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Bluetooth Devices

Network Survey scans for both Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices, collecting signal strength, device information, and identifiers.

The full list of possible fields captured by NS is defined in the NS Message API Documentation.

Bluetooth Technologies

Section titled “Bluetooth Technologies”
TechnologyYearRangePower
Bluetooth Classic199910-100mHigher
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)201010-50mVery low

Network Survey scans for both.

Special Features

Section titled “Special Features”

Apple AirTag Detection

Section titled “Apple AirTag Detection”

Network Survey identifies AirTags through their BLE advertising:

  • Company ID: 0x004C (Apple)
  • Specific service UUIDs
  • Useful for detecting nearby AirTags

Service UUIDs

Section titled “Service UUIDs”

BLE devices advertise services they provide:

Common Services:

  • 0x180F - Battery Service
  • 0x180A - Device Information
  • 0x180D - Heart Rate Service
  • 0x181A - Environmental Sensing
  • 0xFEAA - Eddystone beacon

Full list: Bluetooth SIG Assigned Numbers

Company IDs

Section titled “Company IDs”

Manufacturer identification from advertising data:

Examples:

  • 0x004C - Apple
  • 0x0006 - Microsoft
  • 0x00E0 - Google
  • 0x0075 - Samsung
  • 0x02E5 - Tile

Signal Strength (RSSI)

Section titled “Signal Strength (RSSI)”
RSSI RangeDistance (Approx)Notes
-30 to -50 dBmVery close (< 1m)Maximum signal
-51 to -65 dBmNear (1-3m)Strong signal
-66 to -75 dBmMedium (3-7m)Good signal
-76 to -85 dBmFar (7-15m)Weak signal
-86 to -100 dBmVery far (15m+)At range limit

Scan Configuration

Section titled “Scan Configuration”

Default Scan Interval: 23 seconds minimum

  • 10 seconds for BLE scan
  • 12 seconds for Classic scan
  • 1 second buffer

Why 23 seconds minimum?

  • BLE scan requires 10 seconds to discover devices
  • Classic scan requires 12 seconds
  • Running both back-to-back needs at least 23 seconds

Permissions

Section titled “Permissions”

Android 12+ Requirements:

Required:

  • BLUETOOTH_SCAN - Scan for devices
  • Location permission - Required for Bluetooth scanning

Optional:

  • BLUETOOTH_CONNECT - Get device names
    • Without this: Names appear as null/empty
    • Addresses still captured

See Required Permissions for details.

Use Cases

Section titled “Use Cases”

Asset Tracking

Section titled “Asset Tracking”
  • Track BLE beacons in warehouses
  • Monitor device locations over time
  • Survey beacons

IoT Device Discovery

Section titled “IoT Device Discovery”
  • Find BLE sensors in an area
  • Identify smart home devices
  • Survey device density

Privacy Research

Section titled “Privacy Research”
  • Detect tracking devices (AirTags)
  • Monitor Bluetooth exposure
  • Study device populations

Site Surveys

Section titled “Site Surveys”
  • Test signal coverage
  • Identify interference
Section titled “Related”