iOS Troubleshooting

iPhone Can't Find PC

Bluetooth must be enabled on both your iPhone and PC
NotiVR must be in pairing mode — go to the iOS setup section in NotiVR and click "Start Pairing" so the PC is advertising its Bluetooth service
Restart the companion app — force-quit and reopen to reset the scanner
Check distance — Bluetooth LE range is typically 10-30 meters; move closer during initial pairing
Other Bluetooth devices — try disconnecting nearby Bluetooth devices that might cause interference

Paired But No Notifications

The most common cause is that Share System Notifications is not enabled:

On your iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth
Find your PC in the paired devices list and tap the (i) button
Enable Share System Notifications

If you do not see the Share System Notifications toggle, and you did not see the popup asking you to approve notification sharing:

iOS can sometimes block notification access if you've failed to pair too many times.
Forget both devices in Bluetooth settings.
Restart both your PC and iPhone, this will reset the Bluetooth firmware, removing the block.
Attempt setting up again

If the toggle is already on:

Check that NotiVR shows "Connected" in its settings
Restart the companion app, this can force a reconnect signal that causes the PC to re-subscribe to notifications
Restart NotiVR on your PC and wait for the iPhone to reconnect automatically
Toggle Bluetooth on both devices, this can force them out of a bad state
Re-pair from scratch

Handshake Timeout

The connection handshake has a 15-second timeout. If it doesn't complete in time:

Attempt to pair again, your iPhone may be siliently blocking the connection.
This could mean your Bluetooth adapter is not compatible. Check the certified Bluetooth adapters list for more information.

"Insufficient Encryption" Error

This error appears when iOS blocks reconnection after a failed or incomplete pairing attempt. The Bluetooth bond is in a bad state and needs to be cleared on both sides.

Follow the Re-pairing From Scratch guide.

Notifications Stopped After Working

If notifications were working and then stopped:

Open the companion app. It should detect the issue and attempt to reconnect automatically.
Try toggling Bluetooth off and on your iPhone. This will force the app to reconnect.
Try restarting NotiVR on your PC.
If none of these work you may need to re-pair from scratch. Follow the Re-pairing From Scratch guide.

Connection Drops Frequently

Bluetooth range: Keep your iPhone within 10-30 meters of your PC. Walls and other obstacles reduce range
Bluetooth interference: Other devices (wireless headphones, controllers) can cause interference. If possible, reduce the number of active Bluetooth devices nearby
The companion app runs in the background and will automatically reconnect when the connection drops. You don't need to keep the app open

Re-Pairing From Scratch

If nothing else works, do a full reset:

iPhone: Settings > Bluetooth > Forget the PC
PC: Settings > Bluetooth > Remove the iPhone
Both: Turn off Bluetooth then re-enable it
Restart NotiVR on your PC
Restart the companion app on your iPhone
Follow the pairing guide

If you are continually having to re-pair from scratch, please contact us with details about your setup and we'll help you troubleshoot the issue.