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Periphery

Using a Bluetooth scanner app on iPhone to list nearby BLE devices

Periphery lists every Bluetooth Low Energy device advertising near your iPhone, the moment you tap Scan. Each one shows up with its name, a short identifier and signal strength in dBm. Sort it, filter it, then tap any row to look inside the device itself.

3 min read · Updated 2026-10-06

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What is BLE scanning?

BLE devices shout their own name several times a second, in short advertising packets, whether anyone is listening or not. A scanner just listens and lists who is talking. Your iPhone's own Bluetooth settings only show devices you can pair with; open Periphery and you also get sensors, beacons, trackers and development boards that never show up there at all.

Why you would scan for BLE devices

  • Check that the board or sensor you are building is really advertising, and under what name.
  • Compare signal strength between devices or positions.
  • Spot a device you do not recognise and look closer at it.
  • Find the right device in a room full of them before connecting.

How to scan for Bluetooth devices on iPhone with Periphery

  1. Open Periphery on the Scanner tab and tap Scan in the toolbar, or Start Scan on the empty screen.
  2. The first time, iOS asks for Bluetooth permission. Allow it; without it the app cannot scan. If you declined earlier, the app shows Bluetooth permission required with an Open Settings button.
  3. Devices appear as they are heard. Each row shows the name, the first 8 characters of its identifier, signal bars and the dBm reading.
  4. Tap Sort by and choose Discovery order, Strongest signal or Name. The choice is remembered.
  5. Type in Filter by name or UUID to keep only matching devices. If nothing matches, tap Clear filter.
  6. Tap Stop when you have what you need, or tap a device to open it in the inspector.

Reading the scan list

What each part of a row means
You seeWhat it is
NameThe name the device advertises. Devices with no name show as Unknown followed by the start of their identifier.
8-character codeThe start of the identifier iOS gives the device. It is not the hardware MAC address, which iOS never shares with apps.
dBm valueReceived signal strength. Closer to 0 is stronger: -60 dBm is a strong signal, -90 dBm is at the edge of range.
Location iconOpens Locate for that device, to follow its signal strength.

It refreshes about four times a second. That is slow enough that a crowded room stays readable instead of flickering, and fast enough that the lag is not noticeable. Every new scan starts the list from zero, nothing carries over.

What a BLE scanner on iPhone cannot see

iOS only hands apps Bluetooth Low Energy, full stop, no workaround. Classic Bluetooth gear, older car kits, plenty of speakers, some headsets, stays off every scanner's list, Periphery or anyone else's. A device that is switched off, or simply not advertising because it is already paired to another phone, will not show up either.

One thing that trips people up: the identifier itself can change. Phones, trackers and earbuds often rotate their private Bluetooth address for privacy, so the same physical device can reappear as a brand-new row later on. That is iOS and the hardware doing their job, not a bug in the app.

Free scans and Pro

Free gets you 3 scans, total, with ads riding along. That count is for the app's whole lifetime, not reset daily, and after the first scan a banner tells you how many are left. Start the third and the next tap, any device, any new scan, opens the upgrade screen; a short ad there buys one more scan if you want to stretch it. Pro drops the limit and the ads both.

Questions and answers

Is there a free Bluetooth scanner app for iPhone?
Yes. Periphery is free to download and gives you 3 scans with ads attached. Unlimited scanning without ads needs Pro.
Why does my device not show up in the scan?
A few usual suspects: classic Bluetooth only, switched off, out of range, or not advertising because it is already connected to another phone. Move closer, disconnect it from whatever else it is paired to, or just restart it.
Can I see the MAC address of a Bluetooth device on iPhone?
No, and no app can. iOS hands out an identifier it generates itself instead of the hardware MAC. Periphery shows the start of that identifier on each row.
Does scanning drain the battery?
A little. Scanning keeps the Bluetooth radio listening the whole time, so it costs some charge while it runs. Tap Stop when done, or just leave the Scanner screen; either one ends it.

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