Manage Bluetooth Devices from the macOS Menu Bar

Managing paired Bluetooth devices from the menu bar in macOS 13 Ventura provides quick access to your wireless peripherals without requiring you to open the full System Settings app. This guide covers how to enable the Bluetooth icon in your menu bar, connect or disconnect existing peripherals, monitor battery percentages, and jump straight to advanced settings to remove unwanted devices.

Enable the Bluetooth Icon in the Menu Bar

If the Bluetooth icon is not currently visible in the top menu bar, you must enable it through Control Center settings:

  1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings.
  2. Scroll down the left sidebar and click Control Center.
  3. Under the Control Center Modules section, locate Bluetooth.
  4. Set the dropdown menu next to Bluetooth to Show in Menu Bar.

Connect and Disconnect Paired Devices

Once the icon is active, you can quickly toggle connections:

  1. Click the Bluetooth icon in your menu bar.
  2. Review the list of paired devices categorized under your accessories.
  3. Click on the name of a paired device to establish a connection.
  4. Click on an active device a second time to disconnect it.

Check Battery Levels

For supported accessories such as AirPods, Magic Mice, Magic Keyboards, and select third-party headphones, you can view the battery status directly from the menu:

  1. Click the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar.
  2. Locate the connected device. The remaining battery percentage will be displayed directly beside or beneath the device name.

Unpair or Remove a Device

To permanently unpair or remove a device via the menu bar shortcut:

  1. Click the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar.
  2. Select Bluetooth Settings... at the bottom of the dropdown list.
  3. Locate the device you want to remove in the list of My Devices.
  4. Click the Info icon (the lowercase "i" inside a circle) next to the device name.
  5. Click Forget This Device and confirm your choice.