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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Multipeer Connectivity support
Greetings.I have an app today that uses multipeer connectivity extensively. Currently, when the user switches away from the app, MPC disconnects the session(s) - this is by design apparently (per other feedback). I'd like to hear if anyone has experimented with iOS9 multitasking / multipeer and whether MPC sessions can stay alive?Thanks
6
1
3.8k
Jul ’15
Discovering HID Service over BLE
Hello All,I am trying to communicate with BLE device which is using HID service through my iOS App using Core Bluetooth.While discovering all Services , i cannot look HID Service but i can look other services. As per previous versions , Core Bluetooth doesn't expose HID peripheral service capabilities to apps.Currently i am using Xcode 8 and iOS 10 version for development. Is there any update on exposing HID peripheral service in latest versions. If yes, how can i achive this?I will appreciate any help!!
3
0
3.1k
Dec ’16
Bluetooth 5 Coded PHY (Long Range) removed in iOS 14
I am pretty sure iOS 13.4 (beta and later) did support Coded PHY (Long Range). Tested devices are iPhone SE2 and iPhone 11 Pro. However, it seems iOS 14 removed the support of Coded PHY, accidentally or on purpose, I don't know? The same PHY update request returns "1M PHY" in iOS 14, but "Coded PHY" in iOS 13 (13.4 beta and later). Anyone knows why? Samson
10
1
5.9k
Nov ’20
CoreBluetooth drops connection on WatchOS 8.0.1
Since WatchOS 8.0.1 CoreBluetooth drops an active connection if the App goes to background (or back to foreground). This can be reproduced easily with this sample code: Interacting with Bluetooth Peripherals During Background App Refresh If you run the app on the Apple Watch and turn your wrist, an active connection is terminated. In the output window you can read: 2021-10-20 20:22:41.210839+0200 BARBluetooth WatchKit Extension[382:94603] [BluetoothReceiver] disconnected from Sender. The same is the case with my other Watch Apps, that are connecting to BLE devices. As far as I remember, with WatchOS 8.0 everything was fine. Since this occurs even on WWDC21 sample code this must be a bug. Is there a way to fix it for myself, or do I have to wait until it gets fixed by Apple?
4
0
1.4k
Oct ’21
macOS12.x, BLE kCBAdvDataLocalName is empty
When I startAdvertising, my localName is long, more than 8 bytes. like @"123456789".    [_peripheralManager startAdvertising:@{             CBAdvertisementDataLocalNameKey: @"123456789",             CBAdvertisementDataServiceUUIDsKey: @[[CBUUID UUIDWithString:@"bbbb14c7-4697-aaaa-b436-d47e3d4ed187"]]             }]; When running on macOS 11.x though localName exceeds 8 bytes. But it can still be scanned. {   kCBAdvDataIsConnectable = 1;   kCBAdvDataLocalName = 123456789;   kCBAdvDataRxPrimaryPHY = 0;   kCBAdvDataRxSecondaryPHY = 0;   kCBAdvDataServiceUUIDs =   (     "BBBB14C7-4697-AAAA-B436-D47E3D4ED187"   );   kCBAdvDataTimestamp = "680712553.800874";   kCBAdvDataTxPowerLevel = 12; } But running after macOS 12.x, if localName exceeds 8 bytes, it will be completely ignored. In the scanned data, localName is empty. {   kCBAdvDataIsConnectable = 1;   kCBAdvDataRxPrimaryPHY = 0;   kCBAdvDataRxSecondaryPHY = 0;   kCBAdvDataServiceUUIDs =   (     "BBBB14C7-4697-AAAA-B436-D47E3D4ED187"   );   kCBAdvDataTimestamp = "680712744.108894";   kCBAdvDataTxPowerLevel = 12; } On macOS11.x, SCAN_RSP is utilized if localName exceeds 8 bytes, while on macOS12.x, SCAN_RSP is always empty. Why are there differences between macOS11.x and macos12.x, is there any documentation? What is the maximum limit for localName? (On macOS 11.x, I verified it was 29 bytes Are there other ways to broadcast longer data? Does anyone know why? This has bothered me for a long time...
