1<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
2      xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its"
3      type="topic" style="question"
4      id="bluetooth-visibility">
5
6  <info>
7    <link type="guide" xref="bluetooth" group="#last"/>
8    <link type="seealso" xref="bluetooth-device-specific-pairing" />
9
10    <revision pkgversion="3.4" date="2012-02-19" status="outdated"/>
11    <revision pkgversion="3.10" date="2013-11-09" status="review"/>
12    <revision pkgversion="3.12" date="2014-03-04" status="candidate"/>
13    <revision pkgversion="3.14" date="2014-10-12" status="candidate"/>
14    <revision pkgversion="3.18" date="2015-09-28" status="final"/>
15
16    <credit type="author">
17      <name>Shaun McCance</name>
18      <email>shaunm@gnome.org</email>
19    </credit>
20    <credit type="editor">
21      <name>Michael Hill</name>
22      <email>mdhillca@gmail.com</email>
23      <years>2014</years>
24    </credit>
25    <credit type="editor">
26      <name>Ekaterina Gerasimova</name>
27      <email>kittykat3756@gmail.com</email>
28      <years>2014</years>
29    </credit>
30    <credit type="editor">
31      <name>David King</name>
32      <email>amigadave@amigadave.com</email>
33      <years>2015</years>
34    </credit>
35
36    <include href="legal.xml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"/>
37
38    <desc>Whether other devices can discover your computer.</desc>
39  </info>
40
41  <title>What is Bluetooth visibility?</title>
42
43  <p>Bluetooth visibility refers to whether other devices can discover
44  your computer when searching for Bluetooth devices. When Bluetooth is turned
45  on and the <gui>Bluetooth</gui> panel is open, your computer will advertise
46  itself to all other devices within range, allowing them to attempt to connect
47  to your computer.</p>
48
49  <note style="tip">
50    <p>You can <link xref="sharing-displayname">change</link> the name your
51    computer displays to other devices.</p>
52  </note>
53
54  <p>After you have
55  <link xref="bluetooth-connect-device">connected to a device</link>,
56  neither your computer nor the device needs to be visible to communicate with
57  each other.</p>
58
59  <p>Devices without a display usually have a pairing mode that can be entered
60  by pressing a button, or a combination of buttons for a while, whether when
61  they’ve already been turned on, or as they are being turned on.</p>
62
63  <p>The best way to find out how to enter that mode is to refer to the device’s
64  manual. For some devices, the procedure might be
65  <link xref="bluetooth-device-specific-pairing">slightly different from usual</link>.
66  </p>
67
68</page>
69