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With all the news floating around the M1 Mac minis and MacBooks, you’d think that these products are perfect. Of course, nothing comes out perfect the first time, even for Apple, and there are some problems that may have been buried under the ton of good news. There is, for example, the serious macOS restore issue that practically bricked some of these new Macs or missing compatibility with some iOS and x86 software. While the latter will probably be fixed over time, one problem that deserves immediate attention is the case of randomly disconnecting Bluetooth peripherals that are giving owners of these new Macs a lot of headaches.
Complaints about Bluetooth connectivity issues seem to be varied and wide, ranging from random disconnects to completely non-working Bluetooth connections. And in case some might suspect third-party products as the cause, even Apple’s AirPods were listed as one of the affected peripherals. Others include keyboards, mice, and even headsets.
The problem affects both new MacBooks and Mac minis but it is especially problematic for owners of the latter. Given the limited number of ports, some may have hoped to rely only on Bluetooth keyboards and mice. It’s not a deal-breaker unless you don’t have spare USB input devices lying around.
Unfortunately, the exact cause of these issues remains a mystery. It’s easy enough to worry about hardware causes, which would mean sending back affected units for repairs or replacements. That said, at least one user reported having the same problem even after getting a replacement Mac mini.
Hopefully, this means it is a macOS Big Sur or driver problem, something that can be more easily fixed by a software update. Given how Apple is heavily pushing Bluetooth-connected peripherals and accessories, however, you’d think it would take extra care to ensure these are working properly with its new generation of Macs.
Circle with a line through it
Learn what to do if your Mac starts up to a circle with a line through it (prohibitory symbol).
Question mark
Learn what to do if your Mac starts up to a question mark.
Options with a gear icon
Learn what to do if your Mac starts up to Options with a gear icon.
Blank (empty) screen
Learn what to do if your Mac starts up to a blank screen, such as an empty gray, black, or blue screen.
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Apple logo
Learn what to do if your Mac starts up to an Apple logo or progress bar.
Globe with alert symbol
A globe with an exclamation point means that your Mac tried to start up from macOS Recovery over the Internet, but couldn't. Learn what to do if your Mac can't start up from macOS Recovery.
Lock icon
If your Mac is using a firmware password, the lock icon appears when you try to start up from another disk or volume, such as an external drive or macOS Recovery. Enter the firmware password to continue.
System lock PIN code
Your Mac asks for a PIN code when it has been remotely locked using Find My. Enter the four-digit or six-digit passcode to continue.
Login window
At the login window, enter your user account password to log in to your Mac. If FileVault is turned on, this also unlocks your disk. You might see a default desktop picture in the background, which might change to your chosen desktop picture when you select your account.
Thunderbolt, USB, or FireWire symbol
Slash It 2 For Macbook Air
Slash It 2 For Macbook
A large Thunderbolt , USB , or FireWire symbol against a dark background means that your Mac is in target disk mode.
Learn more
Slash It 2 For Macbook Pro
- Learn what to do if your Mac displays a message that it restarted because of a problem.
- When starting up from Windows using Boot Camp, your Mac doesn't show an Apple logo or the other macOS screens in this article.
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