Simplicity Connect vs File Glider
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Simplicity Connect
This utility app aids developers in testing and debugging Bluetooth Low Energy applications on Silicon Labs development boards. It simplifies troubleshooting firmware updates, data throughput, and interoperability with a user-friendly interface and built-in demos.
- Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) testing
- Application debugging
- Firmware Over-the-Air (OTA) updates
- Data throughput testing
- Interoperability testing
- Device scanning and filtering
- Matter device commissioning
Read full descriptionHide full description
What is the Simplicity Connect app? Silicon Labs Simplicity Connect is a generic mobile app for testing and debugging Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) applications. It can help developers to create and troubleshoot BLE applications running on Silicon Labs' development boards. With Simplicity Connect, you can quickly troubleshoot your BLE embedded application code, Over-the-Air (OTA) firmware update, data throughput, interoperability, and many other features. You can use the Simplicity Connect app with all Silicon Labs Bluetooth development kits, System-on-Chips (SoCs), and modules. Why download Simplicity Connect? Simplicity Connect radically saves the time you will use for testing and debugging! With Simplicity Connect, you can quickly see what's wrong with your code and how to fix and optimize it. Simplicity Connect is the first BLE mobile app allowing you to test data throughput and mobile interoperability with a single tap on the app. How does it work? Using Simplicity Connect BLE mobile app is easy. It runs on your mobile devices such as a smartphone or tablet. It utilizes the Bluetooth adapter on the mobile to scan, connect and interact with nearby BLE hardware. App includes simple demos to teach you how to get started with Simplicity Connect and all Silicon Labs development tools. The Scanner, Advertiser, and Logging features help you to find and fix bugs quickly and test throughput and mobile interoperability simply, with a tap of a button. With our Simplicity Studio's Network Analyzer tool (free of charge), you can view the packet trace data and dive into the details. Simplicity Connect includes many demos to test sample apps in the Silicon Labs GSDK quickly. Here are demo examples: - Blinky: "Hello World" of BLE - Throughput: Measure application data throughput - Health Thermometer: Receive data from the temperature sensor on-board sensor Silicon Labs kits. - Connected Lighting DMP: Leverage the dynamic multi-protocol (DMP) sample apps to control a DMP light node from a mobile and protocol-specific switch node (Zigbee, proprietary). - Range Test: Visualize the RSSI and other RF performance data on the mobile phone while running the Range Test sample application on a pair of Silicon Labs radio boards. - Motion: Display the data from the accelerometer in a user-friendly way. - Environment: Display the collection of sensor data read from the compatible Silicon Labs development kit. - WiFi Commissioning: Perform the commissioning of a Wi-Fi development board. - Matter: Commission and control of the Matter devices over Thread and Wi-Fi. - Wi-Fi OTA Update: Firmware update to SiWx91x over wifi. Development Features Simplicity Connect helps developers create on Silicon Labs' BLE hardware. Bluetooth Scanner - A powerful tool to explore the BLE devices around you. - Scan and sort results with a rich data set - Advanced filtering to identify the types of devices you want to find - Multiple connections - Bluetooth 5 advertising extensions - Rename services and characteristics with 128-bit UUIDs (mappings dictionary) - Over-the-air (OTA) device firmware upgrade (DFU) in reliable and fast modes Bluetooth Advertiser – Create and enable multiple parallel advertisement sets: - Legacy and extended advertising - Configurable advertisement interval, TX Power, primary/secondary PHYs - Support for multiple AD types Bluetooth GATT Configurator – Create and manipulate multiple GATT databases - Add services, characteristics and descriptors - Operate the local GATT from the browser when connected to a device - Import/export GATT database between the mobile device and Simplicity Studio GATT Configurator Bluetooth Interoperability Test – Verify interoperability between the BLE hardware and your mobile device Simplicity Connect Release Notes: https://docs.silabs.com/mobile-apps/latest/mobile-apps-release-notes/ Learn more about Simplicity Connect mobile app: https://www.silabs.com/developers/simplicity-connect-mobile-app
File Glider
Wirelessly transfer files to and from compatible Bluetooth Low Energy or Wi-Fi devices. Browse, edit, and manage files directly within the app or integrate with the Files app for broader access. Supports multiple device management and sharing across applications.
- Wireless file transfer
- BLE and Wi-Fi support
- File browsing and editing
- Files app integration
- Multiple device management
- Cross-app access sharing
Read full descriptionHide full description
Wirelessly transfer files to and from file transfer ready Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or Wi-Fi firmware. Browse and edit files from within File Glider or use the Files app integration to access the files from other apps. Multiple devices can be managed at once and access can be shared amongst multiple apps. Compatible devices: * nrf52840 boards running CircuitPython * ESP32-S2 TFT The file transfer protocol is open so you can use File Glider with custom firmware. See GitHub for protocol details: https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_BLE_File_Transfer Source for the app is here: https://github.com/adafruit/Glider-for-iOS
Screenshots
Verdict
Simplicity Connect and File Glider both sit at 4.1 stars, but that hides the real split: 50% of Simplicity Connect's written reviews are positive against 0% of File Glider's. Simplicity Connect also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (16 vs 5). File Glider's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for Simplicity Connect against 4.2 for File Glider. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 5 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Simplicity Connect's written reviews are positive against 0% of File Glider's.
Simplicity Connect ships an update every 2 months, File Glider every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Simplicity Connect | File Glider |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (16 ratings) | 4.2 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 16 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 86 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Silicon Labs | Adafruit Industries |
Customer experience
Simplicity Connect
File Glider
In-app purchases
Simplicity Connect
No in-app purchases
File Glider
No in-app purchases








