Starting March 27, 2025, we recommend using android-latest-release instead of aosp-main to build and contribute to AOSP. For more information, see Changes to AOSP.
Bluetooth
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Android provides a default Bluetooth stack that supports both Classic Bluetooth and Bluetooth
Low Energy (BLE). Using Bluetooth, Android devices can create personal area networks to send
and receive data with nearby Bluetooth devices.
In Android 4.3 and higher, the Android Bluetooth stack provides the ability to implement
BLE. To fully use the BLE APIs, follow the
Android Bluetooth HCI Requirements. Android devices with a qualified chipset can implement either Classic Bluetooth or both
Classic Bluetooth and BLE. BLE isn't backward compatible with older Bluetooth chipsets.
In Android 8.0, the Bluetooth stack is fully qualified for Bluetooth 5. To use
available Bluetooth 5 features, the device needs to have a Bluetooth 5 qualified chipset.
Android architecture
A Bluetooth app communicates with the Bluetooth process through Binder. The Bluetooth
process uses Java Native Interface (JNI) to communicate with the Bluetooth stack and provides
developers with access to various Bluetooth profiles. This diagram shows the general
structure of the Bluetooth stack:
Figure 1. Android Bluetooth architecture.
- app framework
-
At the app framework level is app code, which uses the
android.bluetooth
APIs to interact with the Bluetooth hardware. Internally, this code calls the Bluetooth
process through the Binder IPC mechanism.
- Bluetooth app
-
The Bluetooth app, located in
packages/modules/Bluetooth/android/app,
is packaged as an Android app and implements the Bluetooth profiles at the Android framework
layer. This app calls into the Bluetooth stack through JNI.
- JNI
-
The JNI code associated with
android.bluetooth is located in
packages/modules/Bluetooth/android/app/jni. The JNI code calls into the
Bluetooth stack when certain Bluetooth operations occur, such as when devices are
discovered.
- Bluetooth stack
-
The default Bluetooth stack is provided in AOSP and is located in
packages/modules/Bluetooth/system. The stack implements the generic Bluetooth
HAL and customizes it with extensions and configuration changes.
- vendor implementation
-
Vendor devices interact with the Bluetooth stack using the HAL interface definition
language (HIDL).
HIDL
HIDL defines the interface between the
Bluetooth stack and the vendor implementation. To generate the Bluetooth HIDL files, pass the
Bluetooth interface files into the HIDL generation tool. The interface files are located in
hardware/interfaces/bluetooth.
Bluetooth stack development
The Android Bluetooth stack is a fully qualified Bluetooth stack. The qualification listing is
on the Bluetooth SIG website (requires sign-in) under
QDID 169365.
The core Bluetooth stack resides in
packages/modules/Bluetooth. Development happens in AOSP, and contributions are welcome.
Content and code samples on this page are subject to the licenses described in the Content License. Java and OpenJDK are trademarks or registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.
Last updated 2025-08-22 UTC.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-22 UTC."],[],[],null,["# Bluetooth\n\nAndroid provides a default Bluetooth stack that supports both Classic Bluetooth and Bluetooth\nLow Energy (BLE). Using Bluetooth, Android devices can create personal area networks to send\nand receive data with nearby Bluetooth devices.\n\n\nIn Android 4.3 and higher, the Android Bluetooth stack provides the ability to implement\nBLE. To fully use the BLE APIs, follow the\n[Android Bluetooth HCI Requirements](/docs/core/connect/bluetooth/hci_requirements). Android devices with a qualified chipset can implement either Classic Bluetooth or both\nClassic Bluetooth and BLE. BLE isn't backward compatible with older Bluetooth chipsets.\n\n\nIn Android 8.0, the Bluetooth stack is fully qualified for Bluetooth 5. To use\navailable Bluetooth 5 features, the device needs to have a Bluetooth 5 qualified chipset.\n\nAndroid architecture\n--------------------\n\n\nA Bluetooth app communicates with the Bluetooth process through Binder. The Bluetooth\nprocess uses Java Native Interface (JNI) to communicate with the Bluetooth stack and provides\ndevelopers with access to various Bluetooth profiles. This diagram shows the general\nstructure of the Bluetooth stack:\n\n**Figure 1.** Android Bluetooth architecture.\n\napp framework\n:\n At the app framework level is app code, which uses the\n [`android.bluetooth`](http://developer.android.com/reference/android/bluetooth/package-summary.html)\n APIs to interact with the Bluetooth hardware. Internally, this code calls the Bluetooth\n process through the Binder IPC mechanism.\n\nBluetooth app\n:\n The Bluetooth app, located in `packages/modules/Bluetooth/android/app`,\n is packaged as an Android app and implements the Bluetooth profiles at the Android framework\n layer. This app calls into the Bluetooth stack through JNI.\n\nJNI\n:\n The JNI code associated with `android.bluetooth` is located in\n `packages/modules/Bluetooth/android/app/jni`. The JNI code calls into the\n Bluetooth stack when certain Bluetooth operations occur, such as when devices are\n discovered.\n\nBluetooth stack\n:\n The default Bluetooth stack is provided in AOSP and is located in\n `packages/modules/Bluetooth/system`. The stack implements the generic Bluetooth\n HAL and customizes it with extensions and configuration changes.\n\nvendor implementation\n:\n Vendor devices interact with the Bluetooth stack using the HAL interface definition\n language (HIDL).\n\n### HIDL\n\n\n[HIDL](/docs/core/architecture/hidl) defines the interface between the\nBluetooth stack and the vendor implementation. To generate the Bluetooth HIDL files, pass the\nBluetooth interface files into the HIDL generation tool. The interface files are located in\n[`hardware/interfaces/bluetooth`](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/hardware/interfaces/+/android16-release/bluetooth/).\n\n### Bluetooth stack development\n\n\nThe Android Bluetooth stack is a fully qualified Bluetooth stack. The qualification listing is\non the Bluetooth SIG website (requires sign-in) under\n[QDID 169365](https://launchstudio.bluetooth.com/ListingDetails/130825).\n\n\nThe core Bluetooth stack resides in\n[packages/modules/Bluetooth](https://cs.android.com/android/platform/superproject/+/android-latest-release:packages/modules/Bluetooth/). Development happens in AOSP, and contributions are welcome."]]
