iOS Bluetooth Management
I’ve been carrying this idea in my head for a very long time, and finally decided to write about it, since I started a blog.
I’ve been using the iPhone since the release of the good old 3G. I still remember how I tried to memorize numbers from a note in order to write them down into SMS (no, I didn’t have a pen around), because the phone lacked the trivial Copy/Paste functionality. Since then, iOS has changed beyond recognition, but some rare usability details have reached us in their original form. One of these details is Bluetooth-profile settings. This is what I want to talk about.
Have you ever had your partner’s Bluetooth headphones automatically connect to your iPhone because you recently used them? Or someone turned on your Bluetooth speaker (without even asking!) and the sound from your iPad suddenly started broadcasting into another room? Or maybe your iPhone was connecting to the car audio system while you wanted to use AirPods while driving? All this has happened to me, and more than once.
How can the user quickly solve this problem? Disable Bluetooth completely on iPhone or “forget” the device to re-pair it later. Very handy! (No.) Here is the simple and familiar solution:
Yes, a simple toggle can save a ton of nerve cells! There is such a toggle in the WiFi settings already, so why not just copy it to another location?
Perhaps Apple is too focused on its own ecosystem and forgot that people use millions of gadgets other than AirPods and HomePods. Of course, the magic of smart and seamless connection can’t be transferred to thousands of wireless devices, but at least Apple can make life a bit easier for people with a portable speakers on the sunny beaches ⛱
