iOS 7 Core Bluetooth Peripheral running in background

Question

What I want is for my iOS device to be advertising a Bluetooth LE service all the time, even when the app isn\'t running, so that I can have another iOS device scan for it and f

Answer 1

The implementation can be founded here: https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/NetworkingInternetWeb/Conceptual/CoreBluetooth_concepts/PerformingCommonPeripheralRoleTasks/PerformingCommonPeripheralRoleTasks.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40013257-CH4-SW5

Its very simply actually.

@property (strong, nonatomic) CBPeripheralManager *peripheralManager;

...

- (NSDictionary*) advertiseNotBeacon {
    CBUUID *myCustomServiceUUID = [CBUUID UUIDWithString:@"MY_UUID"];

    CBMutableCharacteristic *myCharacteristic = [[CBMutableCharacteristic alloc] initWithType:myCustomServiceUUID
                                                                                   properties:CBCharacteristicPropertyRead | CBCharacteristicPropertyNotify
                                                                                        value:nil permissions:CBAttributePermissionsReadable];

    CBMutableService *myService = [[CBMutableService alloc] initWithType:myCustomServiceUUID primary:YES];
    myService.characteristics = @[myCharacteristic];

    self.peripheralManager.delegate = self;
    [self.peripheralManager addService:myService];

    return @{CBAdvertisementDataServiceUUIDsKey : @[myService.UUID],
             CBAdvertisementDataLocalNameKey: @"MY_NAME"
             };
}

...

[self.peripheralManager startAdvertising:[self advertiseNotBeacon]];

Doing this, you will start advertising a peripheral service.

Now, if you want to keep the service running in background, read the documentation in this link: https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/NetworkingInternetWeb/Conceptual/CoreBluetooth_concepts/CoreBluetoothBackgroundProcessingForIOSApps/PerformingTasksWhileYourAppIsInTheBackground.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40013257-CH7-SW1

Quick steps: Open info.plist Add a new par key/value

Required background modes
      App shares data using CoreBluetooth

Apple says to ctrl + click on any key/value and add a add the following, but exactly the same as explained before.

UIBackgroundModes
      bluetooth-peripheral 

Dont forgot about the limitations of running the service in background:

• The CBCentralManagerScanOptionAllowDuplicatesKey scan option key is ignored, and multiple discoveries of an advertising peripheral are coalesced into a single discovery event. If all apps that are scanning for peripherals are in the background, the interval at which your central device scans for advertising packets increases. As a result, it may take longer to discover an advertising peripheral.
• These changes help minimize radio usage and improve the battery life on your iOS device.