What it means
Bluetooth Low Energy is the low-power mode of Bluetooth that lets a device broadcast small packets of information continuously for months or years on a tiny battery.
BLE is what makes finding things possible. A device in this mode advertises its presence at regular intervals whether or not anything is connected to it, and any phone in range can listen.
It is distinct from Bluetooth Classic, the older mode used for audio streaming. Many devices support both: a pair of headphones streams audio over Classic while advertising over BLE.
Because advertising is open by design, no pairing is needed to see a device. That is a feature, not a security hole, the advertisement contains only what the manufacturer chose to publish.
Related terms
The other pieces of Bluetooth vocabulary that change how you search.
- Advertising interval: How often a device broadcasts
- MAC randomisation: Rotating Bluetooth identifiers
- UWB: Ultra-wideband
- Transmit power: How loudly a device broadcasts
- Attenuation: What blocks a Bluetooth signal
- Save the devices you care about, My Devices tab
- How to find a lost Nintendo Switch or Joy-Con, About 20 hours on a Joy-Con
- Full glossary, the complete list
Common questions
Is BLE the same as Bluetooth?
It is one mode of it. Bluetooth Low Energy handles small, infrequent data at very low power. Bluetooth Classic handles continuous streams like audio.
Can any app see BLE devices?
Yes, with Bluetooth permission. Advertisements are public broadcasts, which is exactly how your phone discovers accessories in the first place.
In the app: The scan shows this value live for every device around you. Read about Bluetooth Scanner.