Android Bluetooth - Paired vs Connected, what's the difference?

Question

android noob here!

Is there a difference between when two android devices (smartphones) are 'paired' and when they're 'connected'? If so, what is the difference when transferring data from one to the other?

Sawn

Why is this question tagged android? It's generic. You can only exchange data when the devices are connected AND paired. – Hypostatize

Thanks for that, have updated tags – Sawn

Answer 1

Please imagine yourself in such a situation:

You come to car with BT audio system first time.

You are not paired and not connected.

You pair the devices and because you are close to the car you immediately connecting. But when you go to home and you are away from car you are disconnected but paired. When you come close to the car again, you don't need pair, you don't need put pin again to pair the devices

Murky

Thanks for that, nice answer! – Sawn

And what about connecting? means second time when we are near to car it will automatically pair but will it automatically connect also? – Allanson

@Allanson - No.. the opposite. When you are near to car it will automatically connect but only if you ware paired before. – Murky

So pairing actually means remembering/saving the bluetooth device and credentials (pin code). Connection is what you actually need to send/receive data. – Glosseme

Answer 2

Based on comment above: BT communication requires 'pairing' so as to confirm permission to communicate between two devices. I am interpreting this as analogous to creating a user account on a Linux system. If you have an account (devices are paired), then they are eligible to be connected. (Necessary but not sufficient condition)

It is unclear from above whether to be 'connected' means that both BT radios are on, in proximity of one another, and the amount of communication (polling?) that is occurring to be in connected state.

Ferrochromium