In today's interconnected world, where smart devices have become an integral part of our daily lives, the ability to communicate with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) enabled devices opens up a myriad of possibilities for innovative applications. In this blog, we will explore the exciting realm of communicating with BLE-enabled devices using React Native, a popular cross-platform framework for mobile app development. Whether you're a seasoned React Native developer or just starting your journey, this blog will equip you with the knowledge and skills to establish seamless communication with BLE devices, enabling you to create powerful and engaging user experiences. So, let's dive in and unlock the potential of BLE communication in the world of React Native!

BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is a wireless communication technology designed for low-power consumption and short-range connectivity. It allows devices to exchange data and communicate efficiently while consuming minimal energy. BLE has gained popularity in various industries, from healthcare and fitness to home automation and IoT applications. It enables seamless connectivity between devices, allowing for the development of innovative solutions. With its low energy requirements, BLE is ideal for battery-powered devices like wearables and sensors. It offers simplified pairing, efficient data transfer, and supports various profiles for specific use cases. BLE has revolutionized the way devices interact, enabling a wide range of connected experiences in our daily lives.

Here is a comprehensive overview of how mobile applications establish connections and facilitate communication with BLE devices.

What will we be using?

CODE: https://gist.github.com/velotiotech/357d1755b16f0455ada74a2ab4f1ca02.js

Note: We are assuming you already have the React Native development environment set up on your system; if not, please refer to the React Native guide for instructions on setting up the RN development environment.

What are we building?

Together, we will construct a sample mobile application that showcases the integration of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology. This app will search for nearby BLE devices, establish connections with them, and facilitate seamless message exchanges between the mobile application and the chosen BLE device. By embarking on this project, you will gain practical experience in building an application that leverages BLE capabilities for effective communication. Let's commence this exciting journey of mobile app development and BLE connectivity!

Setup

Before setting up the react-native-ble manager, let's start by creating a React Native application using the React Native CLI. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Ensure that you have Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) installed on your system.

Step 2: Open your command prompt or terminal and navigate to the directory where you want to create your React Native project.

Step 3: Run the following command to create a new React Native project:

CODE: https://gist.github.com/velotiotech/36e1f621b6b6b93ae38b635e5bf65851.js

Step 4: Wait for the project setup to complete. This might take a few minutes as it downloads the necessary dependencies.

Step 5: Once the setup is finished, navigate into the project directory:

CODE: https://gist.github.com/velotiotech/5ee8906145ce12d7ebdf0e3598fccb07.js

Step 6: Congratulations! You have successfully created a new React Native application using the React Native CLI.

Now you are ready to set up the react-native-ble manager and integrate it into your React Native project.

Installing react-native-ble-manager

CODE: https://gist.github.com/velotiotech/243674292ca58238aa0494b2ea819ea7.js

In order to enable Android applications to utilize Bluetooth and location services for detecting and communicating with BLE devices, it is essential to incorporate the necessary permissions within the Android platform.

Add these permissions in the AndroidManifest.xml file in android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml

Integration

At this stage, having successfully created a new React Native application, installed the react-native-ble-manager, and configured it to function seamlessly on Android, it's time to proceed with integrating the react-native-ble-manager into your React Native application. Let's dive into the integration process to harness the power of BLE functionality within your app.

BleConnectionManager

To ensure that our application can access the BLE connection state and facilitate communication with the BLE device, we will implement BLE connection management in the global state. This will allow us to make the connection management accessible throughout the entire codebase. To achieve this, we will create a ContextProvider called "BleConnectionContextProvider." By encapsulating the BLE connection logic within this provider, we can easily share and access the connection state and related functions across different components within the application. This approach will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of managing BLE connections. Let's proceed with implementing the BleConnectionContextProvider to empower our application with seamless BLE communication capabilities.

This context provider will possess the capability to access and manage the current BLE state, providing a centralized hub for interacting with the BLE device. It will serve as the gateway to establish connections, send and receive data, and handle various BLE-related functionalities. By encapsulating the BLE logic within this context provider, we can ensure that all components within the application have access to the BLE device and the ability to communicate with it. This approach simplifies the integration process and facilitates efficient management of the BLE connection and communication throughout the entire application.

