iOS Xcode: Bluetooth LE or not?

[DennisdeWit]

This week I have submitted my first app to the App Store. I spent much time programming in React Native. At first, I started an app in Swift but I found it easier to manage to make an hybrid app for both platforms. Therefore, I didn’t spend a lot of time with Xcode.

My app plays audio streams. Users can click a stream and then listen in-app. I also have the meta data for the control center.

I selected the Bluetooth LE compability because I assumed I would need it as I want my users to be able to use their AirPods or bluetooth car radio system to listen too. I want the meta data to be displayed on the car radio. The app got rejected because of having Bluetooth LE enabled without making code for it.

Now my question: do I actually need Bluetooth LE for this purpose? I tested the app with Bluetooth LE UNCHECKED and it still worked fine on my AirPods. Did I just misunderstood what this capability does?

When I google it, I find sites about scanning other bluetooth devices with Bluetooth LE. I don’t want that. All I want is to listen audio over Bluetooth. I suspect I don’t need the capability then. Anyone who knows this for sure here?

 

[casperes1996]

So if the thing you want to happen is something that's handled by the user through the OS and not through your own code, you don't need that, no.
For example, (I don't know React so this will be with swift-example)
If you use an AVPlayer to play audio, it's up the the user and the OS to route that audio to connected devices, including associated metadata, and you app doesn't need the bluetooth entitlement, even if that device is a bluetooth device, because it's transparent to your code. Your code isn't interacting with the bluetooth chip, iOS is, and iOS is just handing you an audio device to play audio to. Thus you don't need it

 

[DennisdeWit]

That’s great news! Then I would just need to wait a few days until Facebook fixes the ImageView (broken in iOS 13.5) and I can resubmit the app. Because having Bluetooth LE enabled was the solely reason why it was rejected. It indeed is the way as you described it. I use react-native-track-player which just is a wrapper to iOS’ AVPlayer.

I misunderstood what the capability does. Thank you for your help!

 

[casperes1996]

That’s great news! Then I would just need to wait a few days until Facebook fixes the ImageView (broken in iOS 13.5) and I can resubmit the app. Because having Bluetooth LE enabled was the solely reason why it was rejected. It indeed is the way as you described it. I use react-native-track-player which just is a wrapper to iOS’ AVPlayer.

I misunderstood what the capability does. Thank you for your help!

No problem, cheers, mate. Hope your app, and future apps, succeed