Comparison

nRF Connect for Mobile vs QuietSense

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

QuietSense

Features
Read full description

Worried that your TV, music, or gaming sound may carry through an apartment wall or floor? QuietSense turns your iPhone's estimated sound level into a calm, easy-to-read signal. It helps you judge when sound may carry toward a nearby room or shared boundary and what to try next. Nearby-room values are modeled from the selected space and phone reading; QuietSense does not measure another room or know exactly what another person hears. TRY ONE FREE 60-SECOND CHECK Use the core experience once before subscribing. Choose your room and activity, watch the live signal for 60 seconds, and get a simple report. No account or payment is required for the free check. BUILT FOR SHARED HOMES - Choose an apartment, house, bedroom, or office context. - Check TV, gaming, music, working or calls, and other common activities. - See a simple state, estimated dB level, recent peaks, and practical next steps. - Review a clear report after a check. - Save your latest completed check as a CSV, including UTC timestamps, active duration, estimated average/peak levels, room and activity. CSV export is available for the free check too. Timestamps follow your device clock and are not independently certified. QUIETSENSE PRO Upgrade for unlimited live checks, a fresh latest-check report after each completed session, a same-day overview when available, in-app sustained-sound warnings while live monitoring is open, calibration controls, and adjustable warning timing. Choose a monthly or yearly auto-renewable subscription. Eligible customers may receive a 3-day free trial with the yearly plan. Availability is determined by the App Store; billing terms appear before purchase. PRIVACY FIRST QuietSense processes sound level on device. It does not transcribe speech or save or upload raw audio. Reports store local summary values such as estimated sound level, room and activity choices, risk state, peaks, and timing—not raw audio. IMPORTANT QuietSense provides an everyday sound-awareness estimate. It is not a certified or legal sound meter, a safety device, a medical device, or a mental health treatment. Phone placement, room shape, device hardware, and building materials can affect results. Privacy Policy: https://asdftq.github.io/quietsense/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://asdftq.github.io/quietsense/terms.html Support: https://asdftq.github.io/quietsense/support.html

Screenshots

nRF Connect for Mobile4 screens
QuietSense4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: nRF Connect for Mobile at none against QuietSense's 2. QuietSense's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). On price, ads, 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

Both are free to download. QuietSense sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. nRF Connect for Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

nRF Connect for Mobile ships an update every 5 weeks, QuietSense fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
nRF Connect for Mobile versus QuietSense: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameternRF Connect for MobileQuietSense
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (478 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews70.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings478 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNordic Semiconductor ASAHwechul Cho

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

QuietSense

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

nRF Connect for Mobile

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

QuietSense

Subscriptions2
  • QuietSense Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • QuietSense Pro Yearly3 Days trial$23.991 Year

Questions

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

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