I have a Windows 10 laptop (Dell Latitude), Android 10 tablet (Samsung S6 Lite) and an Android 6 phone (MotoE2). I can connect Bluetooth devices to all of these---namely, my headphones and wireless speaker.
However, I am unable to get any of the three to connect to each other. They all pair successfully initially, but then I am unable to connect. Occasionally the laptop will say it's connected to the tablet, but the tablet does not agree.
I would like to be able to use the Bluetooth connectivity for a variety of reasons. I am stumped as to why it is not working. My drivers in Windows 10 are up-to-date and there are no warnings in Device Manager.
22 Answers
Unless the devices have a specific reason to stay connected, such as playing music or sharing an Internet connection, then they will not bother staying connected. This is a feature of the "service" based nature of Bluetooth technology.
In order to send a file you would simply select the file on an Android device (in whatever file manager you have) and then "share" it. Then select "Bluetooth" as the program to share to, which will allow you to push the file at another device via Bluetooth. This will connect to the other device, transfer the file and then disconnect. The same will happen on a PC, you "send" a file, not share it as you would over WiFi.
In order to share an Internet connection then you need the device to be set up to share its connection. On Samsung Android mobile phones you will need to go to Settings -> Connections -> Mobile Hotspot and Tethering and you will see an option to enable Bluetooth Tethering. Enabling that should allow another device to "see" its Internet connection and your computer should be able to connect to it. A computer will then be able to connect through the phone.
To share your computers Internet connection over Bluetooth the settings are at Windows Settings -> Network & Internet -> Mobile hotspot. where you will be able to choose to share over Bluetooth or WiFi and then tell your phone to connect to it. The phone will then connect through the computer.
Bluetooth connections are not "peer to peer", they are based on a client-server style. A server provides a service such as an Internet connection or an audio speaker and a client program connects to that service to use it. If you don't have that service set up to begin with then the devices won't have a reason to stay connected.
Both devices also must support that connection. If you have a device that doesn't support sharing its Internet connection then no amount of work on the client will make it see it on the other device. Again, it will see nothing to connect to and simply disconnect.
File sharing is a slightly special case where the receiver acts as a server to "accept" a file.
For sharing other features from one device to another you will first have to find out how to enable that feature being shared on the device.
4For transferring files between Windows 10 devices, you may use the new Nearby Sharing feature, available since the April 2018 Update. The Microsoft articleShare things with nearby devices in Windows 10shows how to share any file through Explorer right-click > Share, or for images via the Photos app.
Android devices have their own Nearby Share feature between them (but not with PC).
See the articleHow to Share Files Between Android Devices With Nearby Share.
There are other file-transfer methods possible between differing device architectures, if all the devices connect to the same router and are all on the same local network. For example, one device might install an SSH server and the other an SSH client. On Windows I like the free WinSCPutility as client.
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