If the Bluetooth feature doesn’t turn on on your Samsung Galaxy S20, you may notice that the Bluetooth icon on the quick settings panel doesn’t light up when tapped, or the Bluetooth toggle doesn’t move to the “On” state. 

This issue could arise due to multiple reasons such as a sudden system glitch, a corrupted cache in the Bluetooth app, or an issue with the Android software of your Samsung Galaxy S20. 

But don’t worry! In this guide, we have provided six (06) solutions with step-by-step instructions to resolve this issue.

Note: Solutions in this guide will work on any Samsung Galaxy S20 model (S20, S20 Plus, S20 Fe, and S20 Ultra models.)

Editor’s note: We created these instructions using a Samsung Galaxy S20 running Android 13. Depending on your device’s software version, some steps and menu positions may look slightly different.

Fix 01: Restart Your Galaxy S20 and Try Again

A restart, or a “soft reset,” is useful for resolving minor glitches that prevent certain functions, such as Bluetooth, from working correctly. 

The reason is, that when you restart your Samsung Galaxy S20, it shuts down all the running processes, including any that could be causing the Bluetooth function to malfunction. 

Once you turn your phone back on, these processes start fresh, resolving any previously occurring temporary glitches.

Here’s how to perform a soft reset on your Samsung Galaxy S20:

1. Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
2. From the power menu that appears on the screen, select the “Power Off” button.

3. Wait for your device to power off. Then wait another 3 to 5 minutes before turning on your phone again.
4. Once you have turned on your Galaxy S20, try turning on Bluetooth again.

Fix 02: Clear Bluetooth App Cache

The Bluetooth feature won’t turn on if the cache data (important for the Bluetooth feature to function effectively) are corrupted within the Bluetooth app. 

If this is the case, you need to clear the cache data of the Bluetooth app to resolve this issue. 

Note: Clearing the cache will not remove your personal data or settings. It will only remove temporary files that could be causing Bluetooth to not turn on.

Here are the steps to clear the Bluetooth app cache:

1. Open the “Settings” app.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Apps.”
3. In the list of apps, find and tap on “Bluetooth.”

4. Tap on “Storage.”

5. Tap on “Clear Cache”.

Once you’ve cleared the Bluetooth cache, restart your Samsung Galaxy S20 and test if the Bluetooth feature turns on.

Fix 03: Reset Network Settings

Resetting the network settings will reset all network settings, including the Bluetooth settings. This will resolve the issue of Bluetooth not turning on if the problem is related to network configurations that have been incorrectly set or if certain settings are causing conflicts.

Note: Resetting your network settings will delete all network information from your device, including Wi-Fi networks and passwords. You will need to re-enter this information once the reset is complete.

Follow the steps below to reset network settings on your Samsung Galaxy S20:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap on “General Management”.
3. Tap on “Reset”.

4. Tap on “Reset network settings”.

5. If asked, enter the screen lock PIN, password, or pattern.
6. Lastly, tap on “Reset”.

Fix 04: Reset All Settings

If resetting network settings didn’t resolve the problem, you need to reset all settings to revert all the changes you have made to your Galaxy S20’s settings. 

Note: This will not delete any personal data stored on your Samsung Galaxy S20.

Follow the steps below to reset all settings:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap on “General Management”.
3. Select “Reset “from the list of options.
4. Tap on “Reset all settings”.

5. You will see a confirmation window appear on the screen. Tap on Reset to confirm.

Once the process is completed, your Samsung Galaxy S20 will reboot automatically. After it has restarted, check if the Bluetooth feature is now turning on correctly.

Fix 05: Do a Software Update

The root cause of the Bluetooth not turning on could also be system-wide bugs or glitches in the Android software of your Samsung Galaxy S20. 

To rule out this possibility, you can update your phone’s software to the latest version, as software updates bring improvements and bug fixes for known issues.

Here’s how you can update your Galaxy S20 software:

1. Go to “Settings”.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Battery and device care”.

3. Then tap on “Software update”.

4. Tap on “Download and install”.

Your phone will now start checking for available updates. If there’s an update available, you will be notified to download and install it. Make sure that your Galaxy S20 is connected to a stable connection and has enough battery level (more than 75%) during the update process to avoid any interruptions.

Fix 06: Do a Factory Data Reset

If you’ve tried all of the above solutions and the Bluetooth feature on your Samsung Galaxy S20 still refuses to turn on, you have to do a factory data reset to resolve persistent bugs and deep-rooted issues causing the system to malfunction.

Note: Please be aware that performing a factory data reset will erase all personal data on your Galaxy S20, including your contacts, messages, photos, videos, and apps. Therefore, back up any important data before proceeding with this solution.

Here are the steps to do a factory data reset on your Samsung Galaxy S20:

1. Open the “Settings” app.
2. Scroll down and tap on “General Management”.
3. Tap on “Reset”.
4. Select “Factory data reset”.

5. If you have set up a PIN or password, you’ll need to enter it now.
6. Finally, confirm to restart and begin the factory data reset process.

After the reset is completed, your Galaxy S20 will restart automatically. Then you can check to see if the Bluetooth feature is turning on. If even a factory data reset doesn’t resolve the problem, chances are higher that the Bluetooth module in your Galaxy S20 is damaged or defective. In this case, it would be best to take your phone to a Samsung Service Center to check and troubleshoot the issue. To find the nearest Samsung service center, visit Samsung Service locator page.