Pixel 7 Pro Errors with PIN Message

[mdframe]

I have used the IRK reader for several devices without issue however when I try a Pixel 7 Pro I receive the message: Couldn't pair with mac address because of an incorrect PIN or passkey.

Here is the log:

INFO ESPHome 2026.2.1

INFO Reading configuration /config/esphome/irk-capture-device.yaml...

INFO Detected timezone 'America/New_York'

INFO Starting log output from 192.168.1.147 using esphome API

INFO Successfully resolved irk-capture-device @ 192.168.1.147 in 0.000s

INFO Successfully connected to irk-capture-device @ 192.168.1.147 in 0.077s

INFO Successful handshake with irk-capture-device @ 192.168.1.147 in 0.199s

[14:56:29.827][I][app:215]: ESPHome version 2026.2.1 compiled on 2026-02-20 14:30:53 -0500

[14:56:29.827][I][app:222]: ESP32 Chip: ESP32-C3 rev0.4, 1 core(s)

[14:56:29.827][C][logger:237]: Logger:

[14:56:29.827][C][logger:237]: Max Level: DEBUG

[14:56:29.827][C][logger:237]: Initial Level: DEBUG

[14:56:29.827][C][logger:244]: Log Baud Rate: 115200

[14:56:29.827][C][logger:244]: Hardware UART: USB_SERIAL_JTAG

[14:56:29.827][C][logger:254]: Task Log Buffer Size: 768 bytes

[14:56:29.827][C][uptime.sensor:017]: Uptime Sensor 'Uptime'

[14:56:29.827][C][uptime.sensor:017]: State Class: 'total_increasing'

[14:56:29.827][C][uptime.sensor:017]: Unit of Measurement: 'h'

[14:56:29.827][C][uptime.sensor:017]: Accuracy Decimals: 2

[14:56:29.827][C][uptime.sensor:163]: Device Class: 'duration'

[14:56:29.827][C][uptime.sensor:157]: Icon: 'mdi:timer-outline'

[14:56:29.827][C][uptime.sensor:033]: Type: Seconds

[14:56:29.827][C][wifi_info:017]: BSSID 'BSSID'

[14:56:29.827][C][wifi_info:017]: IP Address 'IP'

[14:56:29.828][C][restart.button:014]: Restart Button 'Restart Device'

[14:56:29.837][C][restart.button:157]: Icon: 'mdi:restart'

[14:56:29.837][C][internal_temperature:017]: Internal Temperature Sensor 'Internal Temp'

[14:56:29.837][C][internal_temperature:017]: State Class: 'measurement'

[14:56:29.837][C][internal_temperature:017]: Unit of Measurement: '°C'

[14:56:29.837][C][internal_temperature:017]: Accuracy Decimals: 1

[14:56:29.837][C][internal_temperature:163]: Device Class: 'temperature'

[14:56:29.856][C][captive_portal:134]: Captive Portal:

[14:56:29.916][C][wifi:1450]: WiFi:

[14:56:29.916][C][wifi:1450]: Local MAC: DC:DA:0C:A1:6B:30

[14:56:29.916][C][wifi:1450]: Connected: YES

[14:56:29.916][C][wifi:1202]: IP Address: 192.168.1.147

[14:56:29.916][C][wifi:1213]: SSID: [redacted]

[14:56:29.916][C][wifi:1213]: BSSID: [redacted]

[14:56:29.916][C][wifi:1213]: Hostname: 'irk-capture-device'

[14:56:29.916][C][wifi:1213]: Signal strength: -66 dB ▂▄▆█

[14:56:29.916][C][wifi:1213]: Channel: 11

[14:56:29.916][C][wifi:1213]: Subnet: 255.255.255.0

[14:56:29.916][C][wifi:1213]: Gateway: 192.168.1.1

[14:56:29.916][C][wifi:1213]: DNS1: 192.168.1.1

[14:56:29.916][C][wifi:1213]: DNS2: 0.0.0.0

[14:56:29.916][C][sntp:059]: SNTP Time:

[14:56:29.916][C][sntp:062]: Server 0: '0.pool.ntp.org'

[14:56:29.916][C][sntp:062]: Server 1: '1.pool.ntp.org'

[14:56:29.916][C][time:028]: Timezone: 'EST5EDT,M3.2.0,M11.1.0'

[14:56:29.916][C][time:031]: Current time: 2026-02-20 14:56:29

[14:56:29.916][C][esphome.ota:075]: Over-The-Air updates:

[14:56:29.916][C][esphome.ota:075]: Address: irk-capture-device.local:3232

[14:56:29.916][C][esphome.ota:075]: Version: 2

[14:56:29.916][C][esphome.ota:082]: Password configured

[14:56:29.916][C][safe_mode:022]: Safe Mode:

