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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 story appears

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

  • Set the affected beacon's Detection range to Touch or Close so it only triggers at close range.
  • 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 story appears too early / too late

  • Adjust the beacon's Detection range (Touch/Close/Room/Wide) — see Calibration.
  • Recalibrate — see Calibration. Signal strength changes if you move the beacon, change how it's mounted, or add glass/metal near it.

No story 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 a story. Unlinked beacons do nothing.

Rewriting a beacon's settings

If a beacon is broadcasting the wrong identity — for example after a factory reset, or when reusing a beacon that used to belong to a different story — open it on the beacon edit screen and use Sync to Hardware (in the Troubleshooting section at the bottom — everyday setting changes like name, status, and detection range never need it; Save Changes applies those fully on its own). Hold the beacon right next to the phone (within about 30 cm) while it syncs. If the app can't confirm which nearby device is the one you mean, it shows you a list of what it found — pick the strongest entry.

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.