My toy is not showing up when I try to pair

When your toy does not appear in the Bluetooth window, it is almost always one of four things. Try them in order.

When you click + to pair a toy and the small Bluetooth window opens but your toy is not in the list, it is almost always one of four things. Try them in this order. The first one solves most cases.

The issue is before ToyControl can control it. If your toy is not in the browser's Bluetooth picker, the problem is in the toy itself, your operating system, or your browser's permission, not in ToyControl.

1. The toy is off, asleep, or low on battery

A toy that is not actively on cannot be paired. Many toys also go to sleep after a few minutes of inactivity.

• Press the power button until the toy turns on.
• Look for a blinking or steady light. Lovense toys blink when they are ready to pair. A solid red light means the toy is charging, and the light turns off when it is full.
• If you are not sure of the battery level, plug it in for ten minutes and try again. Low battery is the single most common cause of pair failures.

2. Another app is holding the toy

A toy can only talk to one app at a time. If your phone has the Lovense Remote app open, or you tried pairing it on another computer five minutes ago, your toy may still be linked there.

• Close the toy's own phone app (Lovense Remote, Hismith app, etc.).
• Disconnect the toy from any other computer or phone.
• Turn the toy off and back on. This frees up its Bluetooth connection.

3. Your computer is holding the toy

Sometimes your computer's Bluetooth settings paired with the toy in the past and is now holding on to it. Browsers cannot pair to a toy that the system already has.

On a Mac:

1. Open System Settings.
2. Click Bluetooth in the sidebar.
3. Find your toy in the list. Click the i (info) icon next to it.
4. Click Forget This Device.
5. Back in ToyControl, click + again and try to pair.

On Windows:

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Bluetooth & devices.
3. Find your toy. Click the three dots, then Remove device.
4. Back in ToyControl, click + again and try to pair.

4. Your browser does not have Bluetooth permission

The first time you pair on a Mac, the system asks Chrome for permission to use Bluetooth. If you said no, or never saw the prompt, Chrome cannot see any toys.

On a Mac:

1. Open System Settings.
2. Go to Privacy & Security > Bluetooth.
3. Make sure Chrome (or Edge) is in the list and the toggle is on. Add it if it is missing.
4. Restart Chrome and try pairing again.

On Windows: Chrome gets Bluetooth access automatically through the system Bluetooth settings. Make sure Bluetooth is turned on in the system tray.

On Android: two separate things have to be on, and the second one is the one people miss.

1. Chrome's Location permission. Android grants Bluetooth scanning through the Location permission. Settings > Apps > Chrome > Permissions > Location, and allow it.
2. The phone's master Location switch. Settings > Location > turn Use location on. Even with the permission granted, Bluetooth scanning returns nothing while this is off, and the pairing window just stays empty with no error.

On Android 12 and newer, step 2 is usually unnecessary (there is a separate Nearby devices permission), but on Android 11 and older it is required. Full walkthrough: Allowing Bluetooth on Android.

Still not appearing?

If you have tried all four steps and the toy is still missing:

• Check the toy is in our supported toys list.
• Move closer to the computer. Bluetooth range drops off fast past 3 meters.
• Move away from Wi-Fi routers and USB-3 hubs. Both interfere with the 2.4 GHz Bluetooth band.
• Try a different Chrome browser, like the one on a different laptop, to rule out a hardware issue.

Final escalation checklist

If you want to send us a bug report (the Report a bug button in the top-right of the app), include:

• Browser name and version (Chrome 130, Edge 128, etc.).
• Operating system (Mac 15, Windows 11, Android 14, etc.).
• Toy brand and exact model name.
• Battery state and whether the indicator light is showing pairing mode.
• A screenshot of the Bluetooth picker if possible.

We can usually pinpoint the issue from this.

Once the toy appears and pairs, go back to How to pair your first toy for the test step.