# Bluetooth 101 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2023, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-101/991813 "2023-10-19T23:32:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2023, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-101/991813/1 "2023-10-19T23:32:39Z")
I’ve never had occasion to use Bluetooth before. Now I want to transfer all my apps and settings from my old Android tablet to my new Android tablet. A step requires that on my old tablet I select new tablet’s name from the list of devices. I am not seeing any devices at all. I look at ‘available devices nearby’ a wheel just spins indefinitely. I have turned on Bluetooth on five separate devices - two Android tablets, an Android phone and two iPods. None of them are seeing any devices available to connect. I’ve done all the obvious things - made sure Bluetooth is set to ‘on’, turned on ‘nearby share’, turned all devices off and on again, turned to ‘airplane mode’ and back. No joy. I think I must be doing something fairly basic wrongly. Please advise. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2023, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-101/991813/2 "2023-10-19T23:37:04Z")
On the other devices, Bluetooth must not only be on but discoverable, which may not be the default (for security reasons). There may be a setting or control on the other device that says something like “pair with another device” or “make discoverable”. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2023, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-101/991813/3 "2023-10-19T23:41:42Z")
Isn’t that what ‘nearby share’ does? I’ve turned that on. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-101/991813/4 "2023-10-20T01:52:58Z")
Okay, I’ve got it sorted out. It’s working now. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-101/991813/5 "2023-10-20T11:10:55Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Isn’t that what ‘nearby share’ does? I’ve turned that on. Bluetooth is sloooooooooow. What nearby share does is use Bluetooth for the two devices to find each other, and once the connection is made switch over to WiFi for the actual file transfer. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-101/991813/6 "2023-10-21T02:17:12Z")
Yes, but then why involve Bluetooth at all? If you use wifi, you can just use snapdrop, magic wormhole, or anything else that transfers files over wi-fi. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-101/991813/7 "2023-10-21T02:44:24Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > If you use wifi, you can just use snapdrop, magic wormhole, or anything else that transfers files over wi-fi. Because those don’t come built into Android? You use what you have, especially if it works. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-101/991813/8 "2023-10-21T03:02:32Z")
Is a web browser built into Android? Go here: > **[Snapdrop](https://snapdrop.net/)** > > Instantly share images, videos, PDFs, and links with people nearby. Peer2Peer and Open Source. No Setup, No Signup. you do need internet connectivity to load the site, though. Works with most of the browsers I have tested, though it is impossible to be comprehensive.