Let's proceed with creating a context provider equipped with essential state management functionalities. This context provider will effectively handle the connection and scanning states, maintain the BLE object, and manage the list of peripherals (BLE devices) discovered during the application's scanning process. By implementing this context provider, we will establish a robust foundation for seamlessly managing BLE connectivity and communication within the application.

NOTE: Although not essential for the example at hand, implementing global management of the BLE connection state allows us to demonstrate its universal management capabilities.

CODE: https://gist.github.com/velotiotech/66588ae3021abf65bfac6a8d2dfa0838.js

Prior to integrating the BLE-related components, it is crucial to ensure that the mobile app verifies whether the:

1. Location permissions are granted and enabled
2. Mobile device’s Bluetooth is enabled

To accomplish this, we will implement a small method called requestPermissions that grants all the necessary permissions to the user. We will then call this method as soon as our context provider initializes within the useEffect hook in the BleConnectionContextProvider. Doing so ensures that the required permissions are obtained by the mobile app before proceeding with the integration of BLE functionalities.

CODE: https://gist.github.com/velotiotech/b069f61c421de87880e6d9e12993f1ce.js

After granting all the required permissions and enabling Bluetooth, the next step is to start the BleManager. To accomplish this, please add the following line of code after the enableBle command in the aforementioned useEffect:

CODE: https://gist.github.com/velotiotech/35aaa63e0957682d0933df5f303cdc69.js

By including this code snippet, the BleManager will be initialized, facilitating the smooth integration of BLE functionality within your application.

Now that we have obtained the necessary permissions, enabled Bluetooth, and initiated the Bluetooth manager, we can proceed with implementing the functionality to scan and detect BLE peripherals. 

We will now incorporate the code that enables scanning for BLE peripherals. This will allow us to discover and identify nearby BLE devices. Let's dive into the implementation of this crucial step in our application's BLE integration process.

To facilitate scanning and stopping the scanning process for BLE devices, as well as handle various events related to the discovered peripherals, scan stop, and BLE disconnection, we will create a method along with the necessary event listeners.

In addition, state management is essential to effectively handle the connection and scanning states, as well as maintain the list of scanned devices. To accomplish this, let's incorporate the following code into the BleConnectionConextProvider. This will ensure seamless management of the aforementioned states and facilitate efficient tracking of scanned devices.

Let's proceed with implementing these functionalities to ensure smooth scanning and handling of BLE devices within our application.

CODE: https://gist.github.com/velotiotech/a9f89986d1947f8b7b51d8ba2508b8c5.js

NOTE: It is important to note the properties of the BLE device we intend to search for and connect to, namely BLE_NAME, BLE_SERVICE_ID, BLE_READ_CHAR_ID, and BLE_WRITE_CHAR_ID. Familiarizing yourself with these properties beforehand is crucial, as they enable you to restrict the search to specific BLE devices and facilitate connection to the desired BLE service and characteristics for reading and writing data. Being aware of these properties will greatly assist you in effectively working with BLE functionality.

For instance, take a look at the handleDiscoverPeripheral method. In this method, we filter the discovered peripherals based on their device name, matching it with the predefined BLE_NAME we mentioned earlier. As a result, this approach allows us to obtain a list of devices that specifically match the given name, narrowing down the search to the desired devices only. 

Additionally, you have the option to scan peripherals using the service IDs of the Bluetooth devices. This means you can specify specific service IDs to filter the discovered peripherals during the scanning process. By doing so, you can focus the scanning on Bluetooth devices that provide the desired services, enabling more targeted and efficient scanning operations.

Excellent! We now have all the necessary components in place for scanning and connecting to the desired BLE device. Let's proceed by adding the user interface (UI) elements that will allow users to initiate the scan, display the list of scanned devices, and enable connection to the selected device. By implementing these UI components, we will create a seamless user experience for scanning, device listing, and connection within our application.

Discovering and Establishing Connections with BLE Devices

Let’s create a new UI component/Page that will handle scanning, listing, and connecting to the BLE device. This page will have:

• A Scan button to call the scan function
• A simple FlatList to list the selected BLE devices and
• A method to connect to the selected BLE device when the user clicks on any BLE item row from the list

Create HomeScreen.tsx in the src folder and add the following code: 

CODE: https://gist.github.com/velotiotech/6c88d3213d7e8f8d3d2bea8cc2d1f235.js

Now, open App.tsx and replace the complete code with the following changes: 
In App.tsx, we removed the default boilerplate code, react-native cli generated while creating the project with our own code, where we added the BleContextProvider and HomeScreen to the app.

