Troubleshooting the Bluetooth can seem difficult to clinicians trying to give the patients care and finding themselves in a BLE “what’s going wrong” scenario. This page aims to give care teams tools to rule out user error when a device pairing or syncing issue is reported.
Smartphone Compatibility and Connectivity
Update the smartphone: Does your smartphone need to be updated? Validic SDK supports a variety of Operating Systems (OS) as noted here.
If yes, check with your phone's owner manual or service provider to update the current Operating System (OS).
Update the app: Is the mobile application you're attempting to use on the latest version? You should always use the latest version of the app to get all of the new features and bug fixes.
If yes, then for iOS, use the instructions provided by Apple on this page. For Android, search the internet for this phrase,
<the phone manufacturer> <the phone model> update app"sand follow the instructions in the suggestions offered to you. For best results, insert the phone type and model you are searching into the elements with < and > around them. This will tell the search engine to narrow the search field to just those devices.
Check your connections: Do you have reliable Wifi or cell service in your home?
Is your mobile device connected to Wifi?
Do you have internet or phone service in the location you will most often use your device?
If you will be using phone service to transmit readings have you enabled the app to use cellular data? If you are unsure how to do this Apple support offers instructions here. For Android google
<phone manufacturer> <phone model> permit app to use cellular data.
Trouble Pairing the Device?
Make sure the device you are trying to pair with is close to each other.
Make sure the device you are trying to pair with is charged or has fresh batteries.
Make sure that Bluetooth is enabled on the phone.
On IOS open Settings < Bluetooth < Toggle the option to on
For Android, the instructions can vary depending on what Android phone you are using. Google the following to find the answer for your phone.
<Phone Manufacturer> <Phone model> enable Bluetooth
Is the device you are trying to pair connected by Bluetooth to another phone? If so, then you will need to open up the Bluetooth settings on the other phone and forget the Bluetooth connection on that phone.
On IOS open Settings < Bluetooth < Click on the information icon to the right of the device name < Select Forget this Device
For Android, the instructions can vary depending on what Android phone you are using. Google the following to find the answer for your phone.
<Phone Manufacturer> <Phone model> how to forget a Bluetooth device
Only pair your device to the Validic SDK-enabled app. Do NOT pair it to the device manufacturer’s app. In fact, remove the device manufacturer app from your phone to remove the temptation.
Bluetooth only allows one BLE connection at a time, and trying to pair the peripheral with the vendor app and the Validic SDK-enabled app can cause a steel cage match between apps. There is enough violence in the world. Let the Validic SDK-enabled app work alone to avoid dropped data and pairing issues.
If issues pairing the device to the Validic SDK-enabled app is encountered, taking the batteries out of the device, waiting a few minutes, and then adding them again is a useful troubleshooting step. This is a hard reset on the device. Attempt pairing with the device after this step is taken.
Turn the phone off, wait long enough for the phone to completely close, wait a few more seconds, and reboot the phone. Sometimes just restarting a phone will help to resolve some issues with Bluetooth connectivity.
Deleting the Validic SDK-enabled app, adding it to your phone again, and logging in with the previous user is suggested if you have made it this far without resolution. This will ensure the app is updated if that step is skipped and sometimes working with a fresh slate can resolve issues.
If you are still having issues pairing after taking these steps, then take a breath, and reach out to the escalation path suggested by your organization for Bluetooth connectivity resolution. See this section for more information on what to share.
Not seeing readings coming through in the app?
Make sure the Validic SDK-enabled app is always in the foreground or background on the phone and that it has not been “swiped” closed. A closed app will collect and transmit no data. Background transmission of data is possible with the Validic SDK if that element of the SDK package is enabled by the organization using the Validic SDK.
Make sure the device is close to the phone or tablet. Bluetooth has a range of about 30ft/10m, but this can also be affected by thick walls and other electronics. It is best to keep the phone right next to the device.
Some devices have limited amounts of time they can broadcast readings. Refer to the manual for the device you are using to ensure that it is broadcasting while the app is open and listening.
Make sure that Bluetooth pairing is always enabled on the phone.
Have the phone set to allow data to be transmitted when on a cellular connection, not just Wifi. If you are unsure how to do this Apple support offers instructions here. For Android google
<phone manufacturer> <phone model> permit app to use cellular data.Recently a clinician noted that she uses the troubleshooting step of asking the patient to close the Validic SDK-enabled app completely on their phone by swiping it away and then asking them to open the Validic SDK-enabled app back up. She said that often resolves issues and results in past readings loading in the app.
If none of the above suggestions resolved your issue, unpair the device with the Validic SDK-enabled app and then repair the device with the Validic SDK-enabled app. Test again at that point.
Deleting the Validic SDK-enabled app, adding it to your phone again, and logging in with the previous user as noted in the second bullet point is a good troubleshooting step.
If you are still having issues pairing after taking these steps, then take a breath, and reach out to the escalation path suggested by your organization for Bluetooth connectivity resolution. See this section for more information on what to share.
I worked through all the steps and the user is still having issues
It may be time to follow the escalation path suggested by your organization for Bluetooth connectivity resolution. Supply the following information in your escalation to ensure the person working on the escalation has all the needed information.
Validic ID or UID of the affected user. Validic ID is the unique identifier on the Validic side and UID is the unique identifier on the client’s side used to provision the user in the Validic system.
Phone manufacturer, model, and OS used by the end user.
Device manufacturer, model, and picture of the back of the device where details of the device are located.
Full description of the troubleshooting steps taken and the issue the end user is encountering.
If possible, a video of the user interacting with both the device taking the readings and the Validic SDK-enabled app can be extremely helpful in understanding how the user is utilizing the two devices. This can help to identify workflow problems.