- Getting Started
- Touring Other Cool iPhone Apps
- Listening to Music with the Music App
- Finding Your Way with Maps
- Managing Your Health Information with the Health App
- Using Bluetooth to Connect to Other Devices
- Connecting Your iPhone to Other iPhones, iPod touches, or iPads
- Working with the Wallet App and Apple Pay
- Working Seamlessly Across Your Devices
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Using Bluetooth to Connect to Other Devices
The iPhone includes built-in Bluetooth support so you can use this wireless technology to connect to other Bluetooth-capable devices. The most likely devices to connect to your iPhone in this way are Bluetooth headphones, speakers, headsets, or car audio/entertainment/information systems, but you can also use Bluetooth to connect to other kinds of devices, most notably keyboards.
To connect Bluetooth devices together, you pair them. In Bluetooth, pairing enables two Bluetooth devices to communicate with each other. The one constant requirement is that the devices can communicate with each other via Bluetooth. For devices to find and identify each other so they can communicate, one or both must be discoverable, which means they broadcast a Bluetooth signal other devices can detect and connect to.
There is also a “sometimes” requirement, which is a pairing code, passkey, or PIN. All those terms refer to the same thing, which is a series of numbers, letters, or both, entered on one or both devices being paired. Sometimes you enter this code on both devices, whereas for other devices you enter the first device’s code on the second device. Some devices, such as headphones or speakers, don’t require a pairing code at all.
When you have to pair devices, you’re prompted to do so, and you have to complete the actions required by the prompts to communicate via Bluetooth. This might be just tapping Connect, or you might have to enter a passcode on one or both devices to connect them.
Connecting to Bluetooth Devices
This task demonstrates pairing an iPhone with Bluetooth headphones; you can pair it with other devices similarly.
Move to the Settings screen. The current status of Bluetooth on your iPhone is shown.
Tap Bluetooth.
If Bluetooth isn’t on (green), tap the Bluetooth switch to turn it on. If it isn’t running already, Bluetooth starts up. The iPhone immediately begins searching for Bluetooth devices. You also see the status Now Discoverable, which means other Bluetooth devices can discover the iPhone. In the MY DEVICES section, you see devices to which you’ve previously paired your iPhone; their current status is either Connected, meaning the device is currently communicating with your iPhone, or Not Connected, meaning the device is paired with your iPhone, but is not currently connected to it. In the OTHER DEVICES section, you see the devices that are discoverable to your iPhone but that are not paired with it.
If the device you want to use isn’t shown in the OTHER DEVICES section, put it into Discoverable mode. (Not shown; see the instructions provided with the device.) When it is discoverable, it appears in the OTHER DEVICES section.
Tap the device to which you want to connect. If the device isn’t currently paired with your iPhone, you might need to provide a passkey. If a passkey is required, you see a prompt to enter it on the device with which you are pairing; perform step 6. If no passkey is required, skip to step 7.
If it is required (not shown in a figure), input the pairing code, passkey, or PIN on the device, such as typing the passkey on a keyboard if you are pairing your iPhone with a Bluetooth keyboard.
If required, tap Connect (not shown in a figure)—some devices connect as soon as you select them or enter the passkey and you won’t need to do this. You see the device to which the iPhone is connected in the MY DEVICES section of the Bluetooth screen, and its status is Connected, indicating that your iPhone can communicate with and use the device.
To manage a device, tap its Info (i) icon.
Tap the command you want to use; for example, to stop working with a device, tap Disconnect. The options you see depend on the device and its current status.
When your iPhone is paired with a device that supports audio, such as headphones, you can open the device menu (such as the one on the Audio controls on the Lock screen) and tap the device on which you want to hear that audio.
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