Core Bluetooth

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Communicate with Bluetooth 4.0 low energy devices using Core Bluetooth.

Posts under Core Bluetooth tag

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Is it possible for iOS to continue BLE scanning even when the app goes into the background?
Nice to meet you, I'm currently trying to create an app like a data logger using BLE. When a user uses the above app, they will probably put the app in the background and lock their iPhone if they want to collect data for a long period of time. Therefore, the app I want to create needs to continue scanning for BLE even when it goes into the background. The purpose is to continue to obtain data from the same device at precise time intervals for a long period of time (24 hours). In that case, can I use the above function to continue to read and record advertising data from the same device periodically (at intervals of 10 seconds, 1 minute, or 5 minutes) after the app goes into the background? Any advice, no matter how small, is welcome. Please feel free to reply. Also, if you have the same question in this forum and it has already been answered, I would appreciate it if you could let me know.
3
0
256
Apr ’25
Clarification about ANCS being unavailable
Hello, I am working on a project that involves using external device to connect over BLE with users iPhone. I would like to be able to notify users on our device about eg. incoming calls, messages etc. I have been succesfull in using ANCS to achieve that but I am a little worried around consistency of this solution, especially taking into account following line from documentation: Due to the nature of iOS, the ANCS is not guaranteed to always be present. As a result, the NC should look for and subscribe to the Service Changed characteristic of the GATT service in order to monitor for the potential publishing and unpublishing of the ANCS at any time. I have not been able (yet?) to find or identify circumstances when ANCS would not be avilable or would be "removed in runtime", hence would it be possible to request some guidance and clarification on the conditions when ANCS can be unavailable or removed? Thank you!
2
0
163
Apr ’25
BLE timeout issue when connecting two devices on iOS 18 (but not iOS 16)
Hi, We’re developing a BLE peripheral device and encountered a connection issue when connecting two devices (Device A and Device B) simultaneously to an iOS device. Problem: On iOS 18, we are experiencing occasional BLE timeouts and disconnections when both devices are connected at the same time. On iOS 16, we did not encounter this issue under the same conditions. What we’ve tried: Adjusted the connection interval from 30ms to 15ms. This seems to have improved stability somewhat. However, we still observe intermittent timeout/disconnection issues. Questions: Are there any known changes in BLE connection handling or timing constraints in iOS 18? Are there recommended connection parameter settings (interval, latency, timeout, etc.) for multi-device BLE connections in iOS? Is there a way to debug or log more details about the disconnection reasons on the iOS side? Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
0
0
176
Apr ’25
Bluetooth name caching
I've enjoyed using an existing app to connect over BLE to a camera which allows for photo transfer. For some reason though early on in iOS 18, it seems the bluetooth advertising name was corrupted. As a result, the camera no longer connects to the app. I've checked on another phone that the camera connects. I was wondering how to go about clearing the bluetooth cache or maybe specifically the BLE cache. The existing app developer is non responsive and I'm assuming the issue will never be fixed. I was planning on clearing the cache within my own personal unreleased app. Just wondering if there's any cache clearing API.
5
0
169
Apr ’25
Working with Input/Output stream with Swift 6 and concurrency framework
Hello, I am developing an application which is communicating with external device using BLE and L2CAP. I wonder what are the best practices of using Input & Output streams that are established with L2CAP connection when working with Swift 6 concurrency model. I've been trying to find some examples and hints for some time now but unfortunately there isn't much available. One useful thread I've found is: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/756281 but it does not offer much insight into using eg. actor model with streams. I wonder if something has changed in this regards? Also, are there any plans to migrate eg. CoreBluetooth stack to new swift 6 concurrency ?
2
0
170
Apr ’25
can bluetooth peripheral device maintain connection when app is killed?
Is there a way for the bluetooth peripheral device to remain connected to iOS even after the app which was used to pair with it has been swipe killed by the user? I have - enabled Background Modes (Uses Bluetooth LE Accessory) given all the relevant permissions (Background refresh) implemented state preservation and restoration. properly handled Connection Events with proper options (CBConnectPeripheralOptionNotifyOnConnectionKey and CBConnectPeripheralOptionNotifyOnDisconnectionKey) e.g Fitbit shows as connected in bluetooth settings even after the app has been swipe killed by the user.