CODE: https://gist.github.com/velotiotech/7df32cdbf3fff56b54ea133dd740db13.js

Running the application on an Android device: Upon launching the app, you will be presented with an empty list message accompanied by a scan button. Simply tap the scan button to retrieve a list of available BLE peripherals within the range of your mobile device. By selecting a specific BLE device from the list, you can establish a connection with it.

Awesome! Now we are able to scan, detect, and connect to the BLE devices, but there is more to it than just connecting to the BLE devices. We can write to and read the required information from BLE devices, and based on that information, mobile applications OR backend services can perform several other operations.

For example, if you are wearing and connected to a BLE device that monitors your blood pressure every one hour, and if it goes beyond the threshold, it can trigger a call to a doctor or family members to check and take precautionary measures as soon as possible.

Communicating with BLE devices

For seamless communication with a BLE device, the mobile app must possess precise knowledge of the services and characteristics associated with the device. A BLE device typically presents multiple services, each comprising various distinct characteristics. These services and characteristics can be collaboratively defined and shared by the team responsible for manufacturing the BLE device.

In BLE communication, comprehending the characteristics and their properties is crucial, as they serve distinct purposes. Certain characteristics facilitate writing data to the BLE device, while others enable reading data from it. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of these characteristics and their properties is vital for effectively interacting with the BLE device and ensuring seamless communication.

Reading data from BLE device when BLE sends data

Once the mobile app successfully establishes a connection with the BLE device, it initiates the retrieval of available services. It activates the listener to begin receiving notifications from the BLE device. This process takes place within the callback of the "connect BLE" method, ensuring that the app seamlessly retrieves the necessary information and starts listening for important updates from the connected BLE device.

CODE: https://gist.github.com/velotiotech/aeae839d1d84c159e92df0b5178c2500.js

Consequently, the application will promptly receive notifications whenever the BLE device writes data to the designated characteristic within the specified service.

Reading and writing data to BLE from a mobile device

To establish communication between the mobile app and the BLE device, we will implement new methods within BleContextProvider. These methods will facilitate the reading and writing of data to the BLE device. By exposing these methods in BleContextProvider's reducer, we ensure that the app has a reliable means of interacting with the BLE device and can seamlessly exchange information as required.

CODE: https://gist.github.com/velotiotech/dfb54c83545af935c9e369aa5abeb0d2.js

NOTE: Before a write, read, or start notification, you need to call retrieveServices method every single time.

Disconnecting BLE connection

Once you are done with the BLE services, you can disconnect the BLE connection using the disconnectBLE method provided in the library.

CODE: https://gist.github.com/velotiotech/66588ae3021abf65bfac6a8d2dfa0838.js

Additionally, the React Native BLE Manager library offers various other methods that can enhance the application's functionality. These include the createBond method, which facilitates the pairing of the BLE device with the mobile app, the stopNotification method, which ceases receiving notifications from the device, and the readRSSI method, which retrieves the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the device. For a more comprehensive understanding of the library and its capabilities, I recommend exploring further details on the React Native BLE Manager library documentation here: https://www.npmjs.com/package/react-native-ble-manager

Conclusion

We delved into the fascinating world of communicating with BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) using the React Native BLE Manager library. Then we explored the power of BLE technology and how it can be seamlessly integrated into React Native applications to enable efficient and low-power communication between devices.

Using the React Native BLE Manager library, we explored essential functionalities such as scanning for nearby BLE devices, establishing connections, discovering services and characteristics, and exchanging data. We also divided into more advanced features like managing connections and handling notifications for a seamless user experience.

It's important to remember that BLE technology is continually evolving, and there may be additional libraries and frameworks available for BLE communication in the React Native ecosystem. As you progress on your journey, I encourage you to explore other resources, keep up with the latest advancements, and stay connected with the vibrant community of developers working with BLE and React Native.

I hope this blog post has inspired you to explore the immense potential of BLE communication in your React Native applications. By harnessing the power of BLE, you can create innovative, connected experiences that enhance the lives of your users and open doors to new possibilities.

Thank you for taking the time to read through this blog!