BluetoothProfile

Bluetooth profile is a formal specification that defines how two Bluetooth devices interact to provide a specific service or capability. A profile describes the roles, procedures, data formats, and how devices discover and use a given service, enabling interoperability across vendors and hardware. Profiles sit above the core Bluetooth stack and utilize underlying link layers and transport mechanisms such as L2CAP, RFCOMM, SDP, or GATT in the case of Bluetooth Low Energy.

Profiles are designed to support common use cases, from audio and telephony to data transfer and input devices. They typically cover the connection lifecycle, including how devices discover each other, how connections are established and terminated, and how data is exchanged or controlled. Many devices implement multiple profiles simultaneously, allowing, for example, audio streaming while still providing hands-free telephony or remote control features.

Common examples of Bluetooth profiles include the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) for stereo audio streaming, the Hands-Free Profile (HFP) and Headset Profile (HSP) for telephony, the Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) for media control, and the Serial Port Profile (SPP) for serial data communication. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) introduces a related concept of GATT profiles and services, such as Heart Rate or Battery Service, which define how data is organized and accessed in BLE devices.

In software development, a BluetoothProfile abstraction often represents a profile within a framework. It provides mechanisms to query connected devices, monitor connection states, and manage profile-specific behavior, helping applications interact with the appropriate Bluetooth capabilities in a platform-agnostic way. See also Bluetooth SIG, Bluetooth Core Specification, and GATT.