Do Smart TVs have Bluetooth? Wires are from the early 2000s. We want all of our devices to be connected these days. In order to achieve this, we do not wish to be restricted by a wire. It’s just that we expect a certain level of freedom, even from our TVs.
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Do smart TVs have Bluetooth?
Today, many smart TV models come with built-in Bluetooth. All of Sony, LG, Samsung, Toshiba, and Hisense make Bluetooth-enabled smart TVs. You can still make smart TVs “Bluetooth enabled” if they do not have Bluetooth by using a Bluetooth transmitter or downloading the TV manufacturer’s smartphone app.
Unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard of Bluetooth before. In fact, it’s a wireless (radio-wave) technology used for short-range data exchange.
Bluetooth is incorporated into many tech products today, and smart TVs are no exception.
But while a lot of smart TVs do come with Bluetooth built-in, many still don’t. (I’m looking at you, Roku and Vizio).
This is partly because Bluetooth isn’t a required smart TV feature, but mostly due to cost.
Bluetooth chips are expensive to integrate into every single smart TV set, so some manufacturers simply do not bother.
Which TVs have Bluetooth
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
- Toshiba – Fire TV Editions
When manufacturers do include Bluetooth in their smart TV models (and as a result, charge more), it is usually only in their flagship models.
Samsung, Sony, Hisense, and LG are most likely to come with Bluetooth built-in, out of all the smart TV brands out there.
The easiest thing to do is to check the TV’s user manual to confirm that it mentions Bluetooth.
If you don’t have the manual, you can search for your TV’s make and model followed by the word “manual”. You can usually find these online. See what comes up when you search for “Bluetooth” on the page.
If you can’t find the TV manual, navigate 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
Sony X80J 4K Ultra HD LED Smart Google TV is the best smart TV on the market today with built-in Bluetooth capabilities.
As a result, the X80J reproduces more colors than a conventional TV, resulting in a picture that is more natural and precise.
With Google TV, you can seamlessly browse 700,000+ movies and TV episodes from all your favorite streaming services, all in one place. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube, the Apple TV app, and many more are available.
To top it all off, this TV comes with a compact, space-saving soundbar with a bass reflex speaker that delivers enhanced audio quality.
What can a Bluetooth TV do?
Perhaps you are wondering if this investigation/effort is even worth it.
For me it definitely was.
Bluetooth just offers a lot of great functionality that isn’t available elsewhere.
A Bluetooth-enabled smart TV, for example, allows you to:
- Connect wireless headsets or speakers to the TV
- Use your smartphone as a remote control
- Sync a wireless keyboard to type on the TV
- Stream music from your iPod or smartphone to your TV
- Project your smartphone’s screen and apps onto the TV
Being able to watch TV with a pair of headphones late at night without waking up my wife makes the effort to make my TV “Bluetooth enabled” worthwhile.
If your smart TV does not come with Bluetooth capabilities out of the box, what can you do to get some of these features?
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 smartphone app
3) buy a Bluetooth transmitter for your TV
Secret service menu
It is possible to make your TV Bluetooth through its “secret service menu”.
Every digital television has a hidden menu. With this menu, you can access some advanced menus/options and change/enable/disable lots of features on your TV that you cannot otherwise access.
You can use certain combinations of codes on your remote to access this menu if you’re feeling brave. Check to see if Bluetooth can be enabled from there as well.
The reason I say “brave enough” is that in some cases, you can “brick” your TV if you make a mistake (a term used when you mess up a device so badly, it’s as useful as a brick).
Also, accessing the secret service menu voids your TV’s warranty.
If I haven’t scared you off yet, keep reading.
These codes can often take a few tries before working, so don’t give up too easily if the menu doesn’t appear right away.
Don’t change any other settings while you’re in there!
Smartphone apps
One far less intimidating option is to download the TV manufacturer’s app to your smartphone, and then use your phone’s Bluetooth to connect to your TV.
Take Roku, for instance.
They provide a free smartphone app that allows you to use your phone’s Bluetooth capabilities.
This means you can sync your phone’s Bluetooth to your headphones, or even a speaker, via the Roku app, and listen to your TV that way.
Not perfect, but not a bad option either.
Bluetooth transmitter
If you can’t enable Bluetooth through the hidden menu and the TV doesn’t have a dedicated smart app, don’t panic, you still have one good option left.
You can buy a Bluetooth transmitter.
A Bluetooth transmitter is simply a product that plugs into a non-Bluetooth-enabled device (in this case your smart TV) and turns it into a fully functioning Bluetooth device.
These days the technology has gotten so good that there is very low latency with these devices (meaning the sound will come near real-time, without delay).
And even better, you can get a great one for cheap (under $40).
If you’re thinking about going this route, check out the TOKSEL Visible Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter (check price on Amazon). This thing gets amazing reviews and will make your smart TV Bluetooth in seconds.
This one does require a headphone jack (AUX) on your TV, so make sure you have one before buying it.
If your TV doesn’t have a headphone jack, no problem, go with the Avantree Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter. Same amazing reviews, but it offers multiple different options for setup (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!)
Conclusion
Yes, some smart TVs have Bluetooth built-in, but not all. I’ve found that the flagship models of Samsung, Sony, and LG are the most likely TVs to have it.
For those smart TVs that don’t have Bluetooth “out-of-the-box”, there are several ways to make them “Bluetooth enabled”:
- Enable Bluetooth through the TV’s secret service menu
- Download the TV manufacturer’s smartphone app
- Buy a Bluetooth transmitter for your TV
What’s your favorite thing you use your TV’s Bluetooth capabilities for? Leave me a comment down below!