How does Bluetooth work? How to transmit data

Bluetooth is the industry standard for radio transmission of data. In contrast to WLAN transmission, you only have a short range with Bluetooth. In addition, almost every device nowadays is Bluetooth-enabled and can be paired with another Bluetooth device.

How Bluetooth data transfer technology works

Devices that have Bluetooth have a small microchip and a 48-bit serial number. The number is used for unique identification within a Bluetooth network. Using Bluetooth, two devices establish a 2.4 GHz wireless connection to transmit data. To pair two devices with each other, you need to consider several things.

1. To connect two devices via Bluetooth, they must be in close proximity to each other. Here, the range differs depending on the Bluetooth class. With class 1 you have a range of 100 meters, with 2 one of 20 and with 3 one of 10 meters. Smartphones usually have class 2.
2. Also make sure that the Bluetooth option is enabled on both devices. By default, this is turned off and can be turned on again via the settings of the device.
3. Mostly no larger files can be sent via Bluetooth, because the data transfer rate is rather low.
4. The current Bluetooth standard is Bluetooth 5.0, but usually this is compatible with devices with older versions.

You can not only pair your smartphones with each other, but also headsets or headphones with other Bluetooth devices. This way you avoid annoying cable connections. In total, you can actively connect up to eight Bluetooth devices. One device is the "master" while the rest are called "slaves".