augratin

Q: After iOS 8.1, ipad and iphone don't see each other via bluetooth

After upgrading to iOS8.1, my iPad 4 and iPhone 5 can't see each other when both devices have bluetooth service turned on.  My iPad Air can see the iPhone, but not the iPad 4.  Any suggestions?

iPad (4th gen) Wi-Fi, iOS 8.1

Posted on Dec 21, 2014 4:12 AM

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Q: After iOS 8.1, ipad and iphone don't see each other via bluetooth

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  • by Lyssa,

    Lyssa Lyssa Dec 21, 2014 7:19 AM in response to augratin
    Level 6 (17,893 points)
    Dec 21, 2014 7:19 AM in response to augratin

    They're not supposed to see each other.

     

    What, exactly, are you trying to do?

     

    ~Lyssa

  • by augratin,

    augratin augratin Dec 21, 2014 10:01 PM in response to Lyssa
    Level 1 (10 points)
    iCloud
    Dec 21, 2014 10:01 PM in response to Lyssa

    I am a lecturer.  I have keynote presentations on my iPad, which I control with the Keynote remote app on the iPhone.  Before iOS8 (indeed, for the past two years), I used to be able to do this by pairing the iPad to the iPhone over bluetooth as explained in this article "Using Keynote Remote with Bluetooth":

     

    http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT6112

     

    Edit for additional info:

     

    When I launch keynote remote on the iPhone and try to get it to sync with keynote on the iPad, after a minute the message displays: "Make sure Keynote is open on [iPad] and that your devices are on the same wifi network or connected with bluetooth."  Regard:

     

    Trying to link keynote remote with keynote:

    IMG_4013.PNG

     

    Message when link fails:

    IMG_4012.PNG

  • by Lyssa,

    Lyssa Lyssa Dec 22, 2014 3:25 PM in response to augratin
    Level 6 (17,893 points)
    Dec 22, 2014 3:25 PM in response to augratin

    Hmm, I've never used this feature so I may not be able to help much...can you use the remote when you're at home?

     

    ~Lyssa

  • by augratin,

    augratin augratin Dec 22, 2014 5:01 PM in response to Lyssa
    Level 1 (10 points)
    iCloud
    Dec 22, 2014 5:01 PM in response to Lyssa

    Yes it works everywhere whenever the two devices are joined to the same wifi network.  But I often go to classrooms and offices where there's no wifi.  In the past I used to join the two devices by bluetooth, but I can't do that any more.

  • by Lyssa,

    Lyssa Lyssa Dec 22, 2014 5:07 PM in response to augratin
    Level 6 (17,893 points)
    Dec 22, 2014 5:07 PM in response to augratin

    Are there any other bluetooth devices that your iPad or iPhone are connected to or could be connecting to when you're trying to do this? If so, I would try powering off those devices and then trying again.

     

    It is possible there's an issue with using bluetooth for this, also. Are your iPad and iPhone up-to-date? Are the apps also current?

     

    ~Lyssa

  • by augratin,

    augratin augratin Dec 23, 2014 1:26 AM in response to Lyssa
    Level 1 (10 points)
    iCloud
    Dec 23, 2014 1:26 AM in response to Lyssa

    Nothing else is in range, and nothing shows up on the display when either device is searching for other devices.

     

    I just tried pairing my iPad with two different bluetooth speakers and both connected fine.  Then, as my iPhone was still nearby, I noticed it also popped-up on the screen of the iPad.  Apparently the iPad can see the iPhone now, but after waiting ten or fifteen minutes it still won't link.  The iPad still does not show up on the iPhone's bluetooth screen.  In short, both devices can see other bluetooth accessories like wireless speakers and keyboards, but they can't see each other.  See the snapshot of both devices:

    IMG_4021.JPG

  • by Lyssa,

    Lyssa Lyssa Dec 23, 2014 5:42 PM in response to augratin
    Level 6 (17,893 points)
    Dec 23, 2014 5:42 PM in response to augratin

    I wonder if this is part of your issue - in this article, Apple mentions that the Keynote Remote app is not compatible with Keynote 2.5 or later.

     

    http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT3325

     

    If you have the latest version of Keynote, are you using it on both of these devices or are you using the separate Remote app on your iPhone? Might be worth downloading Keynote instead and trying that?

     

    ~Lyssa

  • by augratin,

    augratin augratin Dec 26, 2014 4:52 AM in response to Lyssa
    Level 1 (10 points)
    iCloud
    Dec 26, 2014 4:52 AM in response to Lyssa

    Sorry, my wording was imprecise.  Yes I'm using the full Keynote app on both devices, not the old keynote remote that is no longer supported.  I call it the keynote remote because it works in essentially the same way as the old remote did.  Anyway as I said it all works just fine when both devices are on the same wifi network.  So the issue is not that the remote keynote app doesn't work - it's that I can't pair the devices via bluetooth.  If I can't establish a BT link between the devices, there's no point in ever trying to get the remote to work because it has no way to communicate with the iPad.

