Android version 9 cannot find my device

[Jenzo]

I am using  nRF52832 on my device. I have used SDK13 and softdevice 4.0.5.

On any iOS devices I can scan and connect in the nRFConnect app.

On an older Samsung Galaxy S5 running Android version 5, I can find my device during scan and I connect with the nRFConnect app.

However on a Samsung A20 with Android version 9, I cannot find my device in the nRFConnect app. I have turned on location service and given other necessary permissions, but my device is not being scanned!?!

I am running the latest versions of the nRFConnect app.

What could be the issue?

[Ivan Herrera]

When you open the nRFConnect app, press the top left drawer button and click on "Device information", does it indicate that you have support for most of the features with a green YES? 

[Jenzo]

yes

[Jenzo]

Hi Aleksander,

your advice did not help at all, unfortunately. Does any of your other customers have any other similar issues?

Regards
Jens

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi Jens, 

Sorry for the delay. 

There is a bug with the phone. Maybe some issues with the phone not supporting CSA #2 (?) You should make sure that the phone is updated with the latest software updates from Samsung. (https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00077582/)

-Amanda H.

[Jenzo]

Hi Amanda,

Thank you for writing about the bug. I hope you are right about it. I did follow your link and updated the software but no changes. Where did you read about the bug about this particular Samsung model A20e?

Regards
Jens

[Jenzo]

Hi Amanda, could you please reply!

Thank you in advance.

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi Jens, 

Sorry for the delay.

There is an issue on Android 10, where users have to manually go into app settings and disable and enable location permissions for it to work. You might have to do it a couple of times to get the apps working. This was an issue that popped right after users upgraded their devices to Android 10.

What we believe is that the Android 10 upgrade did not restore the permissions granted to the apps properly. We faced the same issue and the above fix is what we had to do. (As Aleksander Nowakowski's solution)

We think the Samsung model A20e might have the same situation. 

Please see this post and this post. 

-Amanda H.

[Jenzo]

Hi Amanda,

nothing of this works. It seriously hurts our sales to customers with Samsung phones. We just had a customer with a Samsung A40 who had to return our product, because it could not connect!!!!

What is the problem?

Regards
Jens

[Ivan Herrera]

Have you had a look at this thread Jenzo?

https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/57079/samsung-phone-doesn-t-allow-some-beacons/

Maybe adding some information there might help the Nordic team figuring out what's happening?

[Jenzo]

Hi Ivan,

I have read through the ticket and tried to change the clock to the following:

#define NRF_CLOCK_LFCLKSRC {.source = NRF_CLOCK_LF_SRC_RC, \
.rc_ctiv = 16, \
.rc_temp_ctiv = 2, \
.xtal_accuracy = 1}

But it doesn't work.

Any other clue to the problem?

What other information do you need besides the information stated in the entire ticket?

Regards
Jens

[Ivan Herrera]

Just a disclaimer. I'm not a Nordic employee. I just have similar issues and would like to see this resolved as well. If you go to the android Bluetooth settings and go to "Pair new device". Do you see the device popping up there?

[Jenzo]

Hi Ivan,

Yes I can see it in nRFconnect. And when I run my app on a Nordic dev board I can find it in my app, so it must be an antenna or fine tuning problem (let me remind your that when designing our product my antenna design was approved by Nordic staff). But how come Samsung is developing smart phones with Bluetooth modules that vary so much in quality? Naturally all Apple products work and the higher quality Samsungs like the S10 works perfect with my product, but the A40 and A20 simply doesn't work!

Just wondering if I could fix it with some settings in the softdevice.

Bluetooth is a standard. It should not be allowed to differ from the standard. 

Regards

Jens