How to Rename Connected Bluetooth Devices on Mac

When pairing wireless peripherals—such as Bluetooth headphones, mice, keyboards, trackpads, and external speakers—with a Mac, hardware manufacturers often assign generic, cryptic, or serialised default device names (such as “WH-1000XM4”, “Logi M720”, or “BT-Speaker-99”). If multiple family members or colleagues in the same office use identical hardware, distinguishing between nearby devices in your macOS Bluetooth menu becomes confusing. In macOS, you can customise the broadcast label of any connected Bluetooth accessory with a descriptive personal name.

Renaming Bluetooth Accessories via System Settings

On modern versions of macOS (including macOS Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia), Bluetooth device management is consolidated inside System Settings:

1. Ensure the Bluetooth accessory you want to rename is powered on, awake, and actively connected to your Mac.
2. Click the Apple menu () at the top-left corner of the screen and choose System Settings.
3. Select Bluetooth from the navigation sidebar on the left.
4. Under the My Devices section, locate the active accessory in the list.
5. Hover your cursor over the accessory entry and click the Info button (the lowercase i inside a circle) on the far right.
6. In the configuration sheet that appears, click into the Name field at the top.
7. Delete the manufacturer’s default label and enter your preferred descriptive name (for example, “San’s Studio Headphones” or “Work Desk Mouse”).
8. Click Done to save your changes.

Renaming Peripherals on Earlier macOS Versions

If you are operating a Mac running macOS Monterey, Big Sur, or Catalina:

1. Open System Preferences and click Bluetooth.
2. Verify that the accessory displays as “Connected”.
3. Right-click or Control-click directly on the accessory listing in the device column.
4. Select Rename from the contextual menu.
5. Enter the new identifier and click the blue Rename confirmation button.

Device Name Syncing and Cross-Platform Behaviour

Renaming Bluetooth hardware introduces distinct behaviours depending on the peripheral type:

• Apple Devices (AirPods, Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard): Because Apple accessories bind to your Apple Account (iCloud), renaming AirPods or a Magic Keyboard on your Mac automatically syncs the updated name across your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch seamlessly.
• Third-Party Peripherals: For non-Apple accessories (such as Sony headphones or generic Bluetooth speakers), the custom label is stored locally inside your Mac’s Bluetooth preferences file (com.apple.Bluetooth.plist). If you later pair that same accessory to another laptop, it will broadcast its factory default name until renamed on that system as well.