[14:56:29.916][C][safe_mode:022]: Successful after: 60s

[14:56:29.916][C][safe_mode:022]: Invoke after: 10 attempts

[14:56:29.916][C][safe_mode:022]: Duration: 300s

[14:56:29.930][C][safe_mode:039]: Bootloader rollback: support unknown

[14:56:29.930][C][web_server.ota:238]: Web Server OTA

[14:56:29.930][C][api:237]: Server:

[14:56:29.930][C][api:237]: Address: irk-capture-device.local:6053

[14:56:29.930][C][api:237]: Listen backlog: 4

[14:56:29.930][C][api:237]: Max connections: 8

[14:56:29.931][C][api:244]: Noise encryption: YES

[14:56:29.931][C][wifi_signal.sensor:017]: WiFi Signal 'Wi-Fi Signal'

[14:56:29.931][C][wifi_signal.sensor:017]: State Class: 'measurement'

[14:56:29.931][C][wifi_signal.sensor:017]: Unit of Measurement: 'dBm'

[14:56:29.931][C][wifi_signal.sensor:017]: Accuracy Decimals: 0

[14:56:29.931][C][wifi_signal.sensor:163]: Device Class: 'signal_strength'

[14:56:29.951][C][mdns:177]: mDNS:

[14:56:29.951][C][mdns:177]: Hostname: irk-capture-device

[14:56:29.951][C][irk_capture:1494]: IRK Capture v1.5.7: profile=Keyboard name='Logitech K380' adv=YES

[14:56:35.955][D][sensor:118]: 'Wi-Fi Signal' >> -66 dBm

[14:57:05.169][I][safe_mode:071]: Boot seems successful; resetting boot loop counter

[14:57:05.959][D][sensor:118]: 'Wi-Fi Signal' >> -67 dBm

[14:57:07.085][D][sensor:118]: 'Internal Temp' >> 54.4 °C

[14:57:08.212][D][esp32.preferences:153]: Writing 1 items: 0 cached, 1 written, 0 failed

[14:57:09.953][D][sensor:118]: 'Uptime' >> 0.02 h

[14:57:35.963][D][sensor:118]: 'Wi-Fi Signal' >> -65 dBm

[14:57:39.137][I][irk_capture:1015][nimble_host]: Connection established successfully

[14:57:39.159][I][irk_capture:2362][nimble_host]: Conn start: handle=1 enc_ready=0 adv=1

[14:57:39.164][I][irk_capture:2364][nimble_host]: Connected; handle=1, initiating security

[14:57:39.164][I][irk_capture:422][nimble_host]: sec: enc=0 bonded=0 auth=0 key_size=0

[14:57:39.164][I][irk_capture:426][nimble_host]: peer ota=68:7D:15:C7:F4:EA type=1

[14:57:39.164][I][irk_capture:428][nimble_host]: peer id =68:7D:15:C7:F4:EA type=1

[14:57:39.164][D][irk_capture:432][nimble_host]: conn params: interval=12 latency=0 supervision_timeout=500

[14:57:39.164][D][irk_capture:436][nimble_host]: role=slave our_ota=D7:9C:49:1E:D7:BA

[14:57:39.164][D][irk_capture:2385][nimble_host]: Peer unbonded and no cached bond (ENOENT) - will pair fresh

[14:57:39.164][I][irk_capture:2672]: Retrying security initiate after 94092 ms

[14:57:39.164][W][irk_capture:2682]: Retry security initiate rc=2

[14:57:39.238][W][irk_capture:2691]: Encryption timeout after 20000 ms; clearing bond for 68:7D:15:C7:F4:EA to force fresh pairing.

[14:57:39.241][I][irk_capture:1138][nimble_host]: ENC_CHANGE status=7 (0x07)

[14:57:39.241][W][irk_capture:1191][nimble_host]: ENC_CHANGE failed: Command Not Supported (status=7)

[14:57:39.241][W][irk_capture:1246][nimble_host]: ENC_CHANGE failed status=7; clearing all bonds

[14:57:39.241][W][irk_capture:1257][nimble_host]: ble_gap_terminate after ENC failure rc=2

[14:57:39.241][I][irk_capture:1042][nimble_host]: Disconnect reason=534 (0x216)

[14:57:39.241][I][irk_capture:2478][nimble_host]: Disconnected

[14:57:39.241][D][irk_capture:1060][nimble_host]: No bond for peer (ENOENT)

[14:57:39.241][I][irk_capture:1107][nimble_host]: Continuous mode: restarting advertising for next device

[14:57:39.269][D][irk_capture:2124][nimble_host]: Advertising with profile: Keyboard

[14:57:39.986][D][irk_capture:2573]: No bond for peer (ENOENT) - post-disc delayed check

[14:58:05.984][D][sensor:118]: 'Wi-Fi Signal' >> -66 dBm

[14:58:07.094][D][sensor:118]: 'Internal Temp' >> 56.4 °C

[14:58:09.959][D][sensor:118]: 'Uptime' >> 0.03 h

Home Assistant is on version 2026.2.1 and ESPHome Builder is on 2026.2.1.