1
0
1.2k
Jul ’22
watchOS 10.2 Bluetooth in the background often disconnects
My watch APP needs to keep Bluetooth connected with peripherals whether it is in the foreground or background, but the results of my test show that the connection in the background is very unstable, sometimes you can keep the Bluetooth on for a day, but sometimes it will be disconnected 50 times a day, and every time it is disconnected, I will immediately initiate a reconnection, it is certain that there is no problem with the peripheral Bluetooth, because I have another iOS device that has been stably connected to the peripheral, I want to know what causes this instability, and if there is any solution, if someone can provide relevant advice, I will be very grateful
3
1
1.1k
Jan ’24
bluetooth control
I am learning about endpoint security and other system extensions, while I was handling ES_EVENT_TYPE_AUTH_IOKIT_OPEN event I realized that I cannot auth deny any bluetooth events. I tried to deny any open or execute events related to com.apple.bluetoothd but it did not work. I searched google and found out that I can use CoreBluetooth to control bluetooth. But when I get connected to bluetooth keyboard or mouse, didConnectPeripheral dose not get called or when I call [central cancelPeripheralConnection:peripheral] disconnection never happens. Is there any recommendation for handling or controlling events related to bluetooth connection?
3
0
1k
Jun ’24
Bluetooth connection unexpectedly timing out with macOS Sequoia
After the macOS Sequoia update, my app seems to have an issue with Bluetooth communication between macOS and iOS that uses CoreBluetooth for Central-Peripheral communication. Setup: The iPhone (in my case: iPhone 14 Pro with iOS 18.0 (22A3354)) acts as the Central, and the Mac (in my case: 14" MacBook Pro 2023 with macOS 15.0 (24A335)) as the Peripheral. I’ve implemented a mechanism where the Central (iPhone) sends a message to the Peripheral (Mac) every 15 seconds to keep the connection alive (Because it needs to wait for notify characteristic updates). I never noticed this kind of issue before, but with macOS Sequoia I get it permanently. Issue: The connection drops unexpectedly after a period of time (sometimes 20 seconds, sometimes a few minutes) with CBErrorDomain - code 6: The connection has timed out unexpectedly. Sample Code: Peripheral (Mac): ContentView (Peripheral).txt ContentViewModel (Peripheral).txt Central (iPhone): ContentView (Central).txt ContentViewModel (Central).txt Reproduce: I attached sample code including the Central-Sample (for iPhone) and Peripheral-Sample (for Mac). Just run the Peripheral-Sample (after granting Bluetooth permissions). Then run the Central-Sample and select the Mac device in the list After selecting it should connect, discover the service & characteristic and should start writing messages to it. After some time the func centralManager(_ central: CBCentralManager, didDisconnectPeripheral peripheral: CBPeripheral, error: (any Error)?) {should get called with timed out unexpectedly error. Could anyone please look into this issue and advise on whether there’s a known bug or any workaround? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated, as this impacts the stability of Bluetooth communication between the devices. Thanks in advance. Logs: I also ran the console.app during this issue which got these errors (if this is helpful): console_logs.txt
6
4
3.4k
Sep ’24
CBPeripheral delegate callback of `peripheralIsReady(toSendWriteWithoutResponse:)` doesn't happen when app in background
My team has an app that uses BTLE heavily, and has been doing so successfully, including no issues continuing to receive data in the background and updating things in the app (for recording workouts). We have a BTLE write queue that only tries to write when the CBPeripheral.canSendWriteWithoutResponse property is true, or when we get the notification from the system in peripheralIsReady(toSendWriteWithoutResponse:). This is used as a means to rate limit data transfer, as we transfer files, as well as require that packets always arrive in the correct order due to blob encoding. However, we had a new requirement come in to periodically write data out to a connected peripheral. I noticed that as soon as the app was in the background, despite other delegate callbacks coming in, like didRecieveUpdatedValue:, neither the property canSendWriteWithoutResponse nor the delegate callback were called any longer. This meant our write queue didn't think it had permission to write, and packets would just stack up. The failure to deliver these updates didn't occur immediately after backgrounding, but did within 2-5s of backgrounding. If, when in the background, I ignore the changing of that property, and instead just write the data to the peripheral, it works! Can anyone explain why, despite other CBPeripheral callbacks happening when in the background, this one does not?
