Bluetooth lets you pair your speakers to enjoy music and transfer files with many devices. However, before you can perform these actions, you must access the appropriate Bluetooth profile. Otherwise, nothing gets done. But what are Bluetooth profiles, and how do they work? The more you get to know Bluetooth technology, the less trouble you’ll have the next time you need to control a device.
What Are Bluetooth Profiles?
Bluetooth devices need to speak the same language to connect as part of your implementation choice. Various specifications called “profiles” are used to define this language for one or more specific tasks. Therefore, Bluetooth Profiles are a set of rules that allow the technology to complete a particular task.
- For example, to connect a pair of headphones to another device, a specific Bluetooth profile (or rules) is used, such as A2DP or HSP.
- A different Bluetooth profile is needed to transfer files from one device to another, including DIP and FTP.
How Do Bluetooth Profiles Work?
Working Bluetooth profiles depend on the exact configuration of the connecting device. One of them is a source of a link, and the other is the destination. For example, if you have a Bluetooth speaker connected to a TV, the Bluetooth network setting on the TV works as a link source.
Both devices will connect their A2DP and AVRCP profiles, which are relating to sound. Of course, this connection happens in the background, and there’s no way to know what’s going on where, unless you’re a developer with access to the device’s Bluetooth profile APIs.
The whole aim of Bluetooth profiles is to improve sync and compatibility between different devices. Not all of the devices will share their profiles, so the compatibility issues depend on manufacturer intent. You don’t need to worry about profiles when buying Bluetooth products, as manufacturers do extensive testing to ensure that your devices connect for their specified profiles.
Most Common Bluetooth Profiles
The international Bluetooth consortium, Bluetooth SIG, has standardized a list of Bluetooth profiles. Many of them are industry-specific and outside our scope. Listed here are some of the most common Bluetooth profiles that you’d encounter frequently in consumer devices.
1. Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) is a Bluetooth profile that defines how audio signals are streamed from one device to another, both in mono and stereo formats. It enables audio transfer between an A2DP source, such as a smartphone, and a recipient, such as a Bluetooth headset.
For smooth audio transfer, both connecting devices should have as many compatible audio codecs as possible. SBC, a mandatory Bluetooth codec, works on all devices. There are optional codecs for MP3, AAC, and WMA, and vendor-specific codecs, such as LDAC, Samsung HD, and aptX.
A Google Play app called A2DP Setting tells you whether your A2DP profiles are compatible. If a Bluetooth audio device connects properly, it gives you available codecs on both your local smartphone and the device you’re connecting to.
Generally, A2DP services work in conjunction with another profile, Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP), which covers a lot of information, such as play/pause, volume, artist metadata, etc. Sometimes they also use a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) profile to transfer MP3 audio files.
Tip: worried about Bluetooth audio delays? We can help.
2. Device ID Profile (DIP)
The Device ID profile (DIP) lets your Bluetooth device know a bit more about the other connecting device. It’s somewhat akin to dating, where you want to know a person’s important details before going out with them.
In Bluetooth parlance, that translates to identifying the manufacturer, product ID, version, and any additional details. Only after that, is plug-n-play enabled and the drivers downloaded.
While this is a machine-to-machine interaction, you can get a gist of the Device ID profile using the Bluetooth MAC address. On Windows, it can be retrieved from Device Manager. Right-click any Bluetooth device, go to Properties -> Details, and check the Value under Bluetooth device address.
Once you have the MAC address, go to the MAC address vendor lookup website, and check the entry. The first six digits represent the organization name, while the rest give you the full product information.
Tip: the Bluetooth Device ID profile is very useful for knowing when your device won’t connect properly, although it can be fixed easily.
3. Headset Profile (HSP)
Headset Profile (HSP) is a very commonly-used profile, used for smooth bidirectional communication between a smartphone or laptop and a headset or gaming console. Its main purpose is to facilitate a telephone call and adjust the volume of devices.
Since HSP deals with bidirectional voice transfer, it’s characterized by a low bitrate of 8 kHz using CVSD, a telephonic voice codec that has been around since the 1970s. However, it also uses its own codec HSP 1.6, known as “wideband speech,” that supports a slightly higher 16 kHz bitrate.
For stereo voice transfer, both the smartphone/laptop and the headset or other wireless device should have HSP (or HSP 1.6) clearly indicated in its profile.
HSP on smartphone devices is often available alongside Hands-Free Profile (HFP), a standard feature in hands-free Bluetooth headsets, and also Bluetooth car kits. Like HDP, HSP also operates at a very low bitrate of 16 kHz.
Tip: is Android Auto not working for you? We help you get past the errors.
4. Human Interface Device Profile (HID)
The Human Interface Device Profile (HID) works with one of the widest ranges of Bluetooth consumer products. It’s necessary to provide support for devices, such as keyboards, mice, trackballs, joysticks, gamepads, bar code readers, auxiliary displays, sensors, Wii remotes, and PlayStation controllers.
Two devices are needed for it to work: a host, such as a laptop, and an external HID that can input and output data with the host. This profile offers a small latency link that doesn’t need large power requirements.
It’s fairly common to encounter an HID profile if you have ever connected a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard. In Windows, you can view it in Device Manager under Mice and other Pointing Devices. Check Properties -> Details, and under Hardware IDs, view all the HID profiles relevant to your device.
A Human Interface Device Profile (HID) is a vast field that involves the controls of system display, computer sensors, wireless radio, spatial, simulations, Virtual Reality, and different types of games (guns, pinballs, and much more).
TIP: learn how to set up and manage Bluetooth devices in Windows.
5. Personal Area Networking Profile (PAN)
How does Bluetooth connect to your local Internet? That’s where a Personal Area Networking Profile (PAN) is used. Formerly known as the LAN access profile, PAN is the best way to create ad-hoc Bluetooth networks between a wide variety of devices.
These include computers, laptops, smartphones, earphones, tablets, printers, keyboards, speakers, and almost any device that requires a network access point. To view the PAN in your Bluetooth profile, you need to check its status on a display screen.
For example, in Windows, you can check out PAN using the Device Manager under Network adapters. Click the Bluetooth device in its list, and open Properties -> Details to see the Personal Area Networking profile.
6. Serial Port Profile (SPP)
Serial Port Profile (SPP) is another fundamental Bluetooth profile, whose main purpose is to substitute serial communication using RFCOMM, the Bluetooth protocol that emulates RS-232, Ethernet and other cables.
In simple terms, SPP creates “virtual” serial ports that can enable the transfer of communication between two devices that would have used cables for data transfer. SPP is always supported between Raspberry Pis, Arduinos, and other similar single-board computers or microcontroller devices.
Given the widespread use of serial port profiles in electronics, SPP features in many smart devices that have human interaction, such as smartwatches, fitness devices, trackers, hearables, and more.
There are many different types of Serial port profiles that you can view on your device, such as TCP sockets, UDP sockets, serial bridging, modem, printer, SPP server, and others.
You should learn how secure Bluetooth is, to avoid any unforeseen risks. If you’re encountering common Bluetooth errors, such as when you have a metered connection, we have you covered.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons. All screenshots by Sayak Boral.
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