All You Need to Know About Bluetooth Support in the Latest Raspberry Pi Model

Discover if the Raspberry Pi 4 has built-in Bluetooth support and how to use it. Learn about alternative methods for adding Bluetooth connectivity with external devices. …


Updated September 11, 2023

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Discover if the Raspberry Pi 4 has built-in Bluetooth support and how to use it. Learn about alternative methods for adding Bluetooth connectivity with external devices.

The Raspberry Pi is a popular single-board computer used in various applications, from home automation to education. One of the most frequently asked questions is whether the latest model, the Raspberry Pi 4, has built-in Bluetooth support. In this article, we’ll explore this topic and provide information on how to use Bluetooth with your Raspberry Pi 4.

Bluetooth Support in Raspberry Pi 4: The Raspberry Pi 4 does come with built-in Bluetooth support. It has a dedicated Bluetooth controller that allows you to connect to Bluetooth devices without any additional hardware. This means you can easily connect your Pi to wireless peripherals like keyboards, mice, and speakers, or even other Raspberry Pis over Bluetooth. The Bluetooth protocol version supported in the Raspberry Pi 4 is 5.0, which offers faster data transfer rates compared to earlier versions.

Using Bluetooth with the Raspberry Pi 4: To use Bluetooth on your Raspberry Pi 4, you need to enable it first. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Open a terminal window and enter sudo raspi-config.
  2. Navigate to Interfacing Options and select Bluetooth.
  3. Select “Yes” when prompted to enable the Bluetooth interface.
  4. Reboot your Raspberry Pi for changes to take effect by running sudo reboot.

Now that you’ve enabled Bluetooth, you can use it with various applications. One popular tool is bluetoothctl, a command-line interface that allows you to scan for available devices, pair with them, and manage connections. To start using bluetoothctl:

  1. Open a terminal window and enter bluetoothctl.
  2. Once inside the interface, run scan on to search for Bluetooth devices in range.
  3. Wait for the scan to complete and note down the MAC address of the device you want to connect to.
  4. Use pair <MAC address> to pair with the device. Enter the passkey when prompted.
  5. After pairing, use connect <MAC address> to establish a connection.
  6. You can now use your Bluetooth device with the Raspberry Pi 4.

Alternative Methods for Adding Bluetooth Support: If you’re looking for additional ways to add Bluetooth connectivity to your Raspberry Pi, consider the following options:

  • USB Dongles: You can use a USB Bluetooth dongle that plugs directly into your Raspberry Pi’s USB port. These dongles are inexpensive and easy to install, but they may limit the range of your Bluetooth connection.
  • External Adapters: If you need greater range or additional features, consider an external Bluetooth adapter like the Raspberry Pi 4 Bluetooth Dongle from Waveshare. These adapters are more powerful and provide better performance than built-in or USB dongles.

In conclusion, the Raspberry Pi 4 does have built-in Bluetooth support that allows you to connect to a wide range of wireless devices. With bluetoothctl or other tools, you can easily manage your connections and interact with your Bluetooth-enabled devices. If you require greater range or additional features, consider using an external adapter or dongle.