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How Do I Know If My Xbox One Controller Has Bluetooth?

Asked by Lily C.0 views

Trying to connect My Xbox One Controller Has Bluetooth to my phone to play some games and it just won't show up in Bluetooth. My other Xbox controller, the newer one, connects fine. Is it because not all Xbox controllers have Bluetooth? How do I tell which one I've got without guessing?

I Know If My Xbox One Controller Has BluetoothHow I Know If My Xbox One Controller Has BluetoothHow Do I Know If My Xbox One Controller Has Bluetooth
Brand
Microsoft
Model
Xbox One Wireless Controller (model not checked)
Connection
Bluetooth
System
Android 16
Browser
Chrome Mobile 152
Bluetooth And Wireless PairingXbox One Controller
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Short Answer

Not all Xbox One controllers have Bluetooth. Look at the plastic around the Xbox button: if it is part of the same face plate as the rest of the front, it has Bluetooth. If it sits in a separate piece joined to the bumper section, it does not. The model number in the battery compartment confirms it.

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Liam Davies
Liam DaviesVerified Gamepad Tester team memberGamepad Tester Team
Bluetooth And Wireless Test Engineer · 11+ years experience · Answered Sep 4, 2026

You have guessed right: the original Xbox One controllers have no Bluetooth at all. Bluetooth arrived with the model 1708 controller, released alongside the Xbox One S in 2016, and every Xbox Series controller since has it too.

The fastest check is visual. On a Bluetooth controller, the plastic around the Xbox button is part of the same face plate as the rest of the front, with no seam around it. On the older controllers, the Xbox button sits in a separate piece of plastic that belongs to the top section with the bumpers, so you can see a clear seam.

To be certain, open the battery cover and read the label. Models 1537 and 1697 have no Bluetooth. Model 1708 does, and so does the Xbox Series controller, model 1914. Among Elite controllers, the first Elite (model 1698) has no Bluetooth and the Elite Series 2 (model 1797) does.

If yours turns out to be an older model, it is still useful. Many Android phones accept it over a USB cable with an OTG adapter, and on a Windows PC it works with a cable or the Xbox Wireless Adapter. For a phone over Bluetooth, though, you will need the newer controller.

Step By Step Fix
  1. Look at the Xbox button. A seamless face plate around it means Bluetooth; a separate piece joined to the bumper section means no Bluetooth.
  2. Remove the battery cover and read the model number on the label inside.
  3. Model 1708 or 1914 means Bluetooth. Model 1537 or 1697 means no Bluetooth.
  4. For a Bluetooth model, turn it on, hold the small pair button on top until the Xbox logo flashes quickly, and add it in the phone's Bluetooth settings.
  5. Open the gamepad tester in Chrome on the phone, tap the page and press a button to confirm it works.
  6. For an older model, try a USB cable with an OTG adapter if your phone supports it, or keep it for PC use.

Tested on: Applies to Xbox One controller models 1537, 1697 and 1708, Xbox Series model 1914 and Elite models, on Android 16 and Windows 11. Model and Bluetooth details checked against Macworld's Xbox controller pairing guide and Xbox support.

Sources
  1. How to pair an Xbox One controller with iPhone or iPad
  2. Using the Xbox Wireless Controller on different platforms

Checked by Chris Evans Jr. on . How we verify answers

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Community Replies 3

  • Accepted Solution
    Tariq HussainCommunity Member

    Battery label said 1697 on mine. No Bluetooth. Mystery solved after an hour of trying to pair it.

  • Lily ChambersCommunity Member

    Seam around the button and model 1537. The old one is staying on the PC then. The newer one works on my phone with your test.

  • Maya GoldbergCommunity Member

    USB with an OTG adapter worked for my old one on a Samsung phone, for anyone who doesn't want to buy a new controller.

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Liam Davies
Written and tested by

Liam DaviesVerified Gamepad Tester team member

Bluetooth And Wireless Test Engineer at Gamepad Tester

Liam works on Bluetooth Low Energy and wireless input. Most pairing complaints are not really pairing problems: they are packet drops, signal jitter or interference from a crowded 2.4GHz band, and they look completely different on a trace than they do to the player. He tests how controllers behave over distance, through walls, alongside other wireless devices, and on the proprietary dongles that several brands ship. On Gamepad Tester he answers the pairing and dropout questions and verifies fixes over both Bluetooth and adapter connections.

Bluetooth Low Energypacket loss and jitter2.4GHz interferencewireless adapterspairing faults
  • 9 answers on Gamepad Tester
  • 11+ years experience
  • Reproduces wireless dropouts and pairing faults on real hardware before a fix is published here.
  • Reviewed by Chris Evans Jr.
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