Bluetooth Setup

Bluetooth Setup

Bluetooth LE lets the Flipper stream to the phone with no cable. USB and BLE carry the exact same CSV, so everything downstream (map, solver, allocation lookup) is identical.

Connect over BLE

1. On the Flipper: enable Settings → Bluetooth (must be ON to advertise), then open Apps → Sub-GHz → RF Logger. The status line should read BT:adv.
2. On the phone: ☰ → Transport: Bluetooth (BLE) → Connect Flipper.
3. Pick your Flipper from the list. Custom-named units (no "Flipper" prefix) are shown too — the name is the one on the Flipper's screen. The chosen device is remembered for one-tap reconnect next time.
4. Accept the pairing dialog on both devices the first time.
5. Success = green dot + live RSSI on the phone, and BT:ok on the Flipper.

Reading the Flipper's BT: status line

Shows	Meaning
BT:off	Bluetooth is off in Flipper settings, or the BLE stack didn't start. Turn Bluetooth ON; reboot the Flipper if it stays off.
BT:adv	Advertising, waiting for the phone. This is the normal "ready to connect" state.
BT:ok	A central (the app) is connected and receiving data.

The app keeps advertising alive automatically — a settings toggle, a key wipe, or a stack restart no longer leaves it silently un-advertised.

Important: only one app at a time

Keep the official Flipper mobile app closed while using RF Triangulator over BLE. Only one BLE central can hold the Flipper's link at a time. If the official app (or its background service) grabs the connection, the Flipper effectively disappears — it looks like Bluetooth isn't working at all. If that happens, force-stop the official Flipper app.

Note on Android's Bluetooth settings screen

Tapping the Flipper in Android's system Bluetooth settings does nothing useful — that's normal. BLE data devices are only opened by the app, not from the settings screen. Always connect via the app's Connect Flipper button.

If it won't connect

See Troubleshooting for the full checklist. The three most common causes, in order:

1. The official Flipper app is holding the link — close it.
2. A stale pairing from a previous session — forget "Flipper" in Android Bluetooth settings and on the Flipper (Settings → Bluetooth → Forget All Paired Devices), then reconnect and accept pairing on both screens.
3. Bluetooth off on the Flipper — the status line shows BT:off.