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Beacon signal troubleshooting

Common beacon problems and how to fix them.

The beacon doesn't show up when I try to pair

  • Bluetooth off. Check your phone's Bluetooth is on.
  • Permissions denied. On iOS and Android, beacbeac needs Bluetooth and location permissions. Open your device's settings, find beacbeac, and enable them.
  • Beacon has no battery. Most beacons have a small replaceable battery or are USB-powered. Check the power source.
  • Too far away. Get within a couple of metres of the beacon.
  • Already paired to another venue. A beacon can only belong to one venue at a time. Unpair it from the other venue first.

The wrong artwork appears

Another beacon is probably triggering before the intended one. Either:

  • Recalibrate the affected beacons so their trigger distances don't overlap.
  • Move one of the beacons further away.
  • Turn one beacon's power level down (if the hardware supports it).

The artwork appears too early / too late

Recalibrate — see Calibration. Signal strength changes if you move the beacon, change how it's mounted, or add glass/metal near it.

No artwork appears at all

  • Confirm the beacon is powered.
  • Confirm the visitor app has Bluetooth and location permissions.
  • In the admin app, check the beacon is linked to an artwork. Unlinked beacons do nothing.

Web platform note

The web version of beacbeac can't see Bluetooth signals at all. Use the iOS or Android app for any beacon troubleshooting.