My friend Alex loves his Wacom tablet for graphic design, digital illustration, and sometimes even calligraphy.
However when the tablet loses connectivity it can be extremely frustrating, especially when he can’t pinpoint the problem. The last thing anyone wants is for a cherished tool to become a useless piece of plastic. Today, we’ll be exploring Wacom tablet Bluetooth connectivity issues and fixes from across the internet. Let’s get into it!
Perform the Updates
A common fix if your computer marks the tablet as connected is to update your firmware and drivers by following these simple steps:
- Connect your tablet to the PC through a USB connection.
- Open your Wacom Desktop Centre and go under the Update tab.
- Look for the listed firmware updates and follow the on-screen instructions to run all the updates.
- Please ensure to run all the updates and don’t turn off or disconnect the tablet.
- Next, look for driver updates under the same tab and download and install the updates if available.
Press The Correct Button
To bring your Wacom tablet to the Bluetooth discoverable mode, you must press the correct button. Please refer below to find out which button works as a Bluetooth button for different models.
- For Wacom Intuos (CTL-4100WL and CTL-6100WL), you must hold the power button until the LED indicator blinks slowly.
- For Wacom Intuos Pro Small (PTH-460), you need to press and hold the center of the touch ring.
- For Wacom Intuos Pro Medium and Large (PTH-660 and PTH-860), press and hold the center of the touch ring and look for the LED indicator under the Wacom logo near the USB port.
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Turn Off Other Connected Devices
If you have connected the tablet previously to other devices, it might be possible that your tablet is looking for that device this time when you are trying to connect it to a new device. We suggest deleting Wacom from the previous device’s Bluetooth list. Doing this will let your tablet find the current device easily for connection.
Reddit thread that discusses this solution
Choose The Correct Option
When your Wacom tablet is in discoverable mode, the connecting device’s (computer, laptop, mobile) Bluetooth list will show you two options- BT Wacom (model number) and LE Wacom (model number). Choose the one with ‘BT.’ If you select LE, the tablet will show you 0% battery and won’t connect properly.
Reset The Settings/ Restart Drivers
If you frequently swap between USB and Bluetooth connections of your Wacom with your PC, you might encounter Bluetooth connectivity issues. To resolve this issue, you would want to reset the settings or restart the drivers. For this purpose:
- Open Wacom Service Centre on your PC and go to the left menu to choose Support -> Driver check.
- Press start and click Restart Driver.
- After the procedure completes, go back and select Reset Settings.
- If the procedure doesn’t help, try repeating the steps.
Uninstall and Re-install The Drivers
To uninstall and reinstall the drivers, please follow the steps below to ensure you perform the procedure as required.
- Go to Control Panel on your PC and uninstall the Wacom drivers.
- After the uninstall is complete, restart your PC.
- Restart your PC again with no Wacom device connected to it.
- Now connect your Wacom device and download the latest drivers from the Wacom website.
- Install the drivers, and you are good to go.
Add Wacom in Apple System Preferences
This solution works in Apple computers and may be the right choice for you. It involves accessing and editing “Login Items” in System Preferences. If the error message reads “Synchronization Please wait”, this solution is most likely for you!
- Open System Preferences and search for “Login Items”
- Unlock the padlock
- Add “com.Wacom.IOManager” (Macintosh HD>Library > PrivilgedHelper Tools)
- Optional: Add “Wacomtabletdriver” in the same manner as above
- Restart your computer
Reddit thread solution specific for Apple
If Nothing Works
If none of the above solutions worked, we suggest disconnecting other Bluetooth devices. For example a mouse or keyboard connected to your PC/laptop/MacBook, etc. Some devices have older Bluetooth chipsets, and they cannot manage multiple Bluetooth connections simultaneously. So, if your device has inactive connected Bluetooth accessories, remove them and try connecting your Wacom again.
Summary
Connection issues with Wacom tablets are nothing to fear! We’ve covered some specific issues and solutions, let us know if there are any other problems you’d like us to solve!