Bluetooth in Home Assistant (HA)

Bluetooth still maintains its presence as a protocol for smart home devices due to its relatively long history and simplicity. An undeniable advantage is its ease of use, for example, to control a light bulb with a phone, you don't need any hub or access point.

In addition, it has other advantages:

Low power consumption: Bluetooth devices, especially those with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, usually have lower power consumption compared to WiFi and Zigbee. This is advantageous for battery-powered devices.
Less signal interference: Since Bluetooth usually operates on different frequencies than WiFi, there can be less signal interference in homes with many wireless devices.
Real-time localization and tracking: Bluetooth devices are often used for localization services and real-time tracking inside homes, which is beneficial for systems like smart locks, pet tracking, or automated lighting control.

Comparison of WiFi vs. Zigbee vs. Bluetooth

You might be wondering why use Bluetooth when we already have good WiFi coverage at home and the possibility of using Zigbee.

Although these technologies are similar in many ways, there are also significant differences.

Feature	WiFi	Zigbee	Bluetooth
Frequency	2.4 GHz and 5 GHz	2.4 GHz	2.4 GHz
Signal range	Higher	Lower	Medium
Data transfer rate	Higher	Much lower	Lower
Power consumption	Higher	Much lower	Low (especially BLE)
Compatibility	Wide	More limited, requires compatible hub	Wide, integrated in most smart devices
Security	Strong, mostly WPA2 / WPA3	Strong, AES-128 encryption	Strong, with encryption and authentication
Mesh networking	Limited or none	Natural support for mesh	Limited or none
Use in smart home	Ideal for high-speed devices like cameras	Ideal for low-speed sensors and control devices	Ideal for localization, tracking devices, and door locks

Generally, Zigbee and Bluetooth devices are very good for various sensors and buttons, especially those on batteries. For permanently powered devices, the advantages decrease, and it is good to consider WiFi as well. These are often still significantly cheaper.

Hardware

If your computer does not already have an integrated Bluetooth receiver - which is the case, for example, with Raspberry Pi - you can add Bluetooth using a USB adapter. Just plug it in, and the system should recognize and activate the adapter automatically.

If your computer is in a case or near something that could interfere with the Bluetooth signal - typically WiFi - I recommend placing the adapter on a USB extension cable.