Comparison

nRF Connect for Mobile vs Theengs BLE

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

nRF Connect for Mobile

This app is a versatile tool for scanning, exploring, and communicating with Bluetooth Low Energy devices. It also enables your device to act as a peripheral and supports firmware updates for compatible devices.

Highlights
  • Scan and discover Bluetooth LE peripherals
  • Communicate with Bluetooth LE devices
  • Advertise as a Bluetooth LE peripheral
  • Update compatible device firmware (DFU)
  • Filter scanned peripherals
  • Live RSSI chart
  • Log BLE function calls
Read full description

nRF Connect is a powerful generic tool that allows you to scan and explore your Bluetooth Low Energy (henceforth Bluetooth LE, also called Bluetooth Version 4.0+ of the Bluetooth specification) devices and communicate with them. nRF Connect also allows your iOS device to advertise as a peripheral, with full support of many of Bluetooth SIG adopted profiles. Additionally, nRF Connect supports Nordic Semiconductor’s Device Firmware Update profile (DFU) capabilities, allowing you to update compatible peripherals! + Features: • Supports DFU on all Nordic Semiconducto-powered devices. • Supports Nordic Thingy™ from Nordic Semiconductor. • Scan and discover nearby Bluetooth LE peripherals. • Filter Scanned Peripherals by Name, Manufacturer, Services (Advertised & Connected) and RSSI Level. • Parsing Multiple Formats of Bluetooth LE Advertisement Data. • Live RSSI Chart of Scanned Bluetooth LE Peripherals. • Complete iPad Support, including Multi-Tasking and Mouse Support as of 13.4. • Logs: Including BLE Function calls, and Export Function as CSV and Text. • Privacy-Oriented: Full-Disclosure of Scanned Data, Advertised Data, and User-Performed Actions held by nRF Connect. • Connecting to Any Connectable Bluetooth LE Smart Device. • Discovery of Services, Characteristics and Descriptors. • Read and Write Characteristics and Descriptors. • Enable and Disable Notifications and Indications. • Advertising as a Bluetooth LE Peripheral. • Setting up a Bluetooth LE (Peripheral) Server and Notifying/Indicating back to connected Central(s). • Low-Fat: nRF Connect for iOS is Very Small, so You Can Always Keep Us With You! >= Requirements: • iOS 16.0 and above. - Notes: nRF Connect also works with our Development Kits, which you may acquire online here: https://www.nordicsemi.com/eng/buy-online

About

Theengs BLE

This app reads data from a wide variety of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) sensors, displaying environmental information like temperature and humidity. It offers live BBQ monitoring with custom notifications and integrates with smart home platforms like Home Assistant.

Highlights
  • Reads BLE sensor data
  • Live BBQ monitoring
  • Customizable notifications
  • Smart home integration (MQTT)
  • Vendor-agnostic sensor support
  • Local data storage
Features
Read full description