1
1
128
Apr ’25
How to Maintain Background Connection with BLE-Triggered WebSocket Companion Hub for Real-Time Alerts on iOS
I’m building a companion app that connects to a custom hardware hub (IoT device) used for home safety monitoring. The hub is installed in homes and is responsible for triggering critical alerts like fire alarms, motion detection, door sensor activity, and baby monitor events. Current Architecture: The hub initially connects to the app via Bluetooth (BLE) for provisioning (to get Wi-Fi credentials). Once provisioned, the hub switches to Wi-Fi and communicates with the app via a WebSocket connection to stream real-time event updates. What I’m Trying to Achieve: My goal is to maintain background communication with the hub even when the app is not actively in use, in order to: Receive real-time updates from the hub while the device is locked or the app is in background. Trigger local notifications immediately when critical sensor events (e.g., fire, motion) occur. Ensure persistence across backgrounding, app swipes (force close), and device reboots, if possible. What I'm Observing: On iOS, WebSocket connection is suspended or dropped shortly after the app goes to the background or is locked. Even though the I've scheduled periodic fetches, notifications are delayed until the app is reopened, at which point all missed WebSocket messages arrive at once. If the app is force-closed or after reboot, no reconnection or notification happens at all. Key Questions I Have: Since the hub is initially provisioned via BLE, and could potentially send BLE flags or triggers for key events, can I use bluetooth-central mode to keep the app active or wake it up on BLE activity? Once the hub switches to Wi-Fi and uses WebSocket, is it possible to combine BLE triggers to wake the app and then reconnect to the WebSocket to fetch the full event payload? Is there a legitimate and App Store-compliant way to maintain a connection or background task with: BLE accessory triggers followed by Real-time data processing via Wi-Fi/WebSocket? Would this use case qualify as a "companion device" scenario under iOS background execution policies? What is the best practice for handling this kind of hybrid BLE + WebSocket alerting flow to ensure timely user notifications, even in background/locked/force-closed states? Any advice, documentation links, implementation patterns, or examples from similar companion device apps would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
1
0
186
Apr ’25
Alternative to MAC Address for Uniqueness in iOS Bluetooth Connection
I am developing a React Native app for a health monitoring device that connects via Bluetooth and streams live data on iOS. To ensure the uniqueness of the device, I initially planned to use the MAC address. However, I discovered that iOS does not provide access to the original MAC address due to privacy restrictions. Is there an alternative approach to uniquely identifying a Bluetooth device in iOS? I need a reliable way to distinguish devices while maintaining secure and stable connections. Any insights or best practices on handling this in iOS would be greatly appreciated. Looking forward to hearing your suggestions! If anyone has experience with handling Bluetooth device uniqueness on iOS, please share your insights. Thank you!
1
0
126
Apr ’25
Notification from BLE device even when the app is killed by the user
I have an app that connects to a BLE device and registers its services. I can create a notification when my app is running on foreground or background, but is it possible to show a notification when a message is recieved from the BLE device while the app has been killed by the user?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
87
Activity
Apr ’25
Is it possible for iOS to continue BLE scanning even when the app goes into the background?
Nice to meet you, I'm currently trying to create an app like a data logger using BLE. When a user uses the above app, they will probably put the app in the background and lock their iPhone if they want to collect data for a long period of time. Therefore, the app I want to create needs to continue scanning for BLE even when it goes into the background. The purpose is to continue to obtain data from the same device at precise time intervals for a long period of time (24 hours). In that case, can I use the above function to continue to read and record advertising data from the same device periodically (at intervals of 10 seconds, 1 minute, or 5 minutes) after the app goes into the background? Any advice, no matter how small, is welcome. Please feel free to reply. Also, if you have the same question in this forum and it has already been answered, I would appreciate it if you could let me know.
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
256
Activity
Apr ’25
Clarification about ANCS being unavailable
Hello, I am working on a project that involves using external device to connect over BLE with users iPhone. I would like to be able to notify users on our device about eg. incoming calls, messages etc. I have been succesfull in using ANCS to achieve that but I am a little worried around consistency of this solution, especially taking into account following line from documentation: Due to the nature of iOS, the ANCS is not guaranteed to always be present. As a result, the NC should look for and subscribe to the Service Changed characteristic of the GATT service in order to monitor for the potential publishing and unpublishing of the ANCS at any time. I have not been able (yet?) to find or identify circumstances when ANCS would not be avilable or would be "removed in runtime", hence would it be possible to request some guidance and clarification on the conditions when ANCS can be unavailable or removed? Thank you!
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
163
Activity
Apr ’25
BLE timeout issue when connecting two devices on iOS 18 (but not iOS 16)
Hi, We’re developing a BLE peripheral device and encountered a connection issue when connecting two devices (Device A and Device B) simultaneously to an iOS device. Problem: On iOS 18, we are experiencing occasional BLE timeouts and disconnections when both devices are connected at the same time. On iOS 16, we did not encounter this issue under the same conditions. What we’ve tried: Adjusted the connection interval from 30ms to 15ms. This seems to have improved stability somewhat. However, we still observe intermittent timeout/disconnection issues. Questions: Are there any known changes in BLE connection handling or timing constraints in iOS 18? Are there recommended connection parameter settings (interval, latency, timeout, etc.) for multi-device BLE connections in iOS? Is there a way to debug or log more details about the disconnection reasons on the iOS side? Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
176
Activity
Apr ’25
Bluetooth name caching
I've enjoyed using an existing app to connect over BLE to a camera which allows for photo transfer. For some reason though early on in iOS 18, it seems the bluetooth advertising name was corrupted. As a result, the camera no longer connects to the app. I've checked on another phone that the camera connects. I was wondering how to go about clearing the bluetooth cache or maybe specifically the BLE cache. The existing app developer is non responsive and I'm assuming the issue will never be fixed. I was planning on clearing the cache within my own personal unreleased app. Just wondering if there's any cache clearing API.
