

Hi Ardivilla,

May I know if you have got any chance to check my answer?

I am glad to help if you have any other questions.
Ardivilla, Gereon (DCP) 20 Reputation points

2026-10-29T23:26:33.0466667+00:00

Thank you, Clary-N.

I tried open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices and under Device settings, change Bluetooth devices discovery to Advanced and it worked. I was able to interface my laptop with my headphones. Thanks.

Kind regards,

Gerry
Clary-N 18,950 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-30T23:51:25.6533333+00:00

Hi Ardivilla,

I'm glad to hear everything is working properly now. Thank you for coming back and sharing the outcome.

If anything comes up again, feel free to reach out.

Have a great day!

1 additional answer

Your answer

Clary-N 18,950 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-29T08:33:50.8666667+00:00

Hi Ardivilla,

May I know if you have got any chance to check my answer?

I am glad to help if you have any other questions.
Ardivilla, Gereon (DCP) 20 Reputation points

2026-10-29T23:26:33.0466667+00:00

Thank you, Clary-N.

I tried open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices and under Device settings, change Bluetooth devices discovery to Advanced and it worked. I was able to interface my laptop with my headphones. Thanks.

Kind regards,

Gerry
Clary-N 18,950 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-30T23:51:25.6533333+00:00

Hi Ardivilla,

I'm glad to hear everything is working properly now. Thank you for coming back and sharing the outcome.

If anything comes up again, feel free to reach out.

Have a great day!

Answer 1

Put only the headphones into pairing mode, keep them close to the PC, and start a fresh Add device scan so the newly appearing entry can be identified without selecting among several “Unknown device” entries.

Pair the headphones in isolation

Temporarily turn off or move away other nearby Bluetooth accessories that might be discoverable.
Charge the headphones, turn them off and back on, then activate their pairing mode according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
In Windows 11, open Start → Settings → Bluetooth & devices.
Turn Bluetooth off, wait about 10 seconds, and turn it back on.
Select Add device → Bluetooth.
Watch for the entry that appears only after the headphones enter pairing mode. Keep the headphones near the PC during this process. Windows requires the device to be in pairing mode and within range for reliable discovery.^1^

If an old entry for these headphones is already listed under Bluetooth & devices → Devices, select its … menu, choose Remove device, and repeat the isolated pairing process.

If the headphones do not appear

Change the discovery filter:

Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Devices.
Under Device settings, find Bluetooth devices discovery.
Change it from Default to Advanced.
Return to Add device → Bluetooth and scan again.

Advanced shows all Bluetooth device types rather than only common devices, so more unrelated entries may also appear.^2^

If every device still appears as “Unknown device”

That pattern can indicate a Bluetooth detection or driver problem, but the device names alone do not establish the cause. Run these steps in order:

Open Get Help, search for Bluetooth troubleshooter, and run the automated diagnostics.
Open Device Manager from Start.
Expand Bluetooth.
Right-click the PC’s Bluetooth adapter—not an individual unknown peripheral—and select Update driver → Search automatically for drivers.
Restart the PC after installation.
If Windows reports that the best driver is already installed, obtain the Windows 11 Bluetooth driver for the exact PC model from the PC manufacturer’s support site.^3^

If updating does not help:

In Device Manager → Bluetooth, right-click the Bluetooth adapter.
Select Uninstall device.
Restart the PC; Windows should reinstall the adapter driver automatically.
If it does not, open Device Manager and select Action → Scan for hardware changes.^2^

After the driver is restored, repeat the isolated pairing procedure. Avoid pairing arbitrary “Unknown device” entries; select only the entry that appears while your headphones are actively in pairing mode.

References