How to Forget and Remove a Bluetooth Device in Ubuntu Linux

Bluetooth connectivity on Linux has improved dramatically over the years, but it is still not flawless. A common issue Ubuntu users face is a Bluetooth mouse, keyboard, or pair of headphones that suddenly refuses to connect. When this happens, the most reliable fix is to completely “forget” the device and pair it again from scratch.

Unfortunately, the standard Ubuntu Settings graphical interface can sometimes freeze or fail to remove a stubborn, disconnected device. If clicking the “Remove” button in the Settings app does nothing, you will need to forcefully unpair the device using the Terminal. Here is exactly how to do both methods safely.

Method 1: Using the Ubuntu Settings GUI (The Easy Way)

Before resorting to the command line, you should always try the standard graphical method first.

1. Click on the system menu in the top-right corner of your screen (where the battery and network icons are located).
2. Click on the arrow next to the Bluetooth icon to expand the menu.
3. Select Bluetooth Settings. This will open the main Settings window.
4. In the list of devices, locate the troublesome Bluetooth device you want to remove.
5. Click on the device name. A small configuration box will appear.
6. Click the red Remove Device button.

If the device disappears from the list, you have successfully removed it. You can now put your headphones or mouse back into pairing mode and reconnect them as a new device. However, if you click the button and nothing happens, proceed to Method 2.

Method 2: Force Removal via the Terminal (The Guaranteed Way)

When the graphical interface fails, the Linux Terminal provides a much deeper, more forceful way to manage Bluetooth connections using the built-in bluetoothctl utility.

1. Open the Terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard.
2. Type the following command to launch the Bluetooth control interface:
   bluetoothctl
3. Press Enter. Your prompt will change to [bluetooth]#.
4. Next, you need to find the specific MAC address of the device you want to remove. Type:
   devices
5. Press Enter. The Terminal will output a list of every Bluetooth device your computer has ever paired with, looking something like this:
   Device AB:12:CD:34:EF:56 Sony WH-1000XM4
6. Locate the name of your broken device in that list, and carefully highlight and copy the MAC address (the string of numbers and letters with colons, e.g., AB:12:CD:34:EF:56).
7. To forcefully forget the device, type remove followed by a space, and then paste the MAC address. For example:
   remove AB:12:CD:34:EF:56
8. Press Enter. The Terminal should respond with:
   Device has been removed

Your device is now completely wiped from Ubuntu’s memory. Type quit and press Enter to exit the bluetoothctl utility. You can now close the Terminal and safely re-pair your Bluetooth accessory via the normal Settings menu.