Privacy option with gadgetbridge auto-connect

[d3nd3]

Sharing some info that I discovered, and curious your opinion.
When the privacy option is enabled, either show name or hide name in settings with bangle.js 2, the gadgetbridge app on android doesn't auto reconnect cleanly when you start the app. (I think this is related to mac address confusion of gadgetbridge app? not sure.)

So I am having privacy off and "Reconnect by BLE scan" within gadgetbridge for best behaviour on my android 10 device.

On a side-note .. If one presses disconnect on the card within gadgetbridge, how long does it remain disconnected? Is there an internal periodic timer that tries to reconnect even if you press 'disconnect' there? I am curious in general how the reconnect behaviour is implemented, so that I can predict if my device should be reconnecting or not.

[gfwilliams]

@bobrippling might have some info here on how it works for him, as he added the setting?

if one presses disconnect on the card within gadgetbridge, how long does it remain disconnected?

Afaik it stays disconnected forever. Automatic reconnection only occurs if the connection drops for some other reason

[bobrippling]

Interesting, I've had reconnects from other devices but I don't use gadgetbridge so can't vouch for that - it may be a gadgetbridge thing, there's a way to convert tho BLE address to see if it's a paired one with keys (or similar) from an original pairing. I'd check the gadgetbridge forums though

[gfwilliams]

I've had reconnects from other devices but I don't use gadgetbridge so can't vouch for that

Do you use it on iOS at all, or anything that attempts to keep a connection? Or you just use it with the app loader?

I should also add that recently the Gadgetbridge bluetooth code has been drastically improved. 0.86.1b in the Play Store has the changes (currently it's in Open Testing but should be available to everyone in a few days), or the nightlies will have it too. It might be worth retrying with that and seeing if it works any better.

[bobrippling]

Nah, just a PC and with the app loader - I plan on trying GB sometime soon though

[gfwilliams]

Ok - I'll add a note to the Settings app then. I'm not concinved this privacy mode would ever work with auto-connect.

It makes sense - the watch keeps changing its MAC address. As far as the phone/Gadgetbridge is concerned it's looking for a device with a single MAC address to connect to, and it keeps changing. If it knew to connect to the device then I'm sure all the pairing info would still be there though.

(I know there is supposed to be pairing info to allow the phone to work out the MAC address but I'm not convinced Gadgetbridge is smart enough to do that)