How to rename your Android phone for easier Bluetooth management
I have many Android devices, many of which connect to different Bluetooth devices. My wife also has many Android devices. Taken together, this collection of devices can make connecting Bluetooth accessories a little tricky. This is amplified when you have multiple instances of the same device. For example, my wife and I both have Pixel 6 Pro phones.
From the factory, these devices are called – you guessed it – the Pixel 6 Pro. So if both of our phones are close by when I want to connect an accessory, I’m not sure which device I’m connecting to.
There is a very simple way to solve this problem, which I always worry about when setting up an Android device for the first time. This solution is to rename your Android device for Bluetooth connections.
For those worried that renaming a device may cause problems… don’t worry. Google made it easy, and the only impact on the device is that it sends a unique name to any accessory or other device that wants to connect.
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So how do you do that? Easy. let me show you
How to rename your Android phone for Bluetooth connections
requirements
The only thing you need for this to work is an updated Android device running any version of the OS newer than Android 9 (which should be almost every Android device on the planet at this point) .
The first thing you need to do is open the connection settings, located under Settings > Connected devices.
In the Connection Settings window, tap Bluetooth.
In the connection settings you will find the Bluetooth management in Android. Image: Jack Wallen
On the Bluetooth window, tap Device Name. In the resulting popup, enter the new name for the device and tap Rename.
A little more specific to the Bluetooth name in Android. Image: Jack Wallen
Now when you connect an accessory, desktop computer, or other device to your Android phone, the new name will appear. This way you can always be sure that you are connecting exactly the device you need.
My Pixel 6 Pro as seen by Pop! Linux operating system. Image: Jack Wallen
Note, however, that the new name only applies to Bluetooth connections. If you want to give the device a different global name that applies to more apps and settings than just Bluetooth, do so via Settings > About phone > Device name. There’s no reason why you can’t change the name in both settings, but if you want the name to only apply to Bluetooth connections, make the change in Connected Devices only.