What Is Bluetooth?

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Let’s Get Into It!

Our smart devices (phones, tablets, desktop and laptop computers) have several radios built into them — they have cellular radios, Wi-Fi radios, and Bluetooth radios among others. We’ll discuss Bluetooth in today’s issue.

Bluetooth radios are short range, 50 feet or less, and operate on the 2.4GHz band — the same as microwave ovens and some Wi-Fi routers. There can be some occasional interference from those devices but that is generally of a transient nature and goes away quickly.

Connecting/Pairing

When you have a new Bluetooth device and you want to connect it to your smart device for the first time, you go through a process called “pairing.” This process generally requires you to approve the connection from your smart device — that is, approve the pairing operation. You will be prompted to accept a pairing request from the target device which usually includes the name of the requesting device. If approved, your devices will create an encrypted connection between them so that all communications are secure and private.

Once you’ve paired the device to your smart device, it should stay connected. If you do something like go to your mailbox and leave your connected smart device behind, your Bluetooth device might disconnect from it because they are out of range. The Bluetooth device should reconnect when it is once again near your smart device. If you power off the Bluetooth device, when it powers back on it should automatically reconnect to the last smart device it was connected to. You can “unpair” the Bluetooth device (in your smart device’s Bluetooth settings) and, if you do, you will need to pair it again. Similarly, resetting your Bluetooth device will require you to re-pair (and possibly go through the unpair process first, before trying to re-pair).

Most commonly Bluetooth is used to connect to Bluetooth speakers, headphones, and earbuds, but it can also be used to connect your smartwatch to your phone. In fact there are all sorts of devices that can be connected via Bluetooth. Some printers can connect by Bluetooth. Many devices use Bluetooth to do their initial set up and then switch to using Wi-Fi.

Connecting multiple devices

Your smart device can connect with multiple target Bluetooth devices (speakers, earbuds, headphones, etc.). Right now, in fact, my smartphone is connected with both my smartwatch and my Bluetooth earbuds. Each connection is separate from the other; data does not leak between them. So, I can view and control my smartwatch from my smartphone and, at the same time, hear music over my Bluetooth earbuds.

Many current Bluetooth devices have the ability to connect with multiple smart devices. This capability is called “multi-point.” That does not generally mean that you can hear or receive data from two smart devices (sources) at once. Usually it means that the target Bluetooth device can switch between two smart devices. Some Bluetooth devices can automatically switch as needed when a sound or data is detected from the other device while others must be switched manually by using a physical switch on the Bluetooth device or by other means.

A companion app

Some Bluetooth devices also have an app that you can install on your smart device. The app lets you view, control, and possibly modify the behavior of its associated device. For earbuds, speakers, and headphones, this can mean customizing button controls (for example, change the volume, skip to the next or previous music track, etc.). Some devices also provide the ability to update the software running on the device (called “firmware”). You can often view the user’s manual or some brief operating instructions for the associated device. Some apps even allow you to connect to other smart devices and switch between them. Personally, I prefer to use devices that have an associated app because of these capabilities and features.

Hacks and Security Risks

Can your Bluetooth connection be “hacked?” Yes, of course — just about everything can be hacked. But because Bluetooth is fairly short range (usually 50 feet or less), it requires the hacker to be in close proximity to your smart device or your Bluetooth target device. Currently, all hacks I’m aware of require you to approve a pairing or connection request. If you only approve pairing requests that you initiated, you should be safe.

That’s all for this time

I hope you have a better understanding of Bluetooth, what it is, and what you can do with it. Don't hesitate to write to me if you have questions!

As always, I aim to help you understand the basics and equip you to search for more detailed information.

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