How to Turn off Your Phone's Bluetooth Permanently

If you try to turn off Bluetooth on your smartphone, you may notice it doesn't behave in the ways you expect. Whether you have an Android device or an iPhone, here's how to ensure you permanently turn Bluetooth off.

This guide applies to iOS 12+ and Android 10+.

How to Turn Off Bluetooth on iPhone

Apple has kept the method to shut off your device’s Bluetooth quite consistent over the years. But 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 wish to disconnect a pair of headphones or another Bluetooth accessory from your iPhone, you can do so via Control Center.

Disabling Bluetooth on iOS via Control Center screenshot — Lifewire

To access Control Center on most iOS devices, slide your finger upwards from the bottom of the screen.

If you're using an iPhone X, slide your finger downwards from the upper left-hand corner of the screen.

The Control Center displays some quick settings, such as Screen Brightness, Bluetooth, WiFi, and a "Do Not Disturb" function. Select the Bluetooth icon to disconnect all non-Apple devices.

While this toggle switch may achieve your end goal of disconnecting a pair of headphones, it does leave the Bluetooth radio on for some additional functions and services, such as the Apple Watch, Apple Pencil, and Mac Handoff feature.

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 application. Scroll down and select Bluetooth, then tap the toggle switch to shut off the internal radio entirely.

The Settings app showing Bluetooth control on iOS screenshot.

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.

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 do choose to toggle Bluetooth off on an Android device, it's shut off permanently until you decide to re-engage it.

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

Toggling Bluetooth radio setting from Android's status bar.

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.

In addition to helping extend battery life, shutting off Bluetooth can prevent possible hacking schemes. One of the most common Android Bluetooth hacks is known as BlueBorne and can allow users to gain unauthorized access to your device. It's recommended to turn Bluetooth off when not in use to improve your overall security.