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Bluetooth Availability

The MyPlugStream and PlugStream Installer apps use Bluetooth to talk to your charger when you are next to it.

On PlugStream 7S (PS-7S) and PlugStream 7T (PS-7T) chargers with firmware 1.52 or later, Bluetooth is on all the time. You don't need to restart the charger or wait before you scan.

Firmware 1.42 to 1.51 turned Bluetooth off at times. See Older firmware. You can see your charger's firmware version in the MyPlugStream app under Charger settings.

Bluetooth does not affect charging. It does not affect the charger's Wi-Fi, Ethernet, 4G, or PlugStream connection either.

When Bluetooth is off

On firmware 1.52 or later, Bluetooth is off only:

  • during a firmware update. The charger turns Bluetooth off while it downloads and installs the update. It turns it back on when the update has finished.
  • when Bluetooth has been turned off for your charger. See If Bluetooth has been turned off.

If Bluetooth stops for any other reason, the charger turns it back on by itself, usually within a minute.

What the app uses Bluetooth for

Task More help
Setting up the charger. Your installer usually does this. How to use the PlugStream Installer app
Changing the charger's Wi-Fi network Change Wi-Fi or router
Restoring the password on the Local access card (firmware 1.72 or later) Your charger's local access password
Removing personal data from the charger (firmware 1.72 or later) Remove personal data from your charger
Factory reset Factory reset

What you need

For each of these tasks:

  • Be next to the charger, with Bluetooth turned on on your phone.
  • Be signed in to the app as the charger's owner. During setup, the installer signs in to the PlugStream Installer app instead.
  • Have an internet connection on your phone. The charger does not need one.

Before the charger accepts a change, the app gets permission from PlugStream for your account and that charger, and passes it to the charger. The app does this by itself each time it connects. It stops people nearby from changing a charger that is not theirs. Chargers with firmware 1.44 or later check this, and owners can't turn the check off.

Finding the charger in a scan, reading its status, and listing the Wi-Fi networks it can see change nothing on the charger. So the charger does not ask for permission for them. The app still checks your sign-in as soon as it connects, so sign in first.

If the app says the charger didn't accept your phone, or that Bluetooth authorisation failed:

  1. Check that you are signed in to the account that owns the charger.
  2. Check that your phone has an internet connection.
  3. Try again.

If the app can't find the charger

  1. Stand next to the charger and turn on Bluetooth on your phone.
  2. Check that the app is allowed to use Bluetooth and nearby devices. You can check this in your phone's settings.
  3. Check that the charger has power.
  4. If the charger is updating its firmware, wait for the update to finish. A solid purple light means a critical update is in progress. Leave the charger powered.
  5. Scan again in the app.
  6. If your charger has firmware 1.42 to 1.51, Bluetooth may be off. See Older firmware.
  7. If the charger still does not appear, Bluetooth may have been turned off for your charger. See If Bluetooth has been turned off.

If Bluetooth has been turned off

On firmware 1.52 or later, PlugStream or the company that manages your charger can turn its Bluetooth off. Some sites ask for this, for example for security. You can't turn Bluetooth on or off in the MyPlugStream app.

What you see:

  • On firmware 1.60 or later, the charger restarts once by itself. It waits until no charging session is in progress and no phone is connected to it over Bluetooth.
  • On firmware 1.52 to 1.59, the charger does not restart. Bluetooth turns off once no phone is connected to it.
  • After that, the charger no longer appears when the app scans for nearby chargers.
  • Bluetooth stays off, even after a power cut or a restart, until it is turned back on.

Charging keeps working. So do the MyPlugStream app's remote features and the charger's internet connection.

Without Bluetooth, use these instead:

To turn Bluetooth back on, contact whoever manages your charger. That is PlugStream Support, or your landlord, employer, or charge point operator if they manage it. On firmware 1.60 or later, the charger may restart once more, again when no charging session is in progress. Bluetooth then comes back.

During installer commissioning

On firmware 1.52 or later, Bluetooth is on all the time. Start commissioning whenever you are ready. There is no time limit after power-on.

On firmware 1.42 to 1.51, start the Bluetooth scan within 10 minutes of powering on the charger. A connected phone keeps Bluetooth on, and it stays on for 30 minutes after the last connection. If commissioning stops for longer than that, see Older firmware before you carry on.

Older firmware

Firmware 1.42 to 1.51

Bluetooth was only on when it was likely to be needed:

Charger condition Bluetooth
First 10 minutes after power-on On
Offline for about 5 minutes On, so Wi-Fi details can be changed
A phone is connected over Bluetooth Stays on. The charger does not cut off a connected phone.
Up to 30 minutes after a phone last connected or disconnected Stays on
PlugStream Support has turned Bluetooth on On until the charger restarts
Online, after the first 10 minutes, with no recent Bluetooth use Off

The charger checked these every 30 seconds, so a change could happen slightly after the times shown.

To use Bluetooth on this firmware, do one of these:

  • If the charger is offline, leave it powered for at least 5 minutes. Then scan again.
  • If the charger is online, restart it safely, then scan within 10 minutes.
  • Ask PlugStream Support to turn Bluetooth on until the next restart.

To restart the charger safely, use only its dedicated isolator or protective device. Do not open the charger enclosure. Do not switch the charger off while the light is solid purple: a critical firmware update is in progress and must be allowed to finish.

Chargers receive firmware updates from PlugStream while they are online. Once your charger has firmware 1.52 or later, Bluetooth stays on. See Firmware updates.

Firmware before 1.42

Bluetooth was on all the time.

Useful links:

Still need help?

Contact PlugStream Support and include enough detail for the team to find your charger and understand what happened.

Please include:

  • charger serial number, if you have it
  • MyPlugStream account email or site contact email
  • LED colour or Charger readiness message
  • what you expected to happen and what happened instead
  • photos of the charger, cable, connector, or installation area if relevant
  • screenshots from the MyPlugStream app if relevant

See How to contact PlugStream Support.