ToothFairy works with devices that can be connected to your Mac via the macOS
Bluetooth menu. If you can connect it via the system menu, you should be able to
connect and disconnect it via ToothFairy. Here are some steps to try if you
can’t get your device to connect or if it won’t stay connected:
- Make sure that Bluetooth is On in the Bluetooth pane in System
Settings. It can help to turn Bluetooth off and then back on again on
your Mac, or to turn it off on other nearby devices.
- Make sure that your device is paired with your Mac using the
Bluetooth pane of System Settings. It sometimes helps to unpair
the device in System Settings and then re-pair it. (Just because you
can see the device and connect to it from the Bluetooth menu does not
mean that it is paired. Make sure that you check System Settings.)
- Make sure that the device you are trying to connect is the same one that
you added to ToothFairy. For example, if you got a new pair of AirPods,
ToothFairy will still try to connect to the old AirPods (and report a
timeout error) unless you’ve added the new ones to ToothFairy using the
+ button. Even if you haven’t gotten a new device, it can sometimes
help to remove the device from ToothFairy using the - button and then
add it back using the + button.
- Make sure the device’s battery is fully charged.
- Try restarting your Mac in Safe Mode. This will help rule out
other software as the source of the problem, but it can also fix the
problem (i.e. the Bluetooth device will continue working after you do a
regular reboot).
- It can help to adjust your AirDrop settings (on your Macs and any nearby iOS
devices). Bluetooth
devices connect more reliably when AirDrop is off or set to Contacts
Only.
- It can help to turn off Allow Handoff between this Mac and your
iCloud devices in the General pane of System Settings.
- If you have USB Overdrive installed,
try temporarily turning it off or uninstalling it and see whether that
helps.
- Try disconnecting any USB hubs from your Mac or nearby Macs.
- Check Apple’s Potential sources of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interference guide.
- Try resetting your Mac’s Bluetooth module:
- On macOS 12, restart your Mac.
- On earlier versions of macOS, hold down the Shift and Option keys
while clicking on the Bluetooth menu. Go to the Debug submenu
and choose Reset the Bluetooth Module. Then restart your Mac.
- Apps like Bluetooth Inspector,
iStumbler, and Apple’s Bluetooth Explorer
can be used to diagnose connection problems.
- If you still can’t get it to work, save a Bluetooth log and a
diagnostic report and send them to us for further assistance.