How Does Bluetooth Work? 

August 12, 2025

Adrienne Ma

11th Grade

R.C. Palmer Secondary School

Introduction 

Bluetooth is a revolutionary technology that allowed society to switch from wired to wireless connection between devices for purposes such as audio, tracking, or communication. It is still used today and, in fact, is an essential part of everyday life. Whether you’re listening to music through earbuds, taking a call from the car console while driving, playing a video game, or tracking a run outside with your smartwatch, Bluetooth makes it all possible. This technology is utilized in our everyday tasks with devices like wireless headphones, earbuds, speakers, car audio systems, keyboards, mice, gaming controllers, fitness trackers, smart home devices, printers, webcams, location trackers, and so many more.

How does Bluetooth work?

Bluetooth is a wireless technology that allows devices to communicate without the use of cables or wires. Bluetooth is almost like an invisible wire that connects devices through short-range radio frequencies. There are two types of devices required to establish a Bluetooth connection: devices like the phone, which are known as the “main unit,” and devices like headphones or speakers, which are called the “peripheral.” Peripherals send out pinging signals that are then detected by the main unit. When these devices connect, they are “paired.” Within these devices, an antenna-supplied chip is needed to encode and decode information between them via their antennae. There are similar additions to antenna-supplied chips that manufacturers are required to incorporate into their devices to be Bluetooth compatible. Only because of these additions can devices easily recognize each other and connect through Bluetooth technology. Once a connection is formed, a piconet is created: a micronetwork on recognizable radio waves that exchange between the devices. As long as the devices are within the required distance, they can connect and exchange data with each other. Devices communicate using ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio waves, and these electromagnetic waves have frequencies around 2.4 gigahertz, meaning 2.4 billion waves per second. These short radio waves are only around 15 meters in length, being kept relatively small to prevent conflicting radio waves from other Bluetooth connections. 

Bluetooth connection routinely switches to different frequencies, around 1,600 times per second. This ensures a connection is kept between devices and prevents static due to competing signals. While it may seem like there are many aspects occurring to maintain a Bluetooth connection, Bluetooth actually requires very little power to operate. In fact, new Bluetooth technologies have implemented low power modes that allow Bluetooth devices to stay connected even when turned off. 

The History of Bluetooth

Did you know Bluetooth was named after a 10th-century king? From the years 958 to 970 in Scandinavia, the ruler in power was King Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson, who had the nickname “Bluetooth” because of his dark blue and grey colored dead tooth. He was the Viking king of Denmark who united Scandinavia. Specifically, he united part of Denmark and Norway into one nation and converted the Danes to Christianity.

During the mid-1900s, when wireless technology was on the rise, several companies were developing competing and non-compatible wireless systems. This inability to cooperate was seen as an obstacle in widespreading the adoption of wireless technology, so people knew something had to be done. Thankfully, an Intel engineer working on wireless technologies named Jim Kardach became a cross-company mediator, aiming to end this conflict and bring the many corporations together. He wanted to create an industry-wide standard for low-power, short-range radio connectivity. During this time, Kardach was reading a Viking book that featured Harald the King and thought of this historical figure as an ideal symbol for bringing the companies together. Here is a quote from Jim Kardach on this topic:

“Bluetooth was borrowed from the 10th-century, second king of Denmark, King Harald Bluetooth; who was famous for uniting Scandinavia just as we intended to unite the PC and cellular industries with a short-range wireless link.”

Amazingly, Kardach’s leadership and mediation proved successful since these competing parties eventually came together and became the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group is still in operation today.

Initially, the name “Bluetooth” was supposed to be a placeholder, intended to change later on to RadioWire or PAN (Personal Area Networking). However, Bluetooth technology was already publicized, so the name remained. As a fun fact, the logo for Bluetooth is based on Harald the King’s initials of H and B. The runes of Hagall (ᚼ) and Bjarkan (ᛒ), from the Younger Futhark alphabet, are put together to form the familiar Bluetooth symbol.

The Future of Bluetooth

Bluetooth technology has come such a long way in terms of its impacts within society, and Bluetooth can still expect many new developments in the next decade. For example, battery life is often a concern for earbud, headset, and headphone users, as it can be an inconvenience charging these devices when they run out of energy. This is why Bluetooth is focusing on enhancing battery longevity. This is possible through Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE), which is an innovative technology that offers the same connectivity powers as traditional Bluetooth while consuming much less power. With this solution, users can go through long time periods enjoying their favorite music, listening to podcasts, or being on phone calls without being interrupted with charging these devices frequently. Even though Bluetooth LE is already in place, it is awaiting implementation into more devices to improve wireless experiences. 

Adding on, we can expect to see more sophisticated and precise abilities for tracking devices beyond the industry of wireless audio. This is possible due to Bluetooth improvements in range, energy efficiency, and connectivity. It is also possible through Bluetooth LE due to its low-power consumption and high transmission abilities. In all, these additions can create tracking devices that are smaller, more efficient, and longer lasting. Additionally, these improvements enhance the precision of Bluetooth-based tracking assets, as it can identify not only the distance but also the direction of a tracked device. This makes it possible to find an object even in populated and dense environments. 

There are even more opportunities for Bluetooth outside of audio streaming. For example, Bluetooth can be used in the retail industry to track inventory, enabling better stock management and preventing theft. It can also be used in healthcare systems to track medical equipment or patients to improve safety and efficiency. Additionally, Bluetooth can be used in logistics with its ability to revolutionize how goods are tracked and managed. This can lead to cost savings and improve service delivery. 

Further into the future, we can expect classic Bluetooth, which is the original Bluetooth technology that triggered the rise in wireless technology, to be replaced with Bluetooth LE. Currently, classic Bluetooth is used for applications requiring higher bandwidth and constant data streams, like audio streaming. However, this could change in the future since Bluetooth LE is more energy efficient, has a longer connection range, and holds a strong connection between devices. Bluetooth LE is also being implemented more into modern audio devices, so it is likely it will eventually become the future of our digital lifestyles.

Conclusion

Overall, Bluetooth is a crucial aspect of our lives that conveniences its users in several different ways. It has a complex, technical method of functioning and connecting between devices, but mainly relating to frequencies between the appliances. Receiving its namesake from a figure in the 10th century, Bluetooth has come a long way to the current day with a rich history of development and collaboration between peoples. Now, we await new developments in Bluetooth technology with improvements in energy efficiency, connectivity, and pairing range. In conclusion, Bluetooth started as a simple way to connect devices without wires, and over time, this technology has become a key part of our daily lives with even more advancements to come.