Windows 10 Enterprise- New Bluetooth Pairing is requested when logging into Windows even though pairing has already been completed on iPhone.

Question

iPhone With Windows 10 Enterprise Via Bluetooth

Bluetooth pairing is requested when logging into Windows even though pairing has already been completed. After that, even if the pairing is done, pairing will be asked again at the next login to Windows every time when the Windows is restarted.

 Our iOS app acts as a Bluetooth central and the other as a peripheral (Bluetooth Driver on Windows).

when the app is trying to connect using Bluetooth Low Energy (GATT) at step 5 as mentioned below, new pairing is requested from windows every time when the PC is restarted.

 Steps to reproduce the problem:

• S1: log into Windows and connect the app to the Windows computer
• S2: See the paring request on Windows and on iPhone, 
• S3: Pair on both Windows and iPhone
• S4: Turn off the Bluetooth toggle on iPhone and then turn it on
• S5: Restart windows and see the login screen
• S6: Start the app on your iPhone and try to connect, 
• S7: See the paring request on iPhone  

With the above steps, if this issue is not reproducible, try rebooting the iPhone instead of changing the Bluetooth toggle at S4.

 

we also observe the iPhone device is receiving this log from Windows:

default 15:38:27.555377+0530 SpringBoard Received request to activate alertItem: <SBUserNotificationAlert: 0x105916a90; title: Bluetooth Pairing Request; source: bluetoothd; pid: 88>

We observed that looks like the issue reproduces more consistently when the windows restarts or reboots.

 

On the pairing request alert dialogue on iPhone, If I press "cancel", the app disconnects from the peripheral (Windows). If I press "pair", the peripheral nothing happens. However, Windows continues sending me pairing requests whenever the machine is restarted or rebooted.

We did not observe this behaviour with the Android Device. Windows and Android work without any problem (i.e. No new Pairing is requested once the device is paired in any situation).

In the below screenshots, we could see that the iPhone is already paired in Windows Bluetooth Settings but the Paring is requested from Windows on iPhone to pair again and in the background, our app is successfully connected to Windows using Bluetooth Low Energy (GATT).

Environment:

**
Windows details**

Edition             Windows 10 Enterprise
Version            22H2
Installed on    ‎ 5/‎5/‎2021
OS build         19045.2486
Experience      Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.4190.0

iPhone OS -  iOS 15.6.1 and 16.1.1

 

1. Is this a known bug with Windows 10 Enterprise?
2. Is there any way to get around this issue?

 Sample Code to reproduce the problem on iOS:

 Our iOS app acts as a Bluetooth central and the other as a peripheral (Bluetooth Driver on Windows)

1. Initializes the central manager with a specified delegate and dispatch queueself.cbManager = [[CBCentralManager alloc] initWithDelegate:self queue:bleManagerQueue];
    
2. Scans for peripherals that are advertising services to discover other Bluetooth devices, passing in the UUID of the service it’s searching for. [self.cbManager scanForPeripheralsWithServices:(NSArray<CBUUID *> *)serviceUUIDs options:(NSDictionary<NSString *,id> *)options;]];
3. When the central manager discovers a peripheral with a matching service UUID, The method saves the peripheral as the property discoveredPeripheral and calls connect to it.[self.cbManager connectPeripheral:[[self.currentConnection device] peripheral] options:nil];

 

Step 3, when trying to establish a connection to a peripheral, pairing is requested even though pairing has already been completed. After that, even if the pairing is done, pairing will be asked again at the next logon to Windows.

Is this a known bug with Windows 10 Enterprise?

Is there any way to get around this issue?

Answer 1

Hi. Thank you for your question and reaching out. I’d be more than happy to help you with your query.

This issue can occur if the Bluetooth connection between the Windows 10 Enterprise device and the iPhone is not being properly retained. Here are a few things you can try to resolve the issue:

1. Remove and re-pair the devices: Try removing the pairing between the Windows 10 Enterprise device and the iPhone, and then re-pair them. This should re-establish the connection and resolve the issue.
2. Check the device's power settings: Some devices are configured to turn off Bluetooth when they go into sleep or hibernate mode. Make sure that the power settings on both the Windows 10 Enterprise device and the iPhone are set to allow Bluetooth to remain active when the devices are in sleep or hibernate mode.
3. Disable fast startup: Fast startup is a feature in Windows 10 that helps to speed up the boot process. However, it can cause issues with Bluetooth connections. Try disabling fast startup on your Windows 10 Enterprise device and see if that resolves the issue.
4. Update the Bluetooth driver: Make sure that you have the latest Bluetooth driver installed on your Windows 10 Enterprise device. You can check for updates in Windows Update or by visiting the website of your device manufacturer.
5. Reset the Bluetooth cache: Try resetting the Bluetooth cache on your Windows 10 Enterprise device. You can do this by going to the Device Manager, expanding the Bluetooth section, right-clicking on the Bluetooth device, and selecting "Uninstall". After uninstalling the device, restart your computer and Windows will automatically reinstall the Bluetooth device.

These are a few steps that can help resolve the issue of Windows 10 Enterprise requesting a new Bluetooth pairing when logging in, even though the pairing has already been completed on the iPhone. If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may need to consult the manufacturer of your device for further assistance.

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