How to Turn Off Your Phone's Bluetooth Permanently

This article explains how to turn off Bluetooth on your Android device or an iPhone. This guide applies to iOS 12 and later and Android 10 and later.

How to Turn Off Bluetooth on iPhone Temporarily

Apple has kept the method to shut off your device’s Bluetooth quite consistent over the years. However, with iOS 11, Apple changed the default Bluetooth toggle button. Now, instead of completely turning off the radio, it merely disconnects all non-Apple devices.

If you want to disconnect a pair of headphones or another Bluetooth accessory from your iPhone, you can do so via Control Center.

To access Control Center on the iPhone, slide your finger downward from the top right corner (in iOS 12 and later) or upward from the bottom of the screen (in earlier versions of the iOS).

The Control Center displays some quick settings for screen brightness, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and a "Do Not Disturb" function. Tap the Bluetooth icon to disconnect all non-Apple devices.

The resulting screen shows the Bluetooth icon in a white background and displays the message "Disconnecting Bluetooth Devices Until Tomorrow," so this option is not permanent.

How to Turn Off Bluetooth Permanently in iOS

If you want to shut off Bluetooth entirely, you need to do so from within the Settings app. While most users will be satisfied with shutting off partial Bluetooth functionality via the Control Center, those who don't use any Bluetooth devices or Mac’s Handoff functionality may want to turn the radio off entirely in exchange for a little more battery life.

In the Settings app, select Bluetooth and then tap the toggle switch to shut off the Bluetooth entirely. The resulting screen warns that AirDrop, AirPlay, Find My, Location Services, and Exposure Notifications use Bluetooth.

How to Turn Off Bluetooth on Android

Due to the variety of different Android smartphone manufacturers, turning off Bluetooth can vary between devices. However, when you choose to toggle Bluetooth off on an Android device, it's shut off permanently until you decide to reengage it.

Your first option for deactivating Bluetooth on an Android device is via the Status Bar. Swipe down from the top of the screen to display the Status Bar and swipe down again to locate and tap Bluetooth to switch it on or off.

Another option for turning off your Android device’s Bluetooth is via the Settings app. Launch it, then go to Connected Devices > Connection Preferences > Bluetooth. Tap the toggle switch to deactivate your device’s Bluetooth functionality.