Android USB OOB feature available?

[Matthew K]

Hi guys. I want to evaluate nRF52840's OOB feature with an Android OS 12 device.

Instead of using NFC, can the nRF52840 send the OOB data (confirm value, random value, nRF52 address) to the Android device via USB to do OOB SC bonding?

I'm planning to create a custom BLE Android app and I wish this app can do this USB OOB bonding with the nRF52840.

[Aleksander Nowakowski]

Hello,

Bonding is handled by Android OS. As far as I know only NFC OOB data are supported. To my best knowledge, it is not possible to pass any OOB data from an app to the OS to perform bonding.

[Aleksander Nowakowski]

You may try using this method: https://cs.android.com/android/platform/superproject/+/master:packages/modules/Bluetooth/framework/java/android/bluetooth/BluetoothDevice.java;l=1761;bpv=0;bpt=1

It requires reflection, but should be accessible.

[Matthew K]

Thanks Aleksander. I searched in Stack Overflow that this "reflection" solution is blocked starting from Android 9 & above.
I tested with old Android and new devices and this was true.

Was Nordic able to find other workarounds with newer Android 9 & above devices for doing what I want to do?

[Aleksander Nowakowski]

Hi,

Some hidden methods are added to a greylist, which just prints a warning, but should work. For example, we're clearing the GATT cache or removing bond information this way, and it works.

We don't have any workaround for that. Also, I can't guarantee that the methods, even if reflections would work, will work.