What is Bluetooth scanner mode?
In Home Assistant, this is called Bluetooth scanner mode.
It means the Shelly device listens for Bluetooth (BLE) signals and forwards them to Home Assistant over the network.
In Shelly terminology, this is often referred to as a Bluetooth proxy.
Functionally, it acts as a Bluetooth forwarder / bridge.
Why is it needed?
Home Assistant may have Bluetooth, but its range is limited to where HA is running.
Shelly BLU devices communicate only via Bluetooth and cannot connect to Wi-Fi by themselves.
By enabling Bluetooth scanner mode on a Shelly device:
- The Shelly listens for nearby BLU devices
- Events are forwarded to Home Assistant via Wi-Fi or LAN
- BLU devices can be placed anywhere in the home
Setup steps in Home Assistant
- Go to Settings → Devices & Services
- Find the Shelly integration and click the top part of the integration card
- Click the cogwheel (⚙️) and set Bluetooth scanner mode to Passive on the Shelly devices that should listen for Bluetooth signals
- Go back to Integrations
- The BLU devices should appear automatically
- If not, click Add Integration and search for BTHome
- If the devices still do not appear, restart Home Assistant
- Once added, the devices can be found in the BTHome integration card
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