Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 - Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy

Overview

In this tutorial, we are going to learn how to use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) with the Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 and the DIYables Bluetooth App. By the end of this guide, you will be able to wirelessly control your Arduino project from your smartphone — no extra hardware needed, just your phone and your Arduino board.

The Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 packs both WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) onto a single NINA-W102 module, making it one of the most capable boards in the MKR family for connected IoT projects. You can connect it directly to the DIYables Bluetooth App on Android or iOS without any additional Bluetooth module. It also features a built-in Li-Po battery charger (MKRLIPO connector), so you can run your project wirelessly from a Li-Po cell while controlling it over BLE from your phone.

Note: The Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 only supports BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) for the DIYables Bluetooth App. It does not use Classic Bluetooth with this library. The DIYables Bluetooth App supports both BLE and Classic Bluetooth on Android, and BLE on iOS. Since this board uses BLE, the app works on both Android and iOS.

Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 Bluetooth Low Energy BLE Tutorial - DIYables Bluetooth App

Features

BLE Wireless Control: Control your Arduino from up to 10 metres away
Android & iOS Support: BLE works on both platforms
No Pairing Required: BLE auto-connects — no manual Bluetooth pairing in phone settings
Multiple App Widgets: Sliders, joystick, monitor, plotter, gauge, temperature, chat, table, rotator, and more
MKR Form Factor: Standard MKR connector pinout — easy to stack MKR shields
Built-in Li-Po Charger: Run the board from a Li-Po battery for truly wireless projects
Dual Radio: WiFi and BLE share the same NINA-W102 module
Low Power: BLE consumes significantly less power than Classic Bluetooth
Easy Setup: Single library install handles all communication

Hardware Preparation

1	×	Arduino MKR WiFi 1010
1	×	Micro USB Cable

Or you can buy the following kits:

1	×	DIYables Sensor Kit (30 sensors/displays)
1	×	DIYables Sensor Kit (18 sensors/displays)

Disclosure: Some of the links provided in this section are Amazon affiliate links. We may receive a commission for any purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.
Additionally, some of these links are for products from our own brand, DIYables .

NINA Firmware Requirement

> Important: The NINA-W102 module firmware must be version 1.4.8 or higher for BLE to work correctly with the ArduinoBLE library. Many boards ship with older firmware that will cause BLE.begin() to fail silently.

Check Current Firmware Version

Open Arduino IDE
Go to File Examples WiFiNINA Tools CheckWiFiNINAFirmwareVersion
Upload the sketch to your Arduino MKR WiFi 1010
Open the Serial Monitor and check the reported firmware version

Update NINA Firmware

In Arduino IDE, go to Tools Firmware Updater
Select your Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 board and COM port
Select the latest available NINA firmware (1.5.0 or higher)
Click Update Firmware

Software Setup

Detailed Instructions

Follow these instructions step by step:

If this is your first time using the Arduino MKR WiFi 1010, refer to the Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 getting started guide.
Connect the Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 board to your computer using a Micro USB cable.
Launch the Arduino IDE on your computer.
Select Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 board and the appropriate COM port.

Install Board Core

Go to Tools Board Boards Manager...
Search "Arduino SAMD Boards"
Install version 1.8.13 or higher by Arduino

Install DIYables Bluetooth Library

Navigate to the Libraries icon on the left bar of the Arduino IDE.
Search "DIYables Bluetooth", then find the DIYables Bluetooth library by DIYables
Click Install button to install the library.

Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 DIYables Bluetooth library

You will be asked for installing some other library dependencies
Click Install All button to install all library dependencies (includes ArduinoBLE 1.3.6+).

Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 DIYables Bluetooth dependency

Mobile App

Install the DIYables Bluetooth App on your smartphone: Android | iOS

Note: The DIYables Bluetooth App supports both BLE and Classic Bluetooth on Android, and BLE on iOS. Since the Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 uses BLE, the app works on both Android and iOS. No manual pairing is needed for BLE — just scan and connect.

Open the DIYables Bluetooth App
When opening the app for the first time, it will ask for permissions. Please grant the following:

Nearby Devices permission (Android 12+) / Bluetooth permission (iOS) - required to scan and connect to Bluetooth devices
Location permission (Android 11 and below only) - required by older Android versions to scan for BLE devices

Make sure Bluetooth is turned on on your phone
On the home screen, tap the Connect button. The app will scan for BLE devices.

DIYables Bluetooth App - Home Screen with Scan Button

Find and tap your Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 device name in the scan results to connect.

Examples

All examples below use the ArduinoBLE platform (BLE only), which is compatible with the Arduino MKR WiFi 1010.

Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 - Bluetooth Slider - Control values with one or two sliders
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 - Bluetooth Pin Control - Toggle digital output pins on/off
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 - Bluetooth Monitor - Wireless serial monitor — stream and receive text
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 - Bluetooth Plotter - Plot sensor data as a real-time chart
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 - Bluetooth Analog Gauge - Display values as analog gauge dials
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 - Bluetooth Temperature - Display temperature and humidity readings
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 - Bluetooth Joystick - Read 2D joystick input from the app
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 - Bluetooth Rotator - Control a rotary/dial value from the app
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 - Bluetooth Chat - Send and receive text messages
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 - Bluetooth Table - Display data in a structured table layout
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 - Bluetooth RTC - Sync real-time clock from the app
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 - Bluetooth Multiple Apps - Use multiple app widgets in one sketch

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely Cause	Fix
Device not visible when scanning in the app	Bluetooth firmware too old	Update firmware to ≥ 1.4.8 via Tools → Firmware Updater
BLE.begin() returns false	Old firmware or wrong board core	Update Bluetooth firmware and Arduino SAMD core
Connects but no data received	ArduinoBLE library too old	Update ArduinoBLE to ≥ 1.3.6 via Library Manager
Compile error - ArduinoBLE.h No such file	ArduinoBLE not installed	Install ArduinoBLE via Library Manager
Compile error about board	Wrong board core installed	Install Arduino SAMD Boards ≥ 1.8.13
App connects then immediately disconnects	Interference or power issue	Ensure stable USB power; keep phone within 5 metres

Notes

Use the ArduinoBLE_ examples — not Esp32BLE_ or Esp32Bluetooth_. Those are for different hardware.
The NINA module handles BLE MTU negotiation automatically. The DIYables library manages message fragmentation — no manual chunking needed.
The board must remain powered (USB, external 5V, or Li-Po battery) for BLE advertisement to stay active.

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