3
0
540
Oct ’24
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
127
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
187
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
129
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
171
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
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
GCMouse causes onDisappear to not run after dismissImmersiveSpace?
I have created a simple app that enters and exits an immersive space. I have not changed the basic code that gets created when you start a new visionOS project. I have connected a Magic Mouse to the AVP using BT. I have added a simple call to print(GCMouse.mice())and I have also tried print(GCController.controllers()) when the RealityView is launched inside the body closure. If I do not have the GCMouse/GCController call, everything works fine. However, with this perfect storm (Magic Mouse connected, enter immersive space, call GCMouse/GCController, exit immersive space) the onDisappear closure is never called, so I cannot reset my ToggleImmersiveSpace button out of disabled state due to transition. Once I power off and disconnect the mouse, the onDisappear closure is finally called. I have attempted to profile the issue, and I see that right before the onDisappear is called after the controllers are disconnected (which is long after the dismissImmersiveSpace was called), I see two mentions of some deallocation/destruction of GameController: -[GCMouse.cxx_destruct] -[GCPhysicalInputProfile(Pooling) release]
2
0
243
Apr ’25
Multipeer Connectivity support
Greetings.I have an app today that uses multipeer connectivity extensively. Currently, when the user switches away from the app, MPC disconnects the session(s) - this is by design apparently (per other feedback). I'd like to hear if anyone has experimented with iOS9 multitasking / multipeer and whether MPC sessions can stay alive?Thanks
Replies
6
Boosts
1
Views
3.8k
Activity
Jul ’15
Discovering HID Service over BLE
Hello All,I am trying to communicate with BLE device which is using HID service through my iOS App using Core Bluetooth.While discovering all Services , i cannot look HID Service but i can look other services. As per previous versions , Core Bluetooth doesn't expose HID peripheral service capabilities to apps.Currently i am using Xcode 8 and iOS 10 version for development. Is there any update on exposing HID peripheral service in latest versions. If yes, how can i achive this?I will appreciate any help!!
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
3.1k
Activity
Dec ’16
Bluetooth 5 Coded PHY (Long Range) removed in iOS 14
I am pretty sure iOS 13.4 (beta and later) did support Coded PHY (Long Range). Tested devices are iPhone SE2 and iPhone 11 Pro. However, it seems iOS 14 removed the support of Coded PHY, accidentally or on purpose, I don't know? The same PHY update request returns "1M PHY" in iOS 14, but "Coded PHY" in iOS 13 (13.4 beta and later). Anyone knows why? Samson
Replies
10
Boosts
1
Views
5.9k
Activity
Nov ’20
Core Bluetooth on tvOS
How does core bluetooth work on tvOS? Is it available for use? Any docs would be helpful?
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
452
Activity
Jul ’21
CoreBluetooth drops connection on WatchOS 8.0.1
Since WatchOS 8.0.1 CoreBluetooth drops an active connection if the App goes to background (or back to foreground). This can be reproduced easily with this sample code: Interacting with Bluetooth Peripherals During Background App Refresh If you run the app on the Apple Watch and turn your wrist, an active connection is terminated. In the output window you can read: 2021-10-20 20:22:41.210839+0200 BARBluetooth WatchKit Extension[382:94603] [BluetoothReceiver] disconnected from Sender. The same is the case with my other Watch Apps, that are connecting to BLE devices. As far as I remember, with WatchOS 8.0 everything was fine. Since this occurs even on WWDC21 sample code this must be a bug. Is there a way to fix it for myself, or do I have to wait until it gets fixed by Apple?
