Do Smart TVs Have Bluetooth? (Everything You Should Know!)

Do Smart TVs Have Bluetooth? Wires are so early in the twenty-first century. We want all of our devices to be connected these days, but we don’t want to be restricted or tied down by a wire in order to do so. We simply expect a certain level of freedom from our televisions.

Try looking for a new TV that isn’t a Smart TV; you’ll most likely be looking in the used section or at the cheapest televisions on the market. Every new generation of televisions incorporates more wireless technology and streaming services for enhanced capabilities.

A decade ago, the best you could hope for was to plug it into the wall. With Bluetooth integration, you can now connect to headphones, speakers, smartphones, computers, and any other Bluetooth-enabled device.

Take a few hints from the advice below to figure out if your TV has Bluetooth connectivity and what the best TVs with Bluetooth are. Remember that an informed consumer is a satisfied consumer.

DO SMART TVS HAVE BLUETOOTH?

Yes, Bluetooth is now built into many smart TV models. Bluetooth-enabled smart TVs are available from Sony, LG, Samsung, Toshiba, and Hisense. Even if your smart TV does not have Bluetooth, you can make it “Bluetooth enabled” by using a Bluetooth transmitter or downloading the TV manufacturer’s smart phone app.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard of Bluetooth. You’re probably aware that it’s a wireless (radio-wave) technology used for short-distance data exchanges. That’s because Bluetooth has been integrated into many of today’s tech products, including smart TVs.

However, while many smart TVs have Bluetooth built in, many do not. (Roku and Vizio, I’m looking at you.) This is due in part to the fact that Bluetooth isn’t a required smart TV feature, but it’s also due to cost. Incorporating Bluetooth chips into each and every smart TV set is an expensive endeavor, so some manufacturers simply do not bother.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR SMART TV HAS BLUETOOTH?

Often, it is fairly simple to tell. If you’re not sure whether your TV has Bluetooth, here are a few pointers to help you figure it out.

• The Bluetooth logo will be printed on the cardboard box in which the TV will be delivered.
• The Bluetooth logo can be found on the TV or the TV remote.
• You will most likely find a Bluetooth section in your TV’s settings that allows you to control the connection. This allows you to turn it on and off, as well as connect and disconnect from specific devices.
• If you have a smartphone, open up your Bluetooth settings on your phone, you may see your TV listed there. If so, then your TV is able to connect via Bluetooth.
• Some brands like Samsung are all Bluetooth enabled, as this is how their remote connects with the TV.

IF THE TV HAS BLUETOOTH, DOES THAT MEAN YOU CAN CONNECT YOUR BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES?

Yes, the wonderful thing about Bluetooth technology is that it allows you to pair an infinite number of devices with your television. If you’re watching TV late at night and don’t want to wake up your family, you can use headphones to block out the noise.

You could also wear the headphones while working out at home to increase the volume. Bluetooth headphones aren’t the only Bluetooth-enabled devices that can be easily paired with your Smart TV. There are numerous other options. A quick reference guide to the most commonly paired devices is provided below.

• Bluetooth headphones and hearing aids
• Bluetooth soundbars
• Bluetooth speakers
• Bluetooth gamepads or controllers
• Bluetooth keyboards and mice
• Bluetooth Smart Phone, Pad, or Computer

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DO YOU NEED A SMART TV TO USE YOUR BLUETOOTH HEADSET?

Most likely, You won’t be able to buy a new TV that isn’t a Smart TV, but you might get one that doesn’t have Bluetooth. Alternatively, you could update your existing older TV to allow it to work with Bluetooth. In any case, you don’t have to buy a Smart TV to take advantage of Bluetooth technology.

Instead of purchasing a Smart TV with Bluetooth, consider purchasing a Bluetooth adapter. These are connected to your TV via a 3.5 mm audio port or a standard left/right AUX audio port. Bluetooth connections may already be available if you own a gaming console or a media streaming device.

Roku boxes, Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One are examples. The most important thing to consider when purchasing an external Bluetooth adaptor is whether it sends or receives Bluetooth signals.

This is primarily determined by how you intend to use the paired devices. If you want to connect your TV to external speakers or headphones, for example, you want your TV to “send” the signal to the Bluetooth-enabled speakers or headphones.

The TOKSEL Visible Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter with low latency connects directly to the 3.5mm TV socket and is the best-selling Bluetooth transmitter. If your TV lacks a 3.5 mm socket but has RCA male stereo audio sockets, you can purchase an 8-inch VCE adapter for a few dollars.

