- The Bluetooth 6.1 update has just been announced
- It should improve device privacy and battery life
- It might come to iPhones and Android devices as soon as this year
Your next phone could come with a new Bluetooth feature that could make it harder to track you and boost your battery life at the same time, in a double win for any of the best phones that incorporate it. And while we don’t know its exact release date, there’s a chance we could even see it this year.
The feature in question from the new Bluetooth 6.1 protocol is called Randomized RPA Updates, and it’s just been announced as part of the Bluetooth upgrade. In this instance, RPA stands for resolvable private address, and it’s this part that will have an impact on your privacy.
That’s because under Bluetooth 6.0, devices will change their identifier addresses on a set timer, and this predictable process makes them easier to track. With Bluetooth 6.1’s Randomized RPA Updates feature, those address changes will happen randomly, with an interval of between eight and 15 minutes (although this can be customized anywhere from every second to every hour). That eliminates the update pattern, making your device far harder to track and exploit.
This change also affects battery life, as the process can be handled by your phone’s Bluetooth chip rather than its CPU. Lower load on your device’s processor should translate to better efficiency, which in turn means slower battery drain.
When will we see these changes?
Bluetooth 6.1 has only just been revealed as part of the protocol’s new bi-annual release schedule, but there’s a chance we might see it in new devices as soon as this year.
Apple, for example, has a decent record for adopting new technologies in its products, so there’s a possibility we could see Bluetooth 6.0 – or perhaps even Bluetooth 6.1 – in its iPhone 17 range.
Still, 2026 feels like a more likely date for Bluetooth 6.1 to debut in phones, both of the Apple and Android variety. Usually with new Bluetooth tech, it’s better not to expect it too soon.
When it does arrive, though, it should bring benefits to both your privacy and your phone’s battery life – and that’s a double bonus for us to look forward to.
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alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake)