Replies
4
Boosts
0
Views
1.4k
Activity
Oct ’21
macOS12.x, BLE kCBAdvDataLocalName is empty
When I startAdvertising, my localName is long, more than 8 bytes. like @"123456789".    [_peripheralManager startAdvertising:@{             CBAdvertisementDataLocalNameKey: @"123456789",             CBAdvertisementDataServiceUUIDsKey: @[[CBUUID UUIDWithString:@"bbbb14c7-4697-aaaa-b436-d47e3d4ed187"]]             }]; When running on macOS 11.x though localName exceeds 8 bytes. But it can still be scanned. {   kCBAdvDataIsConnectable = 1;   kCBAdvDataLocalName = 123456789;   kCBAdvDataRxPrimaryPHY = 0;   kCBAdvDataRxSecondaryPHY = 0;   kCBAdvDataServiceUUIDs =   (     "BBBB14C7-4697-AAAA-B436-D47E3D4ED187"   );   kCBAdvDataTimestamp = "680712553.800874";   kCBAdvDataTxPowerLevel = 12; } But running after macOS 12.x, if localName exceeds 8 bytes, it will be completely ignored. In the scanned data, localName is empty. {   kCBAdvDataIsConnectable = 1;   kCBAdvDataRxPrimaryPHY = 0;   kCBAdvDataRxSecondaryPHY = 0;   kCBAdvDataServiceUUIDs =   (     "BBBB14C7-4697-AAAA-B436-D47E3D4ED187"   );   kCBAdvDataTimestamp = "680712744.108894";   kCBAdvDataTxPowerLevel = 12; } On macOS11.x, SCAN_RSP is utilized if localName exceeds 8 bytes, while on macOS12.x, SCAN_RSP is always empty. Why are there differences between macOS11.x and macos12.x, is there any documentation? What is the maximum limit for localName? (On macOS 11.x, I verified it was 29 bytes Are there other ways to broadcast longer data? Does anyone know why? This has bothered me for a long time...
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
1.2k
Activity
Jul ’22
Do iPhones and iPads support Bluetooth 5.x Long Range, Wi-Fi Neighbor Awareness Networking (Wi-Fi Aware), and Wi-Fi Beacons?
Does the iPhone or iPad support reception of the following communication standards? If so, please let me know if there is an swift API available. ・Bluetooth 5.x Long Range ・Wi-Fi Neighbor Awareness Networking (Wi-Fi Aware) ・Wi-Fi Beacon
Replies
1
Boosts
1
Views
711
Activity
Jun ’23
watchOS 10.2 Bluetooth in the background often disconnects
My watch APP needs to keep Bluetooth connected with peripherals whether it is in the foreground or background, but the results of my test show that the connection in the background is very unstable, sometimes you can keep the Bluetooth on for a day, but sometimes it will be disconnected 50 times a day, and every time it is disconnected, I will immediately initiate a reconnection, it is certain that there is no problem with the peripheral Bluetooth, because I have another iOS device that has been stably connected to the peripheral, I want to know what causes this instability, and if there is any solution, if someone can provide relevant advice, I will be very grateful
Replies
3
Boosts
1
Views
1.1k
Activity
Jan ’24
bluetooth control
I am learning about endpoint security and other system extensions, while I was handling ES_EVENT_TYPE_AUTH_IOKIT_OPEN event I realized that I cannot auth deny any bluetooth events. I tried to deny any open or execute events related to com.apple.bluetoothd but it did not work. I searched google and found out that I can use CoreBluetooth to control bluetooth. But when I get connected to bluetooth keyboard or mouse, didConnectPeripheral dose not get called or when I call [central cancelPeripheralConnection:peripheral] disconnection never happens. Is there any recommendation for handling or controlling events related to bluetooth connection?