Any thoughts on what to try?

[DerekSeaman]

@mdframe Clear your ESPHome build files, and try a fresh installation again. I made a code tweak in v1.5.8 that might fix it.

[jdschi]

We have two Pixel 6a phones. One worked perfectly. However, the second one is problematic. I cleaned all build files and reinstalled as recommended above, but still get the same results. It usually takes a couple tries. Each time there is an error bubble on the phone that says Incorrect PIN or passkey. Nonetheless, there is an IRK that appears in the log files, and does show up in the ESPhome integration window. However, when I paste it into the Private BLE integration, it complains with The provided IRK does not match any BLE devices that Home Assistant can see.

I turned on debugging for logs and get the following (with some identifiers modified).

[16:29:54.555][D][sensor:118]: 'Wi-Fi Signal' >> -68 dBm
[16:30:18.605][I][irk_capture:1015][nimble_host]: Connection established successfully
[16:30:18.606][I][irk_capture:2362][nimble_host]: Conn start: handle=0 enc_ready=0 adv=1
[16:30:18.606][I][irk_capture:2364][nimble_host]: Connected; handle=0, initiating security
[16:30:18.608][I][irk_capture:422][nimble_host]: sec: enc=0 bonded=0 auth=0 key_size=0
[16:30:18.608][I][irk_capture:426][nimble_host]: peer ota=47:07:E8:9E:34:D0 type=1
[16:30:18.609][I][irk_capture:428][nimble_host]: peer id =47:07:E8:9E:34:D0 type=1
[16:30:18.619][D][irk_capture:432][nimble_host]: conn params: interval=12 latency=0 supervision_timeout=500
[16:30:18.681][D][irk_capture:436][nimble_host]: role=slave our_ota=D3:C4:F9:EE:AA:BB
[16:30:20.739][I][irk_capture:2674]: Retrying security initiate after 2051 ms
[16:30:20.744][W][irk_capture:2684]: Retry security initiate rc=2
[16:30:21.650][D][irk_capture:1375][nimble_host]: Peer identity resolved using IRK
[16:30:21.651][I][irk_capture:1138][nimble_host]: ENC_CHANGE status=0 (0x00)
[16:30:21.665][I][irk_capture:1195][nimble_host]: Encryption established; attempting immediate IRK capture
[16:30:21.665][I][irk_capture:577][nimble_host]: Re-publishing IRK (capture #5/5)
[16:30:21.665][I][irk_capture:485][nimble_host]:  
[16:30:21.681][I][irk_capture:488][nimble_host]: *** IRK CAPTURED *** (ENC_CHANGE)
[16:30:21.681][I][irk_capture:673][nimble_host]: Identity Address: 24:29:34:33:22:11
[16:30:21.681][I][irk_capture:674][nimble_host]: IRK: 53a244cf926649619905555555555555
[16:30:21.681][I][irk_capture:675][nimble_host]: Total captures this session: 3
[16:30:21.682][I][irk_capture:485][nimble_host]:  
[16:30:21.682][D][text_sensor:113][nimble_host]: 'Device MAC' >> 24:29:34:33:22:11'
[16:30:21.693][I][irk_capture:1042][nimble_host]: Disconnect reason=534 (0x216)
[16:30:21.693][I][irk_capture:2478][nimble_host]: Disconnected
[16:30:21.701][W][irk_capture:558][nimble_host]: IRK republish limit reached (6 captures). Device keeps reconnecting - unpair from Bluetooth settings to stop.
[16:30:21.725][D][switch:065][nimble_host]: 'BLE Advertising' >> OFF
[16:30:21.728][D][irk_capture:2153][nimble_host]: Advertising stopped
[16:30:21.735][I][irk_capture:661][nimble_host]: Auto-stopped advertising due to repeated reconnections. Toggle 'BLE Advertising' switch to resume.
[16:30:21.741][D][switch:065][nimble_host]: 'BLE Advertising' >> ON
[16:30:21.767][D][irk_capture:2124][nimble_host]: Advertising with profile: Keyboard
[16:30:22.483][W][irk_capture:558]: IRK republish limit reached (7 captures). Device keeps reconnecting - unpair from Bluetooth settings to stop.
[16:30:22.485][D][switch:065]: 'BLE Advertising' >> OFF
[16:30:22.485][D][irk_capture:2153]: Advertising stopped
[16:30:22.485][I][irk_capture:661]: Auto-stopped advertising due to repeated reconnections. Toggle 'BLE Advertising' switch to resume.