Replies
5
Boosts
0
Views
169
Activity
Apr ’25
Working with Input/Output stream with Swift 6 and concurrency framework
Hello, I am developing an application which is communicating with external device using BLE and L2CAP. I wonder what are the best practices of using Input & Output streams that are established with L2CAP connection when working with Swift 6 concurrency model. I've been trying to find some examples and hints for some time now but unfortunately there isn't much available. One useful thread I've found is: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/756281 but it does not offer much insight into using eg. actor model with streams. I wonder if something has changed in this regards? Also, are there any plans to migrate eg. CoreBluetooth stack to new swift 6 concurrency ?
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
170
Activity
Apr ’25
can bluetooth peripheral device maintain connection when app is killed?
Is there a way for the bluetooth peripheral device to remain connected to iOS even after the app which was used to pair with it has been swipe killed by the user? I have - enabled Background Modes (Uses Bluetooth LE Accessory) given all the relevant permissions (Background refresh) implemented state preservation and restoration. properly handled Connection Events with proper options (CBConnectPeripheralOptionNotifyOnConnectionKey and CBConnectPeripheralOptionNotifyOnDisconnectionKey) e.g Fitbit shows as connected in bluetooth settings even after the app has been swipe killed by the user.
Replies
1
Boosts
1
Views
128
Activity
Apr ’25
How to Maintain Background Connection with BLE-Triggered WebSocket Companion Hub for Real-Time Alerts on iOS
I’m building a companion app that connects to a custom hardware hub (IoT device) used for home safety monitoring. The hub is installed in homes and is responsible for triggering critical alerts like fire alarms, motion detection, door sensor activity, and baby monitor events. Current Architecture: The hub initially connects to the app via Bluetooth (BLE) for provisioning (to get Wi-Fi credentials). Once provisioned, the hub switches to Wi-Fi and communicates with the app via a WebSocket connection to stream real-time event updates. What I’m Trying to Achieve: My goal is to maintain background communication with the hub even when the app is not actively in use, in order to: Receive real-time updates from the hub while the device is locked or the app is in background. Trigger local notifications immediately when critical sensor events (e.g., fire, motion) occur. Ensure persistence across backgrounding, app swipes (force close), and device reboots, if possible. What I'm Observing: On iOS, WebSocket connection is suspended or dropped shortly after the app goes to the background or is locked. Even though the I've scheduled periodic fetches, notifications are delayed until the app is reopened, at which point all missed WebSocket messages arrive at once. If the app is force-closed or after reboot, no reconnection or notification happens at all. Key Questions I Have: Since the hub is initially provisioned via BLE, and could potentially send BLE flags or triggers for key events, can I use bluetooth-central mode to keep the app active or wake it up on BLE activity? Once the hub switches to Wi-Fi and uses WebSocket, is it possible to combine BLE triggers to wake the app and then reconnect to the WebSocket to fetch the full event payload? Is there a legitimate and App Store-compliant way to maintain a connection or background task with: BLE accessory triggers followed by Real-time data processing via Wi-Fi/WebSocket? Would this use case qualify as a "companion device" scenario under iOS background execution policies? What is the best practice for handling this kind of hybrid BLE + WebSocket alerting flow to ensure timely user notifications, even in background/locked/force-closed states? Any advice, documentation links, implementation patterns, or examples from similar companion device apps would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
186
Activity
Apr ’25
Alternative to MAC Address for Uniqueness in iOS Bluetooth Connection
I am developing a React Native app for a health monitoring device that connects via Bluetooth and streams live data on iOS. To ensure the uniqueness of the device, I initially planned to use the MAC address. However, I discovered that iOS does not provide access to the original MAC address due to privacy restrictions. Is there an alternative approach to uniquely identifying a Bluetooth device in iOS? I need a reliable way to distinguish devices while maintaining secure and stable connections. Any insights or best practices on handling this in iOS would be greatly appreciated. Looking forward to hearing your suggestions! If anyone has experience with handling Bluetooth device uniqueness on iOS, please share your insights. Thank you!
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
126
Activity
Apr ’25
iOS App to scan and connect to Macbook via BLE
Created an ios app and try to scan for nearby bluetooth devices but didn't manage to find my Macbook (M1 Pro, Sequoia). How can it be done? Trying to match the peripheral name but didn't get it. The purpose of this is to try to see if the App can act as a FIDO2 Token to have the close proximity feature.
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
72
Activity
Apr ’25