laptop and Android phone won't stay connected when using Bluetooth

I am having an issue when trying to use Bluetooth to transfer photos from my phone to my laptop.

Both devices are known to each other (shown in settings on both). I've paired them, OK. Basically, when I try to connect them,
they both indicate they are connected, then after ~5/6 secs. they disconnect. I have performed the following
steps without success..

1. I shutdown and restarted the laptop and phone.. - no change, still connects for ~5 secs and then disconnects.
2. all Bluetooth drivers on the laptop as shown by device mgr are the latest according to Windows 11.
3. removed and re-paired both devices, both showed the same 6 digit pairing code - no change, still connects for ~5/6 secs and then disconnects.
4. There are no other devices nearby to cause interference.. just a couple of external hard drives which I disconnected - no change, still connects for ~5 secs
and then disconnects.

I don't know where to look to see any errors which might indicate what the issue is.
If anyone has seen this type of issue and could pass along some suggestions I'd appreciate them..

thanks

How far are the phone and laptop apart? I only have problems with Bluetooth is when the phone gets too far from the laptop.

How are you using Bluetooth to transfer photos? I used to use MyPhoneExplorer but now use Phone Link.

Thanks for your reply MisterEd .. The phone and laptop are within 2 feet of each other...
Currently I'm not using Bluetooth to transfer anything since it doesn't connect my 2 devices.

I haven't tried Phone Link, don't know anything about it....

BEH said:

Thanks for your reply MisterEd .. The phone and laptop are within 2 feet of each other...
Currently I'm not using Bluetooth to transfer anything since it doesn't connect my 2 devices.

I haven't tried Phone Link, don't know anything about it....

Click to expand...

Phone Link come preinstalled on Windows 11. On Windows 10 you might have to download it. I don't know which phones Phone Link works with. It works well with my Samsung S21.

The Phone Link app on Windows works with the Link to Windows app on Android Phones.

Phone Link

About Phone Link
For PC: Download Phone Link
For Android Phone: Download Link to Windows





MyPhoneExplorer

If you can't or don't want to use Phone Link then you could try MyPhoneExplorer.
The MyPhoneExplorer app on the PC works with the MyPhoneExplorer Client on the phone.

For PC: Download MyPhoneExplorer
For Android Phone: Download MyPhoneExplorer Client

I am so glad this thread is here. It saves me the embarrassment of creating a duplicate thread.

I am getting exactly what the original poster @BEH describes. I have read & followed these 2 tutorials by the omnipresent (probably also omnipotent & omniscient) @Brink very carefully.


On my Android 13 phone, the list of devices shown as visible via Bluetooth includes my desktop PC. My Windows 11 Pro 64-bit 23H2 22631.3085 Settings -> Bluetooth & devices shows my phone. When I try to connect, an operation I have tried initiating on the phone & on the PC, each machine gets the little popup showing the secret 6-digit passkey & the button to connect. I click the button on each machine. Each machine shows it is connected to the other for about 2 seconds. Then the connection just drops. On the PC, there is no error message. The status showing Connected just silently changes to Not Connected. At least on the phone it shows a message saying it failed to connect. However, neither machine shows me any sort of HELPFUL error message. I have no idea WHY the connection failed. They managed to communicate for a moment. But then they just disconnected.

In the middle of all of this, when I went to Windows Update for entirely unrelated reasons, I discovered on 2 separate occasions 2 Samsung drivers were being offered, one labelled Modem, the other USB, both version 2.19.1.0. I don't know why they didn't both come in with the same update but it took 2 swings at it before I had both. Despite the addition of these drivers, & a couple of reboots for reasons having nothing to do with the present effort, the devices won't connect. I even plugged the phone charging cable into a USB A port on the PC. They still don't recognize each other. Plugging the phone into the PC via USB is supposed to make the phone show up in File Explorer. It does NOT. I could hardly be more frustrated.

Is there some sort of log on W11 that might shed some light on this?

But I actually don't care so much any more. I am deeply indebted to the talking horse (@MisterEd) for his pointer to MyPhoneExplorer. I installed this little gem on both the PC & the phone. After a few minutes of stumbling about aimlessly, I managed to get the 2 machines connected via Bluetooth. I was helped in my stumblings by actually poking the Help button in the phone app. It opened Firefox (on the phone) on some help, several steps of which it turned out I had already performed at some past date. The only thing I actually had to do was turn on USB Debugging in the Developer Options. On the PC side, I apparently already had whatever drivers I needed. Maybe that includes those Samsung drivers, maybe not, I can't tell. Whatever the case, MyPhoneExplorer had no problem using the Bluetooth connection that W11 refuses to use. I transferred a file of a few Meg from the phone to the PC, & another similar file from the PC to the phone, using the MyPhoneExplorer interface. It was rather painfully slow but it worked. Yes, I know Bluetooth is slow. At least, certain versions are slow, & it appears I've got one of the slow versions.

But then I tried plugging the phone charging cable into the PC & told MyPhoneExplorer to use the USB connection. I made the mistake of blinking. The file transfers went so fast I almost thought they hadn't occurred.

Clearly, there is nothing wrong with the USB support nor the Bluetooth support on the phone nor on the PC. MyPhoneExplorer uses both connections quite happily. Why can't unaided Android 13 & W11 manage this trick? Rhetorical question.

So I toss a bail of hay in your direction & say again, thank you. Hold your tail high.