Arch Linux

crashandburn4

Member

Registered: 2013-03-03

Posts: 108

[Solved] Bluetooth audio pairing fails - AuthenticationFailed

I setup a new machine and on attempting to pair a bluetooth audio device I receive the following:

pair <mac_address>
Attempting to pair with <mac_address>
[CHG] Device <mac_address> Connected: yes
Failed to pair: org.bluez.Error.AuthenticationFailed
[CHG] Device <mac_address> Connected: no

I have tried turning ssp both off and on as per https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Blueto … tionFailed (which worked to change the setting) but this had no effect on my ability to pair.

the only interesting lines in my journal are:

Jun 21 10:43:39 archlinux bluetoothd[776]: src/device.c:load_gatt_db() No cache for <mac_address>

other bluetooth devices can be paired/connected as can other bluetooth audio devices, and this device works with another arch machine. (though I haven't re-paired it recently)

Last edited by crashandburn4 (2021-06-21 12:37:52)

crashandburn4

Member

Registered: 2013-03-03

Posts: 108

Re: [Solved] Bluetooth audio pairing fails - AuthenticationFailed

Do let me know what additional information would be helpful, I've dug into most of the usual suspects (that I'm aware of) and haven't seen anything suspect. I am also running pipewire-pulseaudio in case it is relevant.

progandy

Member

Registered: 2012-05-17

Posts: 5,307

Re: [Solved] Bluetooth audio pairing fails - AuthenticationFailed

No cache for <mac_address>
...
works with another arch machine.

You could try to copy the cache file for that device from your working arch machine. (/var/lib/bluetooth/$ADAPTER_MAC/cache/$DEVICE_MAC), but that is no real solution, and it will probably not help.

Last edited by progandy (2021-06-21 11:20:34)

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| alias CUTF='LANG=en_XX.UTF-8@POSIX ' | alias ENGLISH='LANG=C.UTF-8 ' |

igneel

Member

Registered: 2021-06-17

Posts: 10

Re: [Solved] Bluetooth audio pairing fails - AuthenticationFailed

Just check the last day or two of newbies section. Plenty of people having this problem. Though most have pulseaudio not pipewire.

crashandburn4

Member

Registered: 2013-03-03

Posts: 108

Re: [Solved] Bluetooth audio pairing fails - AuthenticationFailed

@progandy I may try that just to see if it works. An interesting thing is that there is a file present in the cache in /var/lib/<controller_mac>/cache/<device_mac> which has some contents (looks like ini or something with General and Attributes headings.)

Last edited by crashandburn4 (2021-06-21 11:34:23)

crashandburn4

Member

Registered: 2013-03-03

Posts: 108

Re: [Solved] Bluetooth audio pairing fails - AuthenticationFailed

@igneel sorry maybe I'm not seeing them, could you link to one? All I see are people having issues with "unable to select SEP" (which is an error line I don't have) and issues calling "connect" instead of "pair" (with "Failed" rather than "AuthenticationFailed").

The issues look different to me, but it's very possible I might be missing something. Do you think they're the same root cause? I tried installing `bluez-git` earlier given that one of the SOLVED posts said that might fix things, but that didn't seem to help.

crashandburn4

Member

Registered: 2013-03-03

Posts: 108

Re: [Solved] Bluetooth audio pairing fails - AuthenticationFailed

Ok, performing a factory reset on the device I was trying to pair seems to have fixed the issue (no idea how it had gotten into this state, and whether the issue is with bluez or the device). Thanks to everyone for trying to help debug!

tom.sh

Member

Registered: 2025-09-14

Posts: 1

Re: [Solved] Bluetooth audio pairing fails - AuthenticationFailed

Got this a bunch but what ended up fixing it for me is

1. Make sure proper bluetooth drivers are installed (`sudo pacman -S bluez` for me)
2. Disconnect, untrust and remove device in bluetoothctl
3. restart bluetooth (`sudo systemctl restart bluetooth`)
4. hop back into bluetoothctl and scan to get bluetooth mac, connect and then trust the device

should be good to go from here

Last edited by tom.sh (2025-09-14 07:18:13)

schard

Forum Moderator

From: Hannover

Registered: 2016-05-06

Posts: 2,636

Website

Re: [Solved] Bluetooth audio pairing fails - AuthenticationFailed

Mod note: Please refrain from necro bumping. Closing.

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