If you are potentially going to send information to the TV via Bluetooth, you want to make sure that you are buying a transmitter AND receiver on the same device. The TaoTronics Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter mentioned above both transmits and receives a signal.

The 1Mii B03 Long Range Bluetooth Device is more of a sound splitter than a Bluetooth device. You can connect it to a soundbar, speakers, receiver, and multiple headphones all at once. Instead of constantly pairing between devices, all you have to do is select one.

The Miccus Long Range Bluetooth Device has been proven to be reliable at low latency with aptX up to 300 ft in range. This would allow you to walk around your house while still listening to television. However, Bluetooth is not required for all headphones to connect to your TV.

Headphones connected to your TV via a radio frequency before there were smart TVs. These headphones are still very popular and frequently highly rated. To do this, you’ll need to purchase a specific pair of headphones. For Bluetooth skeptics, the HSPRO Wireless TV Headphones, Sony Wireless Headphones, and Sennheiser RS 120II Wireless RF Headphones are all excellent choices.

WHICH TVS HAVE BLUETOOTH FEATURE?

The following smart TV models come with Bluetooth enabled:

• Hisense – A6, A60 and A6G series
• Hisense – H55, H65, H8, H8G, H8G1, and H9 series
• Hisense – Laser TV, U6, U7, U8 & U9 series
• LG – UN7300, UN7370, & UN8500 series
• LG – Nanoclass 81, 85, 90, & 99 series
• LG – BX, CX, GX, WX, & ZX series
• Samsung – 6, 7, 8, & 9 series
• Samsung – Frame, Serif, Sero and Terrace series
• Samsung – Q60T, Q70T, Q80T, Q90T, Q800T, & Q900TS series
• Sony – Android and Google models released after 2016 (complete list here)
• Toshiba – Fire TV Editions

(Hint: for an up-to-date list of all Bluetooth-enabled smart TVs, visit BestBuys and filter by “Bluetooth” under features.) When manufacturers do bother, Bluetooth is usually only found in their flagship smart TV models (which, as a result, usually come with a higher price tag).

In my experience, of all the smart TV brands available, Samsung, Sony, Hisense, and LG are the most likely to include Bluetooth. Ultimately, the simplest thing to do is to consult the TV’s user manual to see if it mentions Bluetooth.

If you don’t have the manual, just Google your TV’s make and model followed by the word “manual”. Most manuals can be found online this way. Then search the page for “Bluetooth” and see what comes up. If you can’t find the TV manual go to “Audio” within the TV’s settings and see if “Bluetooth” is listed as an “Output option” there.

BEST SMART TV WITH BLUETOOTH BUILT-IN

The best smart TV available today with built-in Bluetooth capabilities is the Sony X80J 4K Ultra HD LED Smart Google TV. The X80J reproduces more colors than a conventional TV, resulting in picture quality that is natural and precise, and closer than ever to real life.

With Google TV built-in, you can browse 700,000+ movies and TV episodes from your favorite streaming services in one place. View content from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube, the Apple TV app, and many other services.

The icing on the cake is that this TV comes with a compact, space-saving soundbar that delivers enhanced sound quality and includes a bass reflex speaker for deeper audio.

Alternative Video: How Do I Make My TV Bluetooth Capable?

WHAT CAN A BLUETOOTH TV DO?

You may be wondering whether or not this investigation/effort is worthwhile. It most emphatically was for me. Bluetooth simply provides a lot of great functionality that you wouldn’t be able to get otherwise. A Bluetooth-enabled smart TV, for example, allows you to do the following:

1. Connect wireless headsets or speakers to your television.
2. Make use of your smartphone as a remote control.
3. To type on the TV, connect a wireless keyboard.
4. Stream music to your TV from your iPod or smartphone.
5. The screen and apps on your smartphone should be projected onto the TV.

Simply being able to watch TV with a pair of headsets late at night without waking up my wife makes the effort of making my TV “Bluetooth enabled” worthwhile. But what can you do to get some of these capabilities if your smart TV doesn’t come with Bluetooth enabled out-of-the-box?

HOW TO MAKE A TV BLUETOOTH?

