HTC One M8 and TrackR

[RedHeadPeter]

I crowdfunded the TrackR bravo device for locating lost items and now have a pack of 10 of them which won't connect to my HTC One M8 phone. I have managed to get them to connect to my ASUS tablet - but that isn't the desirable outcome. I am in constant contact with TrackR support but at present they cannot suggest a solution, and as they do work on the tablet it clearly isn't because they don't work. I have googled - with no result - so I'm here as a last resort to find out if anyone has a glimmer of an idea.
The phone is a stock HTC One M8 in the UK, unlocked and never locked to any supplier. It is running Android 5.0.1, HTC Sense 6.0, Software number 4.16.401.13.
In the apps section it shows 2 Bluetooth related apps - Bluetooth Share and Bluetooth Widget.

The TrackR bravo is a little device with an internal button battery which uses Bluetooth 4 LTE to coimmunicate to phones. It works by installing the TrackR app and locating and connecting to the device through that - bypassing the Bluetooth connection/pairing in the phone.

The app locates the devices but refuses to connect. The devices do show up in the list of available devices on the phone.

I have cleared caches and data as far as possible from the two Bluetooth apps. I have, I think, turned off the Safety lock security around trusted devices. Nothing works.

Does this ring any bells for anyone or does any trick suggest itself as worth a try.

 

[ptwilliams]

Yep, exactly the same phone and UK model here. Had issues with all my TrackR devices. Only way I can get them to work is actually remove TrackR battery, get the TrackR app almost to the point of where it looks for it, then skip to the normal Android Bluetooth screen, start searching for devices, reinsert TrackR battery, blue light for pairing will light, pair and enter the code if asked, then rapidly switch back to TrackR app which will then recognise the device and ask you to name where its being used.

A ball ache I know, but works.

Curiously, exactly the same thing happened with my Sense sleep monitoring device from Hello Inc. Took me hours to sync properly.

 

[RedHeadPeter]

Thanks for that...it led to the first connection on the phone, but it didn't last!

I found I had to pair them on the phone, then take the battery out of the TrackR to reset it, start the TrackR app then put the battery back in and it worked! Hurrah I thought. But then I move the TrackR about 15 feet away from the phone - on the other side of a wall I admit (regular internal brick wall) and it lost connection. And won't reconnect.

Dismal experience. I'll keep plugging away. I'll reset everything and try to connect again and then see what line of sight range is - but if they won't reconnect what's the point anyway?

 

[ptwilliams]

It is a disjointed experience I'll give you that!

Mine never reconnects instantly, even in range, but the items position on the Map is right, and I guess that's the best you can hope for.

Mine also will occasionally repeatedly ask for "Connection Request from tkr, allow or deny" - but this seems to have stopped lately. Actually after I was working through the steps to reply to your last question!

 

[RedHeadPeter]

New batteries got my line-of-sight range up to 50 feet. Not awesome. I guess this wasn't the greatest investment I ever made but will get what I can from them. Reconnection is now working, though painfully slow even when they are inches apart!

 

[LCW82]

I know it is more than 1 year later, but it is still an issue. I bought 3 Bravos and set up on my HTC M8. It worked for a few hours and then could not find even when 3 feet away. I reinstalled and it worked fine for a few hours and then did not connect most of the time. In desperation I downloaded the APP on my Samsung S6. Works perfect. The answer is the driver or other connection method TrackR is using does not work right on some Androids. They still did not wake up. By the way the M8 is a good phone and I use it instead of the Samsung because it malfunctions by not being able to hear the other side on the phone intermittently. It happened before and they changed the phone. Now it is out of warranty so I bought and like the HTC.