-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 5
Messaging over Bluetooth
In this lesson we will be exploring how Bluetooth works and how we can use it with App Inventor 2. We will be creating a rudimentary messaging app that works by sending bytes of data over Bluetooth. Two users will be able to send messages to each other without the use of a cellular network.
There are many situations where someone may be in need of a Bluetooth messaging app when access to a cellular network is unavailable. For instance, many people do not have a texting plan, or they may be limited by a certain number of texts per month. Sending data over Bluetooth is free so a lack of a texting plan is no longer a problem. Another instance is that many schools have terrible cellular reception so Bluetooth can be used so students can still communicate with each other. In a real life situation, a black out can easily knock out cell towers which will render cellular networks useless. A Bluetooth messaging app can still be used in the case of a black out.
What is Bluetooth? Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances. We will be using Bluetooth to connect two devices together. In order for this to work, we will be making two apps. One of the phones will be used as a "server", or the phone we will connect to. The other phone will be used as a "client", or the phone that connects to the server. Here are the blocks we will be using.