For those smart TVs that don’t have Bluetooth “out-of-the-box”, there are several ways to make them “Bluetooth enabled”:

1. Enable Bluetooth through the TV’s secret service menu
2. Download the TV manufacturer’s smart phone app
3. Buy a Bluetooth transmitter for your TV

SECRET SERVICE MENU

One possible method is to enable Bluetooth on your TV via its “secret service menu.” Every digital television on the market has a secret service menu. This menu allows users to access some advanced menus/options and change/enable/disable a variety of features on their TV that they would not be able to access otherwise.

If you’re feeling brave, you can use certain code combinations on your remote to access this menu and see if Bluetooth can be enabled from there. I say “brave enough” because making a mistake in this menu can “brick” your TV (a term used when you mess up a device so badly that it’s no better than a brick).

Oh, and accessing the secret service menu voids the warranty on your television. That’s not good. If I haven’t scared you away yet, keep reading. Many of the secret service codes for Sony, Samsung, LG, and Philips TVs can be found here. If you have a different TV brand, simply Google the codes.

It’s common for these codes to take a few tries before they work, so don’t give up if the menu doesn’t appear right away. Take your time and don’t make any other changes while you’re in there!

SMART PHONE APP

One far less intimidating option is to download the TV manufacturer’s app to your smart phone and then connect to your TV via Bluetooth. Take, for example, Roku. They offer a free smart phone app that lets you use your phone’s Bluetooth capabilities.

This means you can use the Roku app to connect your phone’s Bluetooth to headphones or even a speaker and listen to your TV. It’s not perfect, but it’s also not a bad option.

BLUETOOTH TRANSMITTER

If you can’t enable Bluetooth via the secret service menu and your TV doesn’t have a dedicated smart app, don’t worry; you still have one good option. A Bluetooth transmitter is available for purchase.

A Bluetooth transmitter is simply a device that plugs into a non-Bluetooth enabled device (in this case, your smart TV) and transforms it into a fully functional Bluetooth device. Nowadays, technology has advanced to the point where these devices have very low latency (meaning the sound will come near real time, without delay).

Even better, you can get a good one for a low price (under 40 bucks). If you’re considering this option, I highly recommend the TOKSEL Visible Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter (check price on Amazon). This thing gets rave reviews and will turn your smart TV into a Bluetooth device in seconds.

This one does require an auxiliary (AUX) jack on your TV, so make sure you have one before purchasing it. If your TV lacks a headphone jack, the Avantree Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter will suffice. It has the same great reviews as before, but it has more setup options (Optical, Aux, RCA, USB).

(As an added tip, bring your Bluetooth transmitter with you the next time you fly. You can plug it into the headphone jack and finally use your Bluetooth headphones to watch TV on the plane!).

CAN YOU STREAM VIDEO, NOT JUST AUDIO, OVER BLUETOOTH?

Yes, if you want to connect your smartphone or computer to your TV to stream video, you can do so via Bluetooth. However, as previously stated, not all receivers and transmitters support video content. If the Bluetooth device you are considering purchasing connects to the 3.5 mm audio jack or the white and red RCA stereo audio jacks, it WILL NOT stream video.

If you want to stream video and audio over Bluetooth, you’ll need a Bluetooth box that plugs into the HDMI port on the back of your television. HDMI ports can handle both video and audio signals. So, if you want to do both, make sure you’re using an HDMI port.

The Nyrius Aries Pro Wireless HDMI Box can stream HD 1080p 3D video from virtually any device to virtually any device with an HDMI port. So, if your laptop has an HDMI port, you can stream directly to an HDTV or even a projector.

CONCLUSION

Yes, some smart TVs include Bluetooth, but not all. The flagship models of Samsung, Sony, and LG, I’ve discovered, are the most likely to have it. There are several ways to make smart TVs “Bluetooth enabled” if they do not have Bluetooth “out-of-the-box”:

1. Enable Bluetooth through the TV’s secret service menu
2. Download the TV manufacturer’s smart phone app
3. Buy a Bluetooth transmitter for your TV

If you want to connect your TV to one or more Bluetooth devices, you have a lot of options. It all depends on what you want to accomplish. The simplest connection allows your TV to send an audio signal to external speakers or Bluetooth headphones.

The more advanced, but more useful, option allows your TV to either transmit audio to speakers or receive audio and video from a laptop, smartphone, or media server.

Make sure that what you are buying will actually serve the need you are having. Point being, don’t buy a Bluetooth transmitter for the TV if you are looking for the TV to receive a Bluetooth signal. Further, if your TV needs to be updated, it might be more cost effective to just buy a new Bluetooth enabled Smart TV. Good luck and pleasant viewing.

FAQs About Bluetooth TV