HackerRemote vs BlePad

HackerRemote is a Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE) remote app for your electronic projects, such as robots and copters. It can be used with arduino and a BLE to serial module, such as RedBearLab BLE Mini and DFRobot Bluno. This app has several virtual keys and a virtual screen. When the keys are pressed or released, the key state are autonomically sent to BLE devices. And the app can also receive strings from BLE devices and display them on the screen.

BlePad turns your iPhone into a wireless remote controller for BLE UART devices — perfect for micro:bit, ESP32, and any Nordic UART Service (NUS) compatible hardware. Great for electronics projects, education, and robotics. ■ Four built-in remote screens Game Controller D-pad (up/down/left/right) and A/B buttons with full multi-touch support. Numpad Digits 0–9 plus arithmetic keys (+, −, ×, ÷). QWERTY Keyboard Full alphabetic layout, optimized for landscape orientation. Custom Remote Freely arrange widgets on a 12-column × 8-row grid in landscape mode. Choose from Buttons, ON/OFF Switches, and Sliders (horizontal or vertical). Set custom labels, command values, colors, and sizes for each widget. Long-press repeat sends the button command every 100 ms. Pro unlocks up to 20 saved layouts, and layout names can be up to 20 characters. ■ Share your layouts Share the custom remote layouts you've created with other phones. Export a layout as a JSON file and send it however you like — AirDrop, email, cloud storage, and more. Import a layout someone shared with you to start using the same setup right away. Exporting is available in the free version; importing requires Pro. ■ Receive Log Displays incoming BLE UART notifications in real time as a timestamped text log (up to 100 entries). ■ Free vs Pro Free (ad-supported) • Game Controller, Numpad, Keyboard: full access • Custom Remote: create, use, edit, and export 1 layout • Receive Log: full access Pro (one-time purchase) • Everything in Free • Custom Remote: up to 20 layouts, plus layout import • Ad-free ■ Technical specs • Protocol: Nordic UART Service (NUS) • Write / Write without response, max 20 bytes per packet (auto-detected from characteristic properties) • Command format: +ID\n on press, −ID\n on release • Requires iOS 17.0 or later ■ Compatible devices • BBC micro:bit (V1 / V2) • ESP32 (requires NUS-compatible BLE UART firmware) • Any Nordic UART Service (NUS) compatible BLE device Note: BLE stability depends on your environment. For robotics or safety-critical use, we recommend implementing emergency stop logic on the device side.