Bluetooth is everywhere these days, working in the background to make sure that you stay connected to the things you love most. While most people have caught on to this innovative technology, there are still plenty of people who are new to the concept and find it confusing at times. Bluetooth devices can also be finicky when it comes to pairing them to something new.

In most cases it’s not that difficult to pair two popular items such as your iPhone with some Bluetooth headphones. But there are some circumstances where you must do some trial and error to get the process to work, if it will even work at all.

The Basics of Bluetooth Sync 

If you ever have trouble paring your new Bluetooth-enabled devices, then you are not alone. It is actually a very complex process that involves using two devices, multiple steps and three progressive states. Here we break down what happens during those few seconds where your two Bluetooth devices come together.

Step 1: Inquiry

When you first start to pair two devices, understand that these two gadgets have never interacted with one another before. So, they must run an inquiry to discover each other’s presence. This works by one device sending out an inquiry request. Any Bluetooth enabled devices in the area that are listening in for a signal will respond to the request. If you are using a smartphone to perform an inquiry, for example you may see a list of various gadgets in your home such as headphones or wireless earpieces. To get things started, you will need to click on the device you want to pair.

Step 2: Paging or Connecting

Paging is the name of the process of the two devices forming a connection with one another. Before the connection can even take place, each Bluetooth device must know the address of the other. This takes place during the inquiry process.

Step 3: The Connection State

After the devices have paired, they enter the connection state. While the two devices connect, they can communicate with one another actively or put into a low power sleep mode. Once you have achieved the connection state the first time, it’s easier for Bluetooth auto connect to activate in the future.

Here are the different modes that all Bluetooth devices can go into while they are connected.

Active Mode 

This is the default connection mode where the devices are transmitting or receiving data from each other.

Sniff Mode 

Also known as power-saving mode or sleep mode, this is when the devices are less active. They may go to sleep and still listen for transmissions or signals at pre-determined intervals.

Hold Mode 

This is a temporary power saving mode that allows the device to sleep for specific amount of time before it returns to active mode. The user has control over how long hold mode will last.

Park Mode 

Park mode is the deep sleep mode that your device can go into. The user can command the device to “park” and it will be inactive until you wake it back up again for use

What is a Pairing Code?

When you pair two Bluetooth devices together, they create a bond that allows them to establish an automatic connection any time they are within a certain distance. No further interactions are needed by the user since the two devices now have that essential bond. These bonds are created by a process known as pairing. Anytime two devices pair, they share data, addresses, profiles, and other details and store them in their own memories. The two items also share a common key, known as a pairing code, that allows them to connect any time in the future.

However, you don’t have to worry about all your Bluetooth devices connecting automatically every time you enter a room with your smartphone if you don’t want that to happen. There is an authentication process that waits for the user to validate the connection between devices. Therefore, if more than one person in the household uses the wireless headphones with their smartphone or tablet, you can ensure that the headphones connect to your device instead of anyone else’s thanks to this authentication process.

Even though Bluetooth is not the only wireless protocol that we have to work with, it is the most popular and in most cases the easiest to use. If you have the latest version of the technology on both devices you are attempting to pair and connect, then you shouldn’t have any problem connecting the initial time or auto connecting in the future. The latest Bluetooth version, v4.0, was released along with Bluetooth Low Energy. BLE was designed to work with low power applications, allowing us to use this innovative technology with a broad range of new products. This makes the future for Bluetooth-enabled devices so much brighter.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This