How to disconnect a Bluetooth (not LE) device from windows computer in UWP/.NetCore/etc.?

Marjan Khan 25

I have a Bluetooth device connected to my computer. The following is the state of the device in Bluetooth & Other Devices list. I want to disconnect it from the computer using any API of desktop/UWP app (e.g., IOCTL etc.).

Capture

So I want to make it to the following state programmatically:

Capture

How can I do that?

Marjan Khan 25 Reputation points

2023-04-02T14:53:15.09+00:00

@Jack J Jun do you know about it?
Marjan Khan 25 Reputation points

2023-04-02T16:20:26.6033333+00:00

Will this work: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/ddi/bthioctl/ni-bthioctl-ioctl_bth_disconnect_device ?

And how to use this from .NetCore3.1?
Roy Li - MSFT 33,596 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2023-04-03T01:27:25.9+00:00

What's the project type of your app indeed? UWP app or desktop app?
Marjan Khan 25 Reputation points

2023-04-03T02:25:25.9166667+00:00

it's desktop app. (bridged with UWP. so both actually)
Marjan Khan 25 Reputation points

2023-04-03T02:26:26.4633333+00:00

desktop app. (Bridged with UWP. So UWP or desktop, solution from any kind will serve the purpose)
Roy Li - MSFT 33,596 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2023-04-03T03:10:03.6933333+00:00

Could you please tell me what Bluetooth API you are using now for communication? Are you using API from Windows.Devices.Bluetooth.Rfcomm Namespace
Roy Li - MSFT 33,596 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2023-04-07T06:54:37.7733333+00:00

@Marjan Khan Any updates about this issue? Could you please share more information with us?
Marjan Khan 25 Reputation points

2023-04-07T08:11:35.3+00:00

Hi @Roy Li - MSFT , I found workaround. Using IOCTL_BTH_DISCONNECT_DEVICE, I was able to disconnect a Bluetooth device from Windows computer.
Roy Li - MSFT 33,596 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2023-04-10T01:22:05.6333333+00:00

Glad to hear that and it is appreciated to share your solution here. Have a good day!
F Farah 0 Reputation points

2025-01-27T19:59:37.7666667+00:00

@Marjan Khan Hi, How did you use the IOCTL DeviceIOControl() to disconnect. I cannot find a handler from the BLE device to use, I am using UWP API. It always comes back with invalid_handler error from GetLastError(). Thanks helping.
Marjan Khan 1 Reputation point

2025-01-28T07:56:21.46+00:00

@F Farah , I used the API from a separate process. That is a WPF app in a separate process but packaged with the UWP using MSIX and it communicates with the UWP via AppService.

Accepted answer

Roy Li - MSFT 33,596 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2023-04-13T01:43:05.3733333+00:00

Hello, Welcome to Microsoft Q&A!

This is a summary for the question so that other people who are facing the same issue could check. A workaround is to use the IOCTL_BTH_DISCONNECT_DEVICE IOCTL. It's a win32 API comes from bthioctl.h. This API could disconnect the Bluetooth device from the computer.

Thank you.

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