     

    But thanks for your help anyway.

  • by Lyssa,

    Lyssa Lyssa Dec 26, 2014 8:12 AM in response to augratin
    Level 6 (17,893 points)
    Dec 26, 2014 8:12 AM in response to augratin

    I've seen a lot of posts here with various Bluetooth issues on iOS 8 devices - I wonder if Apple has dropped support for this but hasn't indicated this in the article?

     

    The only other thing I can think of would be to restore both devices, first from backups, then as new, and see if the remote feature starts working over BT.

     

    ~Lyssa

  • by augratin,

    augratin augratin Dec 27, 2014 3:15 AM in response to Lyssa
    Level 1 (10 points)
    iCloud
    Dec 27, 2014 3:15 AM in response to Lyssa

    I stumbled upon the answer by searching other (non-apple support) sites for this problem.  Apparently (and non-intuitively), "personal hotspot" (aka internet tethering) must first be enabled before attempting to establish a BT link.  The reason I say non-intuitive is:

     

    Firstly, bluetooth is supposed to be a stand-alone wireless networking protocol that doesn't require another wireless network to be available for it to work.  What other sort of device (computer or otherwise) requires an existing network to be in place before BT will work?

     

    Secondly, if tethering via personal hotspot is a prerequisite for a BT link, why is there no pop-up message advising of this when BT is turned on?  Something like "Hey idiot, you need to turn on personal hotspot before you can establish a bluetooth link!"  Or better yet, why not automatically turn on the hotspot when the BT button is switched on?

     

    Thirdly, it really makes the BT shortcut button (in the home screen control center) worthless if you've still got to manually drill down into the settings menu to turn on hotspot anyway.

     

    I scrubbed all apple user support articles related to using BT and pairing the iPhone with iPad that I could find to make sure I hadn't missed this new requirement somewhere - and I don't see it mentioned anywhere (although I'll admit that steam was coming out of my ears while I read it, so I may not have been in the best frame of mind to catch any new information).  In the BT troubleshooting article, it mentions every check-this and check-that step but nowhere does it say make sure that personal hotspot is also turned on! I submitted feedback at the bottom of the article; hopefully they'll update it.

     

    Thanks, Lyssa for bearing with me through all of this, which in the end turned out to be a user error.  Although I consign myself to some comfort in knowing that this is not how it worked prior to iOS8.  And as soon as I can find a phone on iOS7 or older, I'll confirm that.

  • by Lyssa,

    Lyssa Lyssa Dec 27, 2014 7:15 AM in response to augratin
    Level 6 (17,893 points)
    Dec 27, 2014 7:15 AM in response to augratin

    Well done! I never would have thought that would be the factor that "broke" things, if you will, and I agree that it doesn't seem logical.

     

    Good to hear you got things sorted, though!

     

    ~Lyssa

  • by Craiggles,

    Craiggles Craiggles Feb 26, 2015 10:35 AM in response to augratin
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 26, 2015 10:35 AM in response to augratin

    I came to this thread hoping to find an answer, but the solution above doesn't work for me, as my cellular plan is controlled by my company and I can't turn on Personal Hotspot.  However, I was able to get my iPhone Keynote to control my iPad Keynote presentation. 

     

    Open the presentation on your iPad.  Go to the tools (wrench icon).  Go to Presentation tools, then Allow Remote Control.  Toggle Enable Remotes.  Now, from the iPhone, open Keynote and hit the remote button from the home screen.  It will now try to connect to the iPad.  On the iPad, you'll see a device appear under the Enable Remotes switch.  Click that device to link the iPhone, and confirm the code to make sure you're not accidentally connecting to other iPhones that are trying to link to iPads within 30 feet of you.  Ta da.

     

    What I found was that when you linked via wifi, it wouldn't automatically switch to Bluetooth in the absence of both devices on the same network.  So turn off wifi, do the same thing as above for a Bluetooth connection.  If you're previosly connected via wifi, unlink and start over.

     

    There was no need for the devices to see each other via Bluetooth pairing.

     

    Hope this helps.

  • by augratin,

    augratin augratin Feb 26, 2015 10:53 PM in response to Craiggles
    Level 1 (10 points)
    iCloud
    Feb 26, 2015 10:53 PM in response to Craiggles

    You're saying that your iphone can control a keynote presentation on the ipad without being linked to it over some kind of network (either wifi hotspot or BT link)?  How can be possible if they don't have some sort of communication link between them?

  • by Craiggles,

    Craiggles Craiggles Feb 27, 2015 2:34 AM in response to augratin
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 27, 2015 2:34 AM in response to augratin

    I'm saying that you don't have to pair the devices in the Bluetooth setup screen - the linking occurs when both apps (Keynote on iPad, Keynote on iPhone) are open, with the iPad on the "allow remote control" screen and the iPhone on the "connecting" screen.  I agree with you 100% that this is not intuitive and buried so deep it's almost impossible to find, understand, and implement. 

     

    image.jpg

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