nRF Connect - Only a few devices listed in Android

[StanAmsterdam]

We as a company love the app (nRF Connect) and use it accross a lot of devices to recover stolen goods with BLE.

However, on all my Android devices (modern tablets and phones on different of modern Android versions) the app only shows 3 devices while a lot of other apps show 9 to 16 devices.

How come?! I played with the settings, but whats wrong, or what are we doing wrong?

The iPhones with nRF Connect all work amazingly well and also list loads of BLE devices.  

[Priyanka]

Hi,

the app only shows 3 devices while a lot of other apps show 9 to 16 devices.

Are you referring to the devices in the scanner section?

Could you attach some screenshots?

What changes have you done in the settings?

Do you face the same issue in multiple android devices?

-Priyanka

[StanAmsterdam]

Yes, the scanner mode. Screenshot would show my private bluetooth devices, but only shows 3. Other apps do 9-16 devices at the same time (or later).

I tried reinstalling the app, and of course it started without settings altered. Afterwards, I tried all non-advanced settings.

Yes, I face the issue in all Android devices, new and old, tablets and phones (all Samsung btw).

[Priyanka]

Hi,

I have reported this to the nRF Connect mobile app team and will keep you updated.

-Priyanka

[Aleksander Nowakowski]

Hi,
Did you check the filter? By default it excludes some types of devices, e.g. those by Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft, or those advertisign Exposure Notification Service UUID.

With exclusion filter enabled you should see them crossed out below the "No filter" above the device list.

If that's not the case, it may be because of invalid advertising data. Starting from around Android 12 (?) the system started validating the packet and drops packets that didn't pass, e.g. have some additional 0s at the end, etc.
You may try scanning on a different phone or on Mac.

[StanAmsterdam]

The filter story is right but also not ok:

It says 'NO Filter' (by default) so I was assuming that, but when opening it, you see indeed that lots of devices ARE filtered (by default). Bad design, but my problem is fixed, in a strange way.

[Aleksander Nowakowski]

Below "No filter" there are crossed out types of excluded devices. 
Most of the time users work with "their" devices and advertising Windows PCs or iPhones just add noise and make finding them more difficult.