Multiple Bluetooth Devices

[daBee]

Hi folks.

I have multiple Bluetooth receivers for various things...my car, living room stereo, etc. They are the same make & model, and I need to decipher which ones are which.

Is there a way to do this? Can I mark them based on MAC address, if I can indeed find it?

Cheers

 

[MacInWin]

Mark them where? Do you mean to ask if a Mac can differentiate BT devices?

 

[Rod]

I'm assuming you are talking about BT connections to an iPhone/iPad. I have never had more than one identical BT device and you mention, "my car, living room stereo, etc" which surely could not be the same make and model device.
I have about 10 BT devices all clearly different eg. Bose Colour SoundLink, Car Audio, MBOX4, and some that are just a serial number like SC-PMX82. In iOS 14.3 you can also marl what type these devices are like, Car Stereo, Speaker, Headphones, Hearing Aid and Other in the information tab (Little green circle with "I" in it) but beyond that I can see no other way of identifying or customising their title. My guess is that if I had two Bose Colour SoundLinks there would be something to distinguish each one like a number eg Bose Colour SoundLink (2)

 

[daBee]

Two systems with two input sources. But I found you could rename them in the Preferences panel.

Any chance you know why they ask what kind of device they are? Is there a different treatment to the outgoing signal?

So ya I've properly named and labelled every receiver. I think in the recent past I couldn't do this.

 

[Slydude]

In IOS 14.5, and perhaps earlier versions of IOS 14, IOS devices can be configured to track how much time e one spends listening to audio via headphones. The goal is to limit exposure to potentially harmful audio levels. Here's one summary Headphone notifications on your iPhone, iPod touch, or Apple Watch

 

[daBee]

In IOS 14.5, and perhaps earlier versions of IOS 14, IOS devices can be configured to track how much time e one spends listening to audio via headphones. The goal is to limit exposure to potentially harmful audio levels. Here's one summary Headphone notifications on your iPhone, iPod touch, or Apple Watch

Completely irrelevant to the question. Second, a (another) shortfall by Apple, it doesn't take into consideration that Bluetooth might drive other unit than headphones directly.

 

[MacInWin]

Completely irrelevant to the question. Second, a (another) shortfall by Apple, it doesn't take into consideration that Bluetooth might drive other unit than headphones directly.

Nonsense. The limitation applies to headphones, and Apple even gives you the opportunity to classify each device as one of a series of categories. And you can turn the whole notification process off as well.

 

[daBee]

My question was how to decipher between targeted devices as they are named stock model names from the manufacturer. Telling me that the OS can tell me time of use and signal strength has nothing to do with that. I've been getting a warning of high volume when my bluetooth signal is going to non-headphones. None of this has to do with my question.

 

[MacInWin]

OK, we'll try pictures. Here is a screenshot of my BT setting on my iPhone.

As you can see, my devices have names, where I have given them names. I don't see any reason to name the Bose BT speakers with any other name because I only have one. But my Apple Watch and AirPods have my name. Some devices can be renamed, some cannot. I rename my connections with the BT settings on a Mac, not on the iPhone. Open the BT settings in System Preferences, right click on the various devices identified and if they can be renamed, there will be an option to do so.

My question was how to decipher between targeted devices as they are named stock model names from the manufacturer.

For that question, try this. Turn one off completely. Connect to the other one. Look at the BT settings. The one that is powered on is the one shown connected. Rename it if it can be. If you want, repeat with the other one. If they cannot be renamed, it is not Apple, but the other vendor that has not implemented that option in their BT interface. Here is one of the articles at Apple about renaming, for example, AirPods: Change the name of your AirPods and other settings on iPhone

As for what signals are used, the various devices negotiate what BT services they support/use with the iPhone on connection.

Finally, again, if the notifications bother you, turn them off. Apple only provides them to protect your hearing somewhat. If you don't want that, you don't have to get ANY notification for that at all.

 

[daBee]

OK, let's use pictures. See if you can read the text in this picture:

 

[MacInWin]

You said:

Telling me that the OS can tell me time of use and signal strength has nothing to do with that.

I added the emphasis because the notification has nothing to do with reporting signal strength. It warns of excessive time listening with the sound settings above a volume limit. Not signal strength, volume. As I said, Apple is offering these notifications for YOUR hearing. If you don't care, turn them off.

Second, a (another) shortfall by Apple, it doesn't take into consideration that Bluetooth might drive other unit than headphones directly.

Nonsense. If you have your BT connected to a mouse, you won't get noise level notifications. Only if you have the volume high on a device using the BT for sound will you get the notification. But if you leave it on, you will get a notification of possible hearing issues for ALL sound devices. BT knows what type of devices are connected. They negotiate that protocol when they connect. So, for example, I get the notification when my AirPods (or any other ear buds) are connected, but not when I am connected to my cars (the volume is not coming from the iPhone, it's coming from the car, so the iPhone doesn't know the volume I have set, so no warnings).

Does that help?

 

[daBee]

Why would you even bring them up? Notifying me of hearing and volume/signal settings has absolutely nothing to do with what I asked. What do notifications about MY hearing, or ANYBODY's hearing, have to do with labelling bluetooth devices?

As for notifications, I DO get notifications on my car stereo BT settings. My stereo has its own volume setting. My BT speaker isn't taped to my head. If it negotiates the connection and knows what device it is, then why is my BT settings on my iPhone asking what kind it is?

In all this, you're asking me if this helps. No. Knowing that I can rename devices, yes.

 

[MacInWin]

If it negotiates the connection and knows what device it is, then why is my BT settings on my iPhone asking what kind it is?

There are multiple protocols in the BT connection. At connection, the systems negotiate what protocol to use. From the wikipedia article here: Bluetooth - Wikipedia
it says, in part:

Bluetooth devices can advertise all of the services they provide.

It lists those services:

The Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) allows a device to discover services offered by other devices, and their associated parameters. For example, when you use a mobile phone with a Bluetooth headset, the phone uses SDP to determine which Bluetooth profiles the headset can use (Headset Profile, Hands Free Profile (HFP), Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) etc.) and the protocol multiplexer settings needed for the phone to connect to the headset using each of them. Each service is identified by a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID), with official services (Bluetooth profiles) assigned a short form UUID (16 bits rather than the full 128).

By asking what the device is, Apple may be starting with that to do the negotiation/connection faster. I don't bother setting up what I think it is, I let the protocol negotiate the service. And I don't remember being asked what kind my devices are. It's just in the settings. All I have done is put the device in discovery mode and let the iPhone find it and negotiate the connection. Don't make it complicated.

 

[daBee]

1. Read the original question.

2. The negotiation you speak off has gotten it wrong in every instance I've used it. So it's as complicated as it's demonstrated.

 

[MacInWin]

2. The negotiation you speak off has gotten it wrong in every instance I've used it. So it's as complicated as it's demonstrated.

Really? Every time? So you connect your ear buds and BT thinks it is a mouse? Or your car is a trackpad? IF that's true, something is seriously wrong in the BT installation on your iPhone.

 

[daBee]

You have trouble reading. If you still have questions, go back and read what I've submitted.

 

[MacInWin]

I'm done.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

And with that, we're done.