How to Connect Your Allo Client Device via Bluetooth
Power on your Allo client device, pair it with the Allo app over Bluetooth using the on-screen PIN, and confirm a successful connection.
Your Allo client device is the radio hardware that transmits and receives messages over the radio mesh. The app on your phone communicates with this device exclusively over Bluetooth — messages you type travel from your phone to the device, and then out over the radio network. Before you can send or receive anything, you need to complete the Bluetooth pairing process described on this page.
Make sure Bluetooth is turned on on your phone before you open the app, and check that your phone is not in power-saving mode. Power-saving or battery-saver modes restrict background Bluetooth activity on many Android and iOS devices, which can cause the app to disconnect unexpectedly or fail to find your device during scanning.
Only one phone can be connected to a single Allo client device at a time. If another user is already paired to the device you are trying to connect, they will need to disconnect first.
Pair your Allo device with the app
Enable Bluetooth on your phone
Open your phone's Settings and confirm that Bluetooth is switched on. On both Android and iOS, you can also swipe down to the quick-settings panel and tap the Bluetooth icon.
While you are there, check that your phone is not in a power-saving or battery-saver mode. If it is, disable it before continuing.
Power on your Allo client device
Press the bottom button on your Allo client device briefly. The screen shows Loading… while the device boots. Once startup is complete, the screen displays:
- The device name in the upper-left corner — for example,
F48CDB8For a location name such asNoodsteunpunt Dorpstraat - A 6-digit PIN in the centre of the screen — you need this PIN to complete pairing
The device screen turns off automatically to save battery. If the screen goes dark, press the top button to wake it and show the PIN again. Do not press the bottom button — that restarts the device.
If the device does not turn on at all, the battery may be empty. Connect it to a USB charger using the supplied cable and wait a moment before trying again.
Open the Allo app and go to device pairing
Open the Allo app on your phone. If you have just completed the account setup flow, the app automatically advances to the device pairing screen. If you are returning to the app after setup, navigate to Settings and select Connect device.
The app begins scanning for nearby Allo devices over Bluetooth. Available devices appear in a list. Each entry shows the device's Bluetooth broadcast name, which follows the format Allo- followed by the device name — for example, Allo-F48CDB8F or Allo-Noodsteunpunt Dorpstraat.
Select your device from the list
Tap the device name that matches the name shown on your client device's screen. If multiple devices are visible — for example, during a team deployment — confirm the name carefully before selecting.
The app moves to a PIN entry screen.
Enter the PIN and confirm pairing
Type the 6-digit PIN shown on your Allo device's screen into the app and confirm. Your phone's operating system may show a second Bluetooth pairing dialog asking you to enter or confirm the PIN again — enter the same code and tap Pair.
Once pairing succeeds, the app shows a connected status and begins syncing your organisation's groups, contacts, and settings from the device. Wait for this sync to complete before sending your first message.
After pairing
When the app is connected to your device, a status indicator in the app confirms the Bluetooth connection is active. You are now ready to send and receive messages over the Allo radio mesh.