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
1k
Activity
Jun ’24
Bluetooth connection unexpectedly timing out with macOS Sequoia
After the macOS Sequoia update, my app seems to have an issue with Bluetooth communication between macOS and iOS that uses CoreBluetooth for Central-Peripheral communication. Setup: The iPhone (in my case: iPhone 14 Pro with iOS 18.0 (22A3354)) acts as the Central, and the Mac (in my case: 14" MacBook Pro 2023 with macOS 15.0 (24A335)) as the Peripheral. I’ve implemented a mechanism where the Central (iPhone) sends a message to the Peripheral (Mac) every 15 seconds to keep the connection alive (Because it needs to wait for notify characteristic updates). I never noticed this kind of issue before, but with macOS Sequoia I get it permanently. Issue: The connection drops unexpectedly after a period of time (sometimes 20 seconds, sometimes a few minutes) with CBErrorDomain - code 6: The connection has timed out unexpectedly. Sample Code: Peripheral (Mac): ContentView (Peripheral).txt ContentViewModel (Peripheral).txt Central (iPhone): ContentView (Central).txt ContentViewModel (Central).txt Reproduce: I attached sample code including the Central-Sample (for iPhone) and Peripheral-Sample (for Mac). Just run the Peripheral-Sample (after granting Bluetooth permissions). Then run the Central-Sample and select the Mac device in the list After selecting it should connect, discover the service & characteristic and should start writing messages to it. After some time the func centralManager(_ central: CBCentralManager, didDisconnectPeripheral peripheral: CBPeripheral, error: (any Error)?) {should get called with timed out unexpectedly error. Could anyone please look into this issue and advise on whether there’s a known bug or any workaround? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated, as this impacts the stability of Bluetooth communication between the devices. Thanks in advance. Logs: I also ran the console.app during this issue which got these errors (if this is helpful): console_logs.txt
Replies
6
Boosts
4
Views
3.4k
Activity
Sep ’24
CBPeripheral delegate callback of `peripheralIsReady(toSendWriteWithoutResponse:)` doesn't happen when app in background
My team has an app that uses BTLE heavily, and has been doing so successfully, including no issues continuing to receive data in the background and updating things in the app (for recording workouts). We have a BTLE write queue that only tries to write when the CBPeripheral.canSendWriteWithoutResponse property is true, or when we get the notification from the system in peripheralIsReady(toSendWriteWithoutResponse:). This is used as a means to rate limit data transfer, as we transfer files, as well as require that packets always arrive in the correct order due to blob encoding. However, we had a new requirement come in to periodically write data out to a connected peripheral. I noticed that as soon as the app was in the background, despite other delegate callbacks coming in, like didRecieveUpdatedValue:, neither the property canSendWriteWithoutResponse nor the delegate callback were called any longer. This meant our write queue didn't think it had permission to write, and packets would just stack up. The failure to deliver these updates didn't occur immediately after backgrounding, but did within 2-5s of backgrounding. If, when in the background, I ignore the changing of that property, and instead just write the data to the peripheral, it works! Can anyone explain why, despite other CBPeripheral callbacks happening when in the background, this one does not?
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
540
Activity
Oct ’24
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
127
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
187
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
129
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
171
Activity
Apr ’25
IOS Bluetooth connect
Is there a delay or problem at the OS end during subsequent jack connections if IOS is running a Bluetooth and beacon connection and it stays without a connection for a few hours?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
185
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.
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176
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!
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2
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163
Activity
Apr ’25
GCMouse causes onDisappear to not run after dismissImmersiveSpace?
I have created a simple app that enters and exits an immersive space. I have not changed the basic code that gets created when you start a new visionOS project. I have connected a Magic Mouse to the AVP using BT. I have added a simple call to print(GCMouse.mice())and I have also tried print(GCController.controllers()) when the RealityView is launched inside the body closure. If I do not have the GCMouse/GCController call, everything works fine. However, with this perfect storm (Magic Mouse connected, enter immersive space, call GCMouse/GCController, exit immersive space) the onDisappear closure is never called, so I cannot reset my ToggleImmersiveSpace button out of disabled state due to transition. Once I power off and disconnect the mouse, the onDisappear closure is finally called. I have attempted to profile the issue, and I see that right before the onDisappear is called after the controllers are disconnected (which is long after the dismissImmersiveSpace was called), I see two mentions of some deallocation/destruction of GameController: -[GCMouse.cxx_destruct] -[GCPhysicalInputProfile(Pooling) release]
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2
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243
Activity
Apr ’25