Troubleshoot MinimalPad Bluetooth Connection Issues

MinimalPad won't appear in my computer's Bluetooth settings

Confirm that the pad has power. Use a charged 3.7 V LiPo battery for untethered operation, or connect a USB-C cable temporarily for power.
Press a key to wake the pad.
Make sure the selected ZMK Bluetooth profile is unused. On the default keymap, hold the bottom-right key to open the Connections & LEDs layer, then press one of the profile keys. Profiles 1–4 are the four keys on the top row. Profile 5 is the first key on the second row.
Start Add device, Add Bluetooth device, or Pair new device from your computer’s Bluetooth settings. The computer scans for the pad; MinimalPad does not scan for the computer.
If the selected profile already belongs to another host, choose an unused profile. ZMK does not overwrite an existing pairing automatically. To reuse the profile instead, clear it: hold the bottom-right key and press the second key on the second row.

MinimalPad was working over Bluetooth but stopped connecting

Check which Bluetooth profile is active on the MinimalPad. If the active profile does not match the one your computer is paired to, the devices will not reconnect. If needed, connect over USB and assign a Select profile key so you can switch easily in future. See Bluetooth profiles.
If your operating system has a stale or corrupted pairing entry for the MinimalPad, remove the device from your OS Bluetooth settings completely, then pair it again from scratch.
Press a key on the MinimalPad to wake it. On battery, the pad goes into deep sleep after 12 hours without use, and Bluetooth disconnects. The key press only wakes the pad, and it reconnects within a few seconds.

macOS shows MinimalPad greyed out and Connect does nothing

A greyed-out entry means the pad is paired but not connected. macOS cannot call a Bluetooth keyboard back, so its Connect button usually does nothing: the pad has to reconnect itself.
Press a key on the pad, or turn the dial. It reconnects within a few seconds and stops being greyed out. That first key press only wakes it.
This is normal after a while away from the Mac. On battery, the pad goes into deep sleep after 12 hours without use, which drops the connection.
If it stays greyed out, the pad may be on another Bluetooth profile. Hold the bottom-right key to open the Connections & LEDs layer, then press the profile key for this computer: profiles 1–4 are the top row, profile 5 is the first key on the second row.
Still greyed out? Remove minimalpad in System Settings › Bluetooth, clear that profile on the pad (hold the bottom-right key, second key on the second row), and pair again.

Connected in Bluetooth settings but the configurator doesn't see it

The pad answers only on the connection it sends keys to. If a USB cable connects it to a computer, it may be using USB. Hold the bottom-right key and press the fourth key on the second row (Use Bluetooth).
Confirm you are using Chrome or Edge. Web Bluetooth support varies by browser and operating system.
Confirm that MinimalPad still shows as connected in your computer’s Bluetooth settings. Pair and connect it there first.
In the browser, open Studio for browser, click Connect device, then select Bluetooth. Select MinimalPad again in the browser’s device picker. This gives the website permission to use the device you already paired in the operating system.
On Linux, Web Bluetooth may require enabling an experimental Chrome or Edge flag. If Bluetooth remains unavailable, use USB instead.

The pad shows as connected but keys and edits stop getting through

Firmware older than 0.4.2 could go silent over Bluetooth after a computer reconnected to it — after a restart, Bluetooth off and on, or waking from sleep — while still showing as connected. Restarting the pad brought it back until the next reconnect. Update the firmware: on a Mac, Studio for Mac installs it; otherwise flash it. Your pairings stay.
Forgetting the pad in your computer’s Bluetooth settings doesn’t fix this, and can leave a pad that shows up nearby and won’t pair. If that happened, clear the profile on the pad (hold the bottom-right key, second key on the second row) and pair again.

Bluetooth keeps disconnecting during use

Check the battery level. A low battery is a common cause of an unstable BLE connection. Charge the battery or try a fresh one.
Move the MinimalPad closer to your computer to improve signal strength. Obstacles such as monitors, metal desk surfaces, and other wireless devices can interfere with BLE.
If Bluetooth remains unreliable in your environment, switch to USB to configure the pad. Key assignments you save over USB will be stored on the device and work correctly over Bluetooth afterward.