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Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both wireless, but they solve different jobs. Wi-Fi usually connects the computer to a local network and the internet. Bluetooth pairs nearby peripherals such as a headset, mouse, or phone.
Join a Wi-Fi network
Open Quick Settings and expand Wi-Fi, or open Settings → Wi-Fi.
- Confirm Wi-Fi is on.
- Select the network name you trust.
- Enter its password carefully.
- Select Connect.
- Wait for the connected state, then open a known website if internet access is expected.
A Wi-Fi connection and an internet connection are related but not identical. Ubuntu can join a router even when that router currently has no internet access.
Disconnect or forget for different outcomes
Disconnect ends the current connection but normally keeps the saved details. Ubuntu can reconnect later.
Forget Connection removes the saved configuration for that network. You will need its password or other credentials to join again.
Forget a network when it is wrong, untrusted, or should no longer reconnect automatically. Do not use Forget as a routine replacement for Disconnect if you do not know the password.
Check Airplane Mode
Airplane Mode can disable wireless radios together. If both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth disappear at the same time, inspect that control before reinstalling or changing drivers.
Some laptops also have a physical wireless switch or function key. Its state can prevent software controls from enabling the radio.
Pair a Bluetooth device
Pairing creates a trusted relationship between two Bluetooth devices.
- Charge and power on the device.
- Follow its manufacturer instructions to enter pairing or discoverable mode.
- Open Settings → Bluetooth and turn Bluetooth on.
- Select the device when its correct name appears.
- Confirm matching codes on both devices when asked.
- Wait for a Connected state.
Do not confirm a code that differs between the screens. Cancel, restart pairing, and ensure you selected the intended device.
Paired, connected, and selected are separate states
A headset can be paired but currently disconnected. It can be connected but not selected as the active sound output.
If sound still comes from speakers, check the Bluetooth connection and then the Sound output setting.
Disconnecting keeps the pairing for later. Removing or forgetting the Bluetooth device deletes the pairing and requires a new pairing process next time.
Safe checks when nothing appears
For Wi-Fi:
- Check Wi-Fi and Airplane Mode.
- Confirm other devices can see the expected network.
- Move closer to the access point.
- Turn Wi-Fi off, then on.
- Restart when an ordinary temporary fault remains.
For Bluetooth:
- Check Bluetooth and Airplane Mode.
- Charge the device.
- Put it into pairing mode again; that mode often times out.
- Move it close to the computer.
- Disconnect it from another phone or computer that may claim it automatically.
Public and managed networks
A café, school, or workplace network may open a sign-in page or require organization-specific settings. Ask the network owner for the intended method.
Do not disable security protections or install an unknown certificate merely to make a connection prompt disappear.
Common mistakes
Entering the right password for the wrong network name. Confirm both the network and credentials.
Forgetting a network without knowing its password. Disconnect instead when the saved setup should remain.
Pairing the wrong similarly named device. Check the model and confirmation code.
Expecting paired headphones to become the output automatically. Verify Sound settings.
Assuming no internet means Wi-Fi did not connect. Check whether the router itself has internet access.
Practice
Knowledge check
Choose the first safe connectivity check.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth both disappear after a key was pressed. Which shared setting should you inspect first, and why is reinstalling a driver not the first action?
What to learn next
The next chapter turns repeated actions into quicker ones. Start with Ubuntu Keyboard Shortcuts Beginners Actually Need.