What Is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology used to transmit audio, control devices, and transfer small amounts of data up to about 33 feet (10 meters) for Class 2 Bluetooth devices.
Bluetooth is often used to connect headphones, keyboards, game controllers, mice, microphones, and other devices with PCs, laptops, and mobile devices such as phones, tablets, and watches.
Bluetooth is used to:
- Replace cables
- Shares files between devices
- Sync data between devices (such as phone contacts)
- Share Internet access between devices
Check out my Recommended Bluetooth Adapter
below to upgrade your Bluetooth dongle.
TP-Link USB 5.0 Bluetooth Adapter
Check Price on Amazon
Amazon Affiliate Link
Why Was Bluetooth Created?
Bluetooth was first introduced to connect phones to other devices without using cables; it was a wireless alternative to the wired RS-232 interface. Bluetooth would allow phones to wirelessly connect to computers, headsets, and car audio systems.
What Is a Piconet?
A Bluetooth network is called a piconet. In a piconet, one host device can connect to up to seven client devices. The maximum device limit depends on the implementation.
What Device Is Needed to Connect a Computer to a Bluetooth Device?
If your computer includes built-in support for Bluetooth, you can use that to connect to a Bluetooth device. Built-in Bluetooth is more commonly available on laptops.
Otherwise, you can use a USB Bluetooth adapter to connect your computer to a Bluetooth device.
What Is Pairing?
Pairing with a device is the process in which you securely confirm the identity of a device with which you want to allow data access or control.
Some devices use access codes to prevent unwanted connections, validating the identity of a connecting device. However, product designers sometimes skip this access-code step to improve the device's user experience.
After you pair devices, they may be in a connected or disconnected state. Pairing only indicates that two devices have established the identity of each other; it does not reflect whether two devices are currently connected.
You can think of pairing as selecting which devices you trust, allowing them to control and access data from your device.
What Are Bluetooth Profiles?
Bluetooth profiles are sets of add-on Bluetooth capabilities or functions which devices can choose to support.
Popular Bluetooth profiles include:
| Profile | Use Case |
|---|---|
| Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) | High-Quality Stereo Sound for headsets, hearing aids, car audio, voice recording |
| Headset Profile (HSP) | Low-Quality Mono Sound for headsets |
| Hands-free Profile (HFP) | Low-Quality Mono Sound for hands-free operation of mobile phones |
| Human Interface Device Profile (HID) | Mice, keyboards, joysticks, game controllers, and remotes |
|
Audio/ |
Remotely control audio/ |
| File Transfer Profile (FTP) | Share and manage files |
What Are Bluetooth Codecs?
A Bluetooth audio codec is a hardware or software algorithm used for compressing and decompressing an audio stream to find a compromise between audio quality, bandwidth usage, and latency.
High bandwidth usage (bitrate) combined with a lousy signal can result in skipping or distorted audio.
On the other hand, a high latency (slow) codec would delay audio for video game voice-chat or movies.
Popular Bluetooth audio codecs include:
| Codec | Max Bitrate | Bit Depth | Max Frequency | Developed By |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBC (A2DP Default) | 345 kbps | 16-bit | 48 kHz | Bluetooth Special Interest Group |
| LC3 (Bluetooth Low Energy's SBC successor) | N/A | Up to 32-bit | 48 kHz | Bluetooth Special Interest Group |
| aptX | 384 kbps | 16-bit | 48 kHz | Qualcomm |
| aptX LL (low latency) | 352 kbps | 24-bit | 48 kHz | Qualcomm |
| aptX HD | 576 kbps | 24-bit | 48 kHz | Qualcomm |
| aptX Adaptive | 420 kbps | 24-bit | 48 kHz | Qualcomm |
| FastStream (SBC with mic support) | 212 kbps | 48-bit | 48 kHz | Qualcomm |
| AAC | 320 kbps | 24-bit | 44.1 kHz | Various |
| LDAC | 990 kbps | 24-bit | 96 kHz | Sony |
| Scalable Codec | 512 kbps | 24-bit | 96 kHz | Samsung |
What Is Bluetooth Low Energy?
Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE or BLE) is distinct from classic Bluetooth. It is optimized for low-energy applications such as sensors and beacons for maximum battery life and power consumption.
In early 2020, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group announced that Bluetooth LE would support broadcasting audio to multiple devices and support hearing aids.
How Does Bluetooth Differ From Wi-Fi?
Bluetooth is more energy-efficient than Wi-Fi but has much lower bitrates. Additionally, Wi-Fi supports different communication protocols, which are designed for Internet and local area network access.
What Causes Bluetooth Interference?
| Cause of Bluetooth interference | How to fix it |
|---|---|
| High Wi-Fi transmission power | Reduce the transmission power of your wireless router. |
| Near Wi-Fi router | Signal strength increases as you approach the competing wireless transmitters; move further from wireless routers. |
| Near multiple Wi-Fi routers | Multiple routers may be taking up too much of the wireless spectrum; move further from wireless routers. |
| Too far from the source | The signal will weaken as you get further from the connected device; move the devices closer together. |
| Obstacles in path | Signals will become weaker or blocked if they have to go through obstacles such as walls; move the devices to a location in which they have a line of sight between each other. |
| Other wireless devices nearby | Move away from other wireless devices which will compete over the same spectrum. |
| Microwave oven running nearby | Get a new microwave with better shielding or move further from the microwave. |
Can You Amplify a Bluetooth Signal?
You can extend the range of a Bluetooth signal by using a Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver. These are typically designed to support specific audio profiles and codecs, which will only help particular use cases.
Is Bluetooth Secure?
Modern Bluetooth versions (version 2.1 and newer) use public-key cryptography to encrypt communications. Security vulnerabilities continue to be discovered over time.
Like most technologies, using up-to-date hardware and software on your devices will reduce any chance of eavesdropping and other attacks. You'll need to evaluate your acceptable level of risk when deciding how to use wireless technologies.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology released a Guide to Bluetooth Security to help the more at-risk organizations create a good security process and understanding.
Recommended Bluetooth Adapter: TP-Link UB500
- Works great with Windows 10, 8.1, and 7
- Supports Bluetooth 5.0
TP-Link USB 5.0 Bluetooth Adapter Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
Related Bluetooth Topics
- Bluetooth versions - Learn about the different versions of Bluetooth.
- Find out how to set up Bluetooth on Windows 10 - Everything you need to know to set up Bluetooth on Windows 10.
- Find out how to fix common Bluetooth problems on Windows 10 - A troubleshooting guide for fixing Bluetooth problems on Windows 10.