Windows 8 Bible

Adding Bluetooth-Enabled Devices

Many different types of Bluetooth devices are available on the market. Most have some means of making the device discoverable (visible) to other devices. Whether you have to make your PC discoverable to install a device depends on the type of installation you’re about to perform. As always, you need to read the documentation that came with your device for specifics. But if you do need to make your computer discoverable, it’s simply a matter of choosing the Allow A Device To Connect option, visible in Figure 45.3.

On the shortcut menu for the Bluetooth Devices Notification icon, clicking the Add A Bluetooth Device option opens the PC Settings window with the Devices option showing. Windows attempts to locate any devices available. The sections that follow show you how easy it is to connect Bluetooth devices to your laptop or computer. This example shows you how to set up an Android-based smart phone to your computer. We then walk you through the process of transferring files to and from that device.

Connecting an Android smart phone

To add an Android smart phone to your computer using Bluetooth, you must have an Android device that supports Bluetooth. Also, your computer or laptop must have built-in Bluetooth or a Bluetooth adapter plugged into it.

Use the following steps to connect the Android to your Windows computer:

1. On the Windows 8 desktop, click the Bluetooth icon on the notification bar.

2. Click Add A Bluetooth Device, as shown in