I rotated the MAC address of IC and try again:

[16:31:54.666][D][sensor:118]: 'Wi-Fi Signal' >> -67 dBm
[16:31:55.552][I][irk_capture:1015][nimble_host]: Connection established successfully
[16:31:55.577][I][irk_capture:2362][nimble_host]: Conn start: handle=0 enc_ready=0 adv=1
[16:31:55.579][I][irk_capture:2364][nimble_host]: Connected; handle=0, initiating security
[16:31:55.579][I][irk_capture:422][nimble_host]: sec: enc=0 bonded=0 auth=0 key_size=0
[16:31:55.580][I][irk_capture:426][nimble_host]: peer ota=24:29:34:33:22:11 type=0
[16:31:55.580][I][irk_capture:428][nimble_host]: peer id =24:29:34:33:22:11 type=0
[16:31:55.580][D][irk_capture:432][nimble_host]: conn params: interval=12 latency=0 supervision_timeout=500
[16:31:55.580][D][irk_capture:436][nimble_host]: role=slave our_ota=C1:65:97:22:FF:11
[16:31:55.585][D][irk_capture:2385][nimble_host]: Peer unbonded and no cached bond (ENOENT) - will pair fresh
[16:31:57.543][I][irk_capture:2674]: Retrying security initiate after 2007 ms
[16:31:57.600][W][irk_capture:2684]: Retry security initiate rc=2
[16:31:59.443][I][irk_capture:1138][nimble_host]: ENC_CHANGE status=1035 (0x40B)
[16:31:59.443][W][irk_capture:1191][nimble_host]: ENC_CHANGE failed: Unknown (status=1035)
[16:31:59.444][W][irk_capture:1246][nimble_host]: ENC_CHANGE failed status=1035; clearing all bonds
[16:31:59.469][I][irk_capture:1042][nimble_host]: Disconnect reason=534 (0x216)
[16:31:59.469][I][irk_capture:2478][nimble_host]: Disconnected
[16:31:59.469][D][irk_capture:1060][nimble_host]: No bond for peer (ENOENT)
[16:31:59.474][I][irk_capture:1107][nimble_host]: Continuous mode: restarting advertising for next device
[16:31:59.474][D][irk_capture:2124][nimble_host]: Advertising with profile: Keyboard
[16:31:59.474][D][text_sensor:113][nimble_host]: 'Effective MAC' >> 'C1:65:97:22:FF:11'
[16:31:59.477][D][irk_capture:2821][nimble_host]: Published effective MAC: C1:65:97:22:FF:11
[16:32:00.292][D][irk_capture:2573]: No bond for peer (ENOENT) - post-disc delayed check

Repeated attempts fail similarly.

Out of curiosity I tried the Heart Sensor profile. It worked just like the first attempt above. I am running GrapheneOS on both phones.
Of course, it could be a Private BLE Integration problem in my case.

[DerekSeaman]

@jdschi

Why Keyboard profile fails on GrapheneOS:

Android (and especially GrapheneOS) enforces mandatory authenticated pairing for HID Keyboard devices. The reasoning is that a rogue keyboard could inject keystrokes, so Android demands MITM-protected pairing (PIN/passkey confirmation). IRK Capture uses sm_mitm=0 + BLE_HS_IO_NO_INPUT_OUTPUT (Just Works — no PIN capability), which Android rejects, showing "Incorrect PIN or passkey." The ENC_CHANGE status=1035 (0x40B) in the second session is HCI error 0x0B = "Pin or Key Missing" — Android is terminating because it required a PIN that was never provided.

RE: The provided IRK does not match any BLE devices that Home Assistant can see.

This is usually due to the OS not sending frequent BLE broadcasts that HA proxies can pick up. Depending on the flavor and version of OS, there may be settings to enable frequent BLE broadcasts. Another user reporting finding a setting on their Pixel watch 4 that worked.

If an IRK is captured, then any HA issues are likely due to OS BLE broadcast (or lack thereof) issues. Using the heart rate BLE profile can probably bypass the PIN security. I'll update the Android section with these lessons learned.

[DerekSeaman]

@mdframe You can also try the heart rate sensor and see what that does for you.

[mdframe]

This is strange. With the latest update I do not get the PIN passkey error message and it acts like it connects but no IRK or MAC detail is provided in the sensors. Also, when I go to the Controls to try Heartbeat I do not see the same options as in your screenshot:

What did I miss?

[DerekSeaman]

@mdframe That is odd. In ESPHome Builder I would clean all build files, then re-install. I've had weird issues happen without a full clean. If you did a full clean and it's still happening, then if you can open a serial (physical) log connection to your ESP32 and post the logs here when you try and capture an IRK. Redact any info as needed.