Comparison

nRF Connect for Mobile vs EI Mob Access

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

EI Mob Access

Features
Read full description

EI Mob Access is a simple Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) utility designed to test communication between a mobile device and compatible ESP32-based reader devices. The app allows users to enter a token ID and broadcast it using BLE advertisement. Nearby ESP32 reader devices can detect and read this data for testing and validation purposes. This app is intended for use in development and controlled environments where BLE communication needs to be verified quickly and reliably. Key Features: • Enter and broadcast a token ID via Bluetooth Low Energy • Quick and reliable BLE advertisement • Compatible with ESP32-based reader devices • Simple and lightweight user interface • Designed for testing and validation purposes How It Works: Enter a token ID in the app. The app broadcasts the token using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Compatible ESP32 reader devices scan and receive the broadcasted data. Additional Information: INS Mob Access is a basic testing utility and does not include account creation or login features. It is designed for straightforward testing of BLE communication with external devices.

Screenshots

nRF Connect for Mobile4 screens
EI Mob Access4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: EI Mob Access at every 11 days against nRF Connect for Mobile's every 5 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

nRF Connect for Mobile ships an update every 5 weeks, EI Mob Access every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
nRF Connect for Mobile versus EI Mob Access: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameternRF Connect for MobileEI Mob Access
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (478 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews70.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings478 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNordic Semiconductor ASAEIRFID SOLUTIONS PRIVATE LIMITED

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

EI Mob Access

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

nRF Connect for Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

EI Mob Access

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 EI Mob Access free?
EI Mob Access is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do nRF Connect for Mobile or EI Mob Access have ads?
Neither nRF Connect for Mobile nor EI Mob Access shows ads.
Which is updated more often, nRF Connect for Mobile or EI Mob Access?
nRF Connect for Mobile ships an update every 5 weeks, and EI Mob Access every 11 days. Most recently, nRF Connect for Mobile was updated on October 31, 2026 and EI Mob Access on October 28, 2026.

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