Using the Plugable Bluetooth Adapter Alongside Other Bluetooth Adapters

Last Update: December 1st, 2021
Article ID: 679507

Windows

Windows can only support one Bluetooth adapter at a time!  

Since Windows can only support a single Bluetooth adapter, there are numerous challenges not only with using the adapter on a PC that has an existing Bluetooth adapter connected, but also with computers that have previously used a different Bluetooth adapter.

Prior to Windows 10, it is at least possible to disable built-in Bluetooth adapters via Device Manager. However, in Windows 10 and onward, it is virtually impossible to keep a device permanently disabled via Device Manager. If you have any intention of installing the adapter on a Windows 10 or later PC with a built-in Bluetooth adapter, the built-in adapter must either be disabled in the system BIOS, or it must be physically uninstalled.

Linux

On Linux, it is possible to manage more than one Bluetooth adapter, though it is difficult to get Linux to avoid using a built-in Bluetooth adapter. In most cases, if your computer has a built-in Bluetooth radio, then the Plugable adapter will need to be manually selected in whatever software you're using to interface with Bluetooth devices.

In most cases, the built-in Bluetooth manager of various Linux distros does not have the ability to select a different Bluetooth radio. Instead, you will likely need to use software such as Bluetooth Manager (blueman is the package name) to gain the ability to choose a different Bluetooth radio.