If Bluetooth is missing or drops on a ThinkPad T14 Gen 5, first check the firmware. On the AMD version, embedded controller firmware 1.0.8 left Wi-Fi and Bluetooth missing for owners, and going back to the earlier release, 1.0.5 in the Linux report, brought them back. Otherwise turn Bluetooth on in Settings, remove and re-pair the device and update the Bluetooth driver from Lenovo Vantage.
Differential
Likely causes of “Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 Bluetooth is missing, will not pair or disconnects”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A firmware update that removed the wireless adapter
What separates it Bluetooth and Wi-Fi vanish after a BIOS or embedded controller update, even after a BIOS reset
How to confirm Check Device Manager for the adapter; if missing, roll back the firmware or install Lenovo's newer release
- 2
Bluetooth or airplane mode off
What separates it No Bluetooth switch in Settings
How to confirm Turn on Bluetooth and airplane mode off, or use the wireless key
- 3
A stale pairing
What separates it A paired headset or mouse will not connect
How to confirm Remove the device in Settings, Bluetooth and re-pair it from scratch
- 4
An outdated driver
What separates it The adapter is present but devices drop
How to confirm Install the latest Bluetooth driver through Lenovo Vantage
- 5
Interference
What separates it Audio stutters near a router or a USB 3 device
How to confirm Move the USB 3 device away, and try the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether Bluetooth appears in Settings and Device Manager
- Whether Wi-Fi is also missing
- The BIOS and embedded controller versions
- The device you are pairing
Try in this order
0 of 5 completedCheck whether the adapter exists
ReversibleOpen Device Manager and look for Bluetooth; if it and Wi-Fi are both gone, suspect the firmware rather than a pairing.
Roll the firmware back or update
ReversibleLenovo Vantage, System Update can install a newer release; owners restored Bluetooth by returning to the earlier embedded controller version.
Turn it on and re-pair
ReversibleTurn Bluetooth on, remove the device in Settings and pair it again with the device in pairing mode.
Update the driver
ReversibleInstall the Bluetooth driver from Lenovo Vantage or Lenovo's support site, then restart.
Move interference away
ReversibleKeep USB 3 drives and hubs away from the side where the wireless antenna sits.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- The firmware bug
- Embedded controller 1.0.8 on the AMD ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 broke Wi-Fi and Bluetooth; the fwupd report describes downgrading to 1.0.5 with the allow-older option.
- Other Lenovo lines
- IdeaPad, Yoga and Legion laptops use the same Windows Bluetooth steps but their own firmware.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the adapter is missing after a firmware roll back, contact Lenovo support
- !If Bluetooth fails on every device, book service
- !If only one device fails, check the device itself
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Get Help troubleshooter, turning Bluetooth on, re-pairing and driver updates.
Lenovo's Bluetooth article, cited by title.
The ThinkPad T-series business laptop line.
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon ultrabook line.
The Legion gaming laptop line.
The Yoga convertible laptop line.
The bug report and the downgrade that fixed it.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why did Bluetooth disappear on my T14 Gen 5 after a BIOS update?+
A firmware update changed the embedded controller and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth stopped appearing for some owners. Rolling the firmware back fixed it for them; check for a newer Lenovo release first.
Does a BIOS reset bring Bluetooth back?+
Owners reported that it did not; a Windows reinstall did not either, which points at the firmware.
Is this Linux only?+
The bug report is from Linux, but owners describe the same missing adapter on Windows.