Theengs BLE App: Local Smart Sensor Integration and Live BBQ Monitoring Theengs App seamlessly reads a wide array of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) sensors, gathering real-time data on environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, moisture, etc. It displays these readings intuitively and enables integration with your Smart Home setup via MQTT. Compatible with platforms like Home Assistant, Theengs App is a vendor-agnostic reader of your sensors. Elevate Your Grilling Game New Feature: Live BBQ Monitoring and Custom Notifications Theengs App now offers a dedicated live monitoring feature for BBQ enthusiasts. Track your cooking with a dynamic chart that displays temperature trends in real time. Set personalized thresholds for different cooking stages and receive instant notifications based on these criteria. Whether you prefer your meat rare, medium, or well-done, Theengs App ensures your grilling is done to perfection. Please note: Live notifications require the app to be active on the sensor screen. Wide Range of Compatible Devices From indoor climate monitoring to ensuring the perfect ambient for your plants, Theengs App supports an extensive array of devices, including INKBIRD, GOVEE, XIAOMI, and many more. Whatever your need, we’ve got you covered, with but not limited to: * April Brother-ABTemp * April Brother-N03 * BlueMaestro TempoDisc * BlueCharm BC08 * ClearGrass CGG1 * ClearGrass CGC1 * ClearGrass alarm clock CGD1 * ClearGrass with atmospheric pressure CGP1W * LYWDS02 * GOVEE H5055 * GOVEE H5075 * GOVEE H5072 * GOVEE H5102 * GOVEE H5104 * GOVEE H5106 * HONEYWELL JQJCY01YM * Hydractiva Digital-Amphiro/Oras * INKBIRD IBS-TH1 * INKBIRD IBS-TH2 * INKBIRD IBT-2X * INKBIRD IBT-4XS * INKBIRD IBT-6XS * Mopeka N1017 Pro check * Oria/Brifit/SigmaWit/SensorPro-TH Sensor * Otio/BeeWi-Door & Window sensor * Qingping-CGDN1 * Qingping CGDK2 * Qingping CGH1 * Qingping CGPR1 * RuuviTag Raw V1 * RuuviTag Raw V2 * SmartDry-Laundry Sensor * Switchbot-Motion Sensor * Switchbot-Contact Sensor * SwitchBot Meter Plus * SwitchBot Tilt * SwitchBot Curtain 2/3 * SwitchBot Bot * Thermobeacon WS02 * Thermobeacon WS08 * ThermoPro-TP357 * ThermoPro-TP358 * ThermoPro-TP359 * Vegtrug * XIAOMI Mi Flora HHCCJCY01HHCC * XIAOMI Mi Jia LYWSDCGQ * XIAOMI Mi Jia 2 custom firmware (2) LYWSD03MMC ATC * XIAOMI Mi Jia 2 custom firmware (3) LYWSD03MMC PVVX * XIAOMI Mi Lamp MUE4094RT * XIAOMI Mi Smart Scale XMTZC01HM/XMTZC04HM * XIAOMI Mi Body Composition Scale XMTZC02HM/XMTZC05HM * XIAOMI Mi Temp/Humidity v1 MHO-C401 * XIAOMI Mi Temp/Humidity v2 XMWSDJ04MMC Respecting Your Privacy With Theengs App, your data stays local by default. For more details, please refer to our privacy policy. https://app.theengs.io/use/privacy.html Take control with Smart Home Integration: Theengs App syncs with platforms like Home Assistant via MQTT. Record sensor data on your preferred server - your home, your choice. Theengs license: https://github.com/theengs/home/blob/main/LICENSE All products and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by or of them.

Screenshots

nRF Connect for Mobile4 screens
Theengs BLE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: nRF Connect for Mobile at Free against Theengs BLE's $3.99. nRF Connect for Mobile also leads on ratings volume (479 vs 2) and review sentiment (71% vs 50%). Theengs BLE's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

nRF Connect for Mobile is free to download; Theengs BLE costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Theengs BLE holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: nRF Connect for Mobile has 479 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of nRF Connect for Mobile's written reviews are positive against 50% of Theengs BLE's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

nRF Connect for Mobile ships an update every 5 weeks, Theengs BLE every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
nRF Connect for Mobile versus Theengs BLE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameternRF Connect for MobileTheengs BLE
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating4.5 (479 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.7% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings479 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNordic Semiconductor ASAA Thing Story LLC

Customer experience

nRF Connect for Mobile

All ratings466 ratings
Positive85.2%
Neutral6.7%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews239 reviews
Positive70.7%
Neutral8.4%
Negative20.9%

Theengs BLE

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

nRF Connect for Mobile

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Can't read data from Bluetooth device
  • Tries to ask for Bluetooth connection when Bluetooth is off. Asks to connect to devices when Bluetooth is off. Who knows what this app is doing in the background without permission?! What ever it is , it ain't good
  • Tapping "tabs" doesn't work (nothing changes in the UI). To get some response from tapping UI controls typically requires (a) launching nRF Connect, (b) switching to another app, (c) switching back to nRF Connect. I've tried uninstalling and re-downloading. Same result. This used to be the bee's knees of BLE tools but it's only worth 1 star at the moment (v2.7.11).
  • Cant go past the initial announcement. The app is unresponsive to the taps.

Requested features

4 requests
  • Where's the mac addresses
  • Max rssi limit
  • Log view
  • We need macros in iOS version

Theengs BLE

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

nRF Connect for Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

Theengs BLE

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is nRF Connect for Mobile free?
nRF Connect for Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Theengs BLE free?
Theengs BLE costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, nRF Connect for Mobile or Theengs BLE?
Theengs BLE is rated higher. nRF Connect for Mobile averages 4.5 out of 5 from 479 ratings, while Theengs BLE averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do nRF Connect for Mobile or Theengs BLE have ads?
Neither nRF Connect for Mobile nor Theengs BLE shows ads.
Which is updated more often, nRF Connect for Mobile or Theengs BLE?
nRF Connect for Mobile ships an update every 5 weeks, and Theengs BLE every 5 months. Most recently, nRF Connect for Mobile was updated on November 6, 2026 and Theengs BLE on November 3, 2026.

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