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 2025-09-05 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 2025-09-05 UTC."],[],[],null,["Android provides a default Bluetooth stack that supports both Classic\nBluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Using Bluetooth, Android devices\ncan create personal area networks to send and receive data with nearby\nBluetooth devices.\n\nIn Android 4.3 and higher, the Android Bluetooth stack provides the ability\nto implement BLE. To fully use the BLE APIs, follow the\n[Android Bluetooth HCI Requirements](/docs/core/connect/bluetooth/hci_requirements).\nAndroid devices with a qualified chipset can implement either Classic\nBluetooth or both Classic Bluetooth and BLE. BLE isn't backward compatible\nwith older Bluetooth chipsets.\n\nIn Android 8.0, the Bluetooth stack is fully qualified for Bluetooth 5. To\nuse available Bluetooth 5 features, the device needs to have a Bluetooth 5\nqualified chipset.\n\nAndroid architecture\n\nA Bluetooth app communicates with the Bluetooth process through Binder. The\nBluetooth process uses Java Native Interface (JNI) to communicate with the\nBluetooth stack and provides developers with access to various Bluetooth\nprofiles. This diagram shows the general structure of the Bluetooth stack:\n\n**Figure 1.** Android Bluetooth architecture.\n\napp framework\n: At the app framework level is app code, which uses the\n [`android.bluetooth`](http://developer.android.com/reference/android/bluetooth/package-summary)\n APIs to interact with the Bluetooth hardware. Internally, this code calls\n the Bluetooth process through the Binder IPC mechanism.\n\nBluetooth app\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\n Android framework layer. This app calls into the Bluetooth stack through\n JNI.\n\nJNI\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\n devices are discovered.\n\nBluetooth stack\n: The default Bluetooth stack is provided in AOSP and is located in\n `packages/modules/Bluetooth/system`. The stack implements the generic\n Bluetooth HAL and customizes it with extensions and configuration changes.\n\nvendor implementation\n: Vendor devices interact with the Bluetooth stack using the HAL interface\n definition language (HIDL).\n\nHIDL\n\n[HIDL](/docs/core/architecture/hidl) defines the interface between the\nBluetooth stack and the vendor implementation. To generate the Bluetooth\nHIDL files, pass the Bluetooth interface files into the HIDL generation\ntool. The interface files are located in\n[`hardware/interfaces/bluetooth`](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/hardware/interfaces/+/android16-release/bluetooth/).\n\nBluetooth stack development\n\nThe Android Bluetooth stack is a fully qualified Bluetooth stack. The\nqualification listing is on the Bluetooth SIG website (requires sign-in)\nunder [QDID 169365](https://launchstudio.bluetooth.com/ListingDetails/130825).\n\nThe core Bluetooth stack resides in\n[`packages/modules/Bluetooth`](https://cs.android.com/android/platform/superproject/+/android-latest-release:packages/modules/Bluetooth/).\nDevelopment happens in AOSP, and contributions are welcome."]]
