Macbook Apple Broadcom USB Bluetooth Support under Windows 11 Bootcamp fix

TL;DR: Install the wrong Broadcom Bluetooth driver first, then reinstall the original. Don’t ask why. Also read the update

If you upgraded from Windows 10 to 11 on a MacBook (using something like Rufus to bypass TPM), you may find Windows 11 doesn’t recognise your built-in Broadcom Bluetooth controller. The driver package you (should have) downloaded during the Bootcamp preparation phase also won’t contain a suitable driver. You won’t be able to use a Bluetooth mouse with your MacBook running Windows.

Here’s what I did:

In Device Manager, go to System Devices and find the Broadcom PCIe Bluetooth controller. That looks fine. What won’t look fine is your Bluetooth device, which will show a yellow triangle.

Update the driver for your Broadcom PCIe Bluetooth controller. Click ‘Update driver’, then ‘Browse my computer for drivers’, then ‘Let me pick from a list of available drivers’.

You’ll see 3 options:
Broadcom Bluetooth Controller over PCI Device
Broadcom Bluetooth Controller over Uhe PCI Device
Broadcom Bluetooth PCIe Controller.

Install the 3rd one (shortest name) and reboot.

It won’t work. In fact, it now shows an error in System Devices.

Reinstall the original driver: Broadcom Bluetooth Controller over PCI Device.

Without restarting, Bluetooth now works. A host of extra devices (such as Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator) will appear in the Bluetooth section of Device Manager.

Your mouse now connects.

Best guess: Installing the wrong driver copies some files that are actually needed to the right location.

Hardware: MacBook Pro 13″ (2019), Model 15,4
Software: Windows 11 Professional, installed via Rufus to bypass TPM

Update: Well, that worked for all of two days. I gave up, because I am weak-willed and have other things to do. Vile and depraved things, best not mentioned. However, a true gentleman named Mike Aaldering found this page and gave us all a better solution! Yes, not all heroes wear capes! And here it is, in all its glory. I have his permission to add it to this page, for the betterment of all mankind.

MacBook Pro 15.4 Bluetooth Issue in Windows (Boot Camp)

The problem:
Bluetooth does not work in Windows 10 or Windows 11 when running through Boot Camp (*). Even after installing all available updates through Windows Update and the Apple Software Update Assistant, the issue persists. In Device Manager, a yellow exclamation mark appears next to “Bluetooth Radio” or “Broadcom Bluetooth Controller via PCIe Device.”

* Martijn says: ‘It did for me on Windows 10, actually. No issues on my 2019 Macbook Pro. Sorry, go on. Go on go on go on! More jam, vicar?’

The cause:
The culprit is Boot Camp Update 6.1.16 installed through the Apple Software Updater. This update installs a new driver for the Wi-Fi network adapter: Broadcom 802.11ac Network Adapter (Version: 101.10.603.0 [2022-01-10]). Believe it or not, this very Wi-Fi driver is what causes the conflict, completely disabling Bluetooth functionality.

Contents of Boot Camp Update 6.1.16:

• Adds support for WPA3 security on Wi-Fi networks.
• Fixes Bluetooth issues when waking from sleep or hibernation.

The fix / solution:
Follow the steps below to manually restore the correct drivers:

1. Open Device Manager and expand Network adapters.
2. Right-click Broadcom 802.11ac Network Adapter and select Update driver.
3. Choose Browse my computer for drivers → Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
4. Select the older driver: Version 101.10.152.4 [2019-11-04], click Next, and then Close. (If Windows asks you to restart your computer, choose Later.)
5. In Device Manager, expand System devices.
6. Right-click Broadcom Bluetooth Controller via PCIe Device and select Update driver.
7. Again choose Browse my computer for drivers → Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
8. Select Broadcom Bluetooth Controller over PCIe Device, click Next, and then close the window.
9. Manually restart your MacBook.

After restarting, the yellow exclamation marks in Device Manager should be gone, and Bluetooth should be working normally again.

Important notes:

• By using this fix, your Wi-Fi adapter will support WPA2 security only. WPA3 support will no longer be available.
• If you perform a clean installation of Windows through Boot Camp, disable Boot Camp Update 6.1.16 in the Apple Software Updater each time (or permanently). This keeps the older driver installed and avoids the problem altogether. Keep in mind, however, that you may then experience the Bluetooth sleep/wake bugs that the update was originally intended to fix.

A personal note from the discoverer (Mike, not Martijn):
This little “feature” cost me two full days of my life to figure out. After hours of searching Google, I couldn’t find anyone who had solved it this way, so I wanted to share the solution in the hope of saving others the same frustration. Please let me know if this helped you—I’d genuinely love to hear it! 😊

General tip for upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11:
If you want to upgrade your MacBook Pro from Windows 10 to Windows 11 using an even simpler method than Rufus, check out this helpful video tutorial:

Watch the video on YouTube

(Make sure you do not have an active internet connection during the installation process.)