Bluetooth Simple-Secure-Paring (SSP) in iOS

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Level 1

8 points

Bluetooth Simple-Secure-Paring (SSP) in iOS

Hi,

We have a debate in my team about to what extent iOS supports Bluetooth Simple-Secure-Pairing using NFC. I have tried to find the answer in network resources, but failed. Our experience is mainly from Android, where NFC touch to wakw-up/connect/pair is fully implemented. For iOS we have experience that it is possible to wake up a device with a passive NFC tag, touching it with your iPhone, but then the opinions differ about:

* From which iPhone model and iOS version the wake-up is possible

* If it is only wake-up that is possibel or indeed if an iPhone can for instance read out the BD adress from the NFC chip.

Anyone know some references that can clarify this?

Best regards

Anders Svensson

Posted on Jul 7, 2016 2:46 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 5, 2017 8:29 AM in response to veletron

From what I can see, that App is using basic BT pairing, nothing novel or different than any other BT device. There is no mention anywhere on the developers web site of NFC for their iOS version, and in iOS currently (including 10.3.3) NFC is solely restricted to card readers for ApplePay.

Yes, there have been news reports that Apple may be opening up NFC with iOS 11, particlularly for Health Apps, but iOS 11 is still in beta.

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Answer 2

veletron

Level 1

4 points

Sep 5, 2017 6:43 AM in response to Michael Black

Hi

Sorry to resurrect this question, but if NFC bluetooth pairing is not supported in iOS, then I am wondering how this device is working:

https://support.getqardio.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000255849-Pairing-QardioCore

(note the video)

Its Bluetooth LE, and appears to work via tap-to-pair NFC. I don't believe there is any proprietary Apple hardware in it such as MFi or W1.

NB: The docs for the new iOS 11 indicate that access to the NFC reader will be opened up to developers for reading info off tags - its also used in HomeKit in iOS11 to facilitate pairing with home-automation devices (QR Code pairing is also added)

Nigel

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Answer 3

Jul 7, 2016 4:00 AM in response to asvensson

There is this - https://developer.apple.com/hardwaredrivers/BluetoothDesignGuidelines.pdf if it helps.

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Answer 4

asvensson Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 7, 2016 6:25 AM in response to Michael Black

Thanks Michael,

However I can't find any details about Bluetooth SSP.

BR

Anders

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Answer 5

Jul 7, 2016 8:19 AM in response to asvensson

Page 9 of that document has mention of it.

"2.1.5 Secure Simple Pairing

Every accessory that is compatible with an Apple product shall:

Use Secure Simple Pairing.
Use the Numerical Comparison method if it has a display and input device supporting it.

Secure Simple Pairing greatly increases security and is a mandatory security feature introduced in the Bluetooth 2.1 specification. To protect against a man-in-the-middle attack, the Numerical Comparison association model should be used whenever feasible. See Volume 1, Section 5.4 in the Bluetooth Core Specification , Version 2.1 + EDR."

That document, or that version of it, is a few years old now. I imagine if you have access to the developers web portal you can find more up to date information (e.g. updated for BT 4.0)

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Answer 6

Jul 7, 2016 8:30 AM in response to asvensson

A quick P.S. iOS 8.2 added support for BT 4.2 and BLE pairing, on those devices with BT 4 hardware, which would be iPhone 4s and newer models, and 3rd gen or newer iPads (including the mini's).

As far as the NFC system in iPhones, iOS restricts their use to ApplePay only - no other interactions are allowed or processed by iOS, and no 3rd party app is even granted access to the NFC system.

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Answer 7

asvensson Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 7, 2016 8:47 AM in response to Michael Black

Hello Michael,

Sorry for not scanning the first document you provided carefully enough.

...and thanks for the PS, which confirms what I thought, i.e. that there is no way a passive NFC TAG could be read by an iPhone to get for instance a BD adress from the other device.

BR

Anders

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Answer 8

Jul 7, 2016 8:59 AM in response to asvensson

Yes, for now the near field comm. system is a completely closed system in any Apple iOS device, restricted to Apple's own ApplePay only. I believe that was part of the selling point to get banks and other credit card issuers on-board with the ApplePay program.

Whether or not that ever changes is not known, and won't be until or unless Apple decides to open it up and announces it to developers.

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