Inspiron 3793 - iphone Xs Max - IOS 15.1 - windows 11 - Dell Mobile Connect Version:u:..11915/c:4.1.7498.0 - NOT COMMUNCATING

I just updated Dell Mobile connect from the old school version 3 (because I could never make the newer versions work) to the latest DMC downloaded from the microsoft store.  When I needed to revert to the old school version in the past to make it work again, I used the old iphone DMC 3.3 app that was compatible with the old school version 3 DMC.  The old school version WORKED, but was flaky.  Right now, I can't go back to old school DMC because the iphone app store no longer supports the DMC 3.3 app.  

The new version worked for a bit, then i started getting the dreaded yellow triangle with the error "Your PC and your phone cannot connect via Bluetooth. We can help you fix this. SHOW ME HOW"

When i click "SHOW ME HOW", it asks me to "forget the device" on my iphone and then tries to walk me through repairing and connecting.  I followed the directions several times and can't get it to work.

My symptoms are as follows:

1- The Iphone and laptop BOTH indicate that they are paired with each other via bluetooth

2- DMC thinks the iphone is connected (i say this because when the pairing function is trying to connect, i need to go into DMC to diconnect the iphone from the bottom left hand corner's status box which identifies my iphone).  BUT, my iphone shows the laptop being paired BUT NOT CONNECTED.

3- After several attempts at repairing, etc., when I click on that blue i in the circle to the right of the "my devices" that are listed,  the pop up no longer has those toggle switches that say "show notifications, sync contacts, share system notifications" like it used to have when I had it paired and working on the old school DMC app when it used to work.

4- I tried manually pairing / unpairing, connecting / disconnecting and I'm in a psychotic loop where I end up back in the same place.

5 - the freaking MIRRORING function freaking WORKS, so i feel like there is some kind of communication between the DMC and the iphone.  

6 - for some reason, the factory installed dell blue tooth hardware or software definitely crapped out.  this has happened with a couple of dell laptops i've owned.  my blue tooth is running off of an ASUS dongle.  my wireless mouse is running on a separate logitech "unifying dongle" that supports multiple logitech devices.  One time i needed to send a laptop back to Dell and the original blue tooth function was working when I got it back, but it crapped out shortly afterward.  i don't think the dell blue tooth hardware was bad, i think it's some kind of driver or something.  I think it crapped out again when I reinstalled dell mobile connect, but i'm not 100% sure.

7- I tried downloading all recent drivers for the laptop from the dell support page.

If anybody has a solution to something similar to my issue, pleae let me know what the fix is.  THANKS!!