Your Bluetooth LE devices
anywhere in the world
Turn an old Android phone into a bridge for your Bluetooth devices. Control the heater in your van, the lights at your cabin or the sensors on your boat with the manufacturer's original app, as if you were standing right next to them.
Set everything up in your browser.
Never touch the phones.
Pair the phones once with a QR code and leave them in a drawer or on a charger. Everything else happens in the portal, from your computer or your phone.
- 1Scan around the hub in your van, even when you are 300 km away.
- 2Add a device with one click. The hub remembers its Bluetooth profile.
- 3Mirror it at home. The phone next to you makes your heater available, and the manufacturer's app finds it as if it were right there. Every command really goes to the heater in your van.
- ✓Live status: who is online, what is being mirrored, how many apps are connected.
- ⏻It doesn't have to stay on. Turn on the phone next to you (Virtual Device) only when you want to use the manufacturer's app. Only the hub next to the devices runs all the time.
One button.
From anywhere.
Out on a hike and want a warm van when you get back? You don't need the manufacturer's app or a second phone. Just tap a button in the portal.
- 1Record once. At home, do the action in the manufacturer's app, for example turn on the heater. BLExpand remembers what the app sent to the device.
- 2Save it as a button with your own name: "Heater on", "Lights off".
- 3Run it from anywhere in your phone's browser. The hub in your van sends the device exactly the same command.
- 🔒Actions are stored only on your hub, not on our server. We never modify or analyze the commands.
Works with devices that accept the same command repeatedly (most heaters, lights and plugs). Some locks and secured devices encrypt every command differently. For those, use mirroring with the manufacturer's app. You can check whether an action works with one click right after recording it.
Original app. New distance.
No substitutes, no unofficial controllers. You use exactly the app the manufacturer gave you.
Transparent BLE bridge
We mirror the device's complete Bluetooth structure and advertising. The manufacturer's app believes it is right next to it.
Control from the portal
Scan, add devices and start mirroring in your browser. No need to pick up the phones.
A second life for old phones
No new hardware needed to get started. An old Android phone from your drawer and a charger is enough.
Works over LTE and Wi-Fi
No public IP address, no port forwarding. A regular LTE router in the van or Wi-Fi at the cabin is all it takes.
Runs on its own
Reconnects after network drops and starts by itself after a phone restart. You won't even notice it.
Recorded actions
Record an action from the manufacturer's app once, then run it with one button, from anywhere, without a second phone.
Multiple devices at once
Heater and lights on one Virtual Device at the same time, switch with one click in the portal.
On when you need it
The Virtual Device can stay off most of the time. When you turn it on, it reconnects and restores what it mirrored last.
No changes to your devices
We don't take anything apart or analyze anything. Communication passes through untouched, exactly as the manufacturer's app sends it.
Connected in three steps
Setup takes a few minutes. No programming, no complicated configuration.
Sign in to the portal
Sign in at admin.blexpand.app with your Google account and create a hub, for example "Camper van". You get a pairing QR code right away.
Pair two phones
The old phone next to the device becomes the hub and runs all the time. The one next to you is the Virtual Device: turn it on only when you need it. When switched on, it reconnects and restores what it mirrored last.
Open the manufacturer's app
Pick the device to mirror in the portal. Open your usual app (for example the heater app) at home and control it as if you were standing by the van.
Wherever you leave Bluetooth unattended
Camper van and RV
Turn on the heater while you're still at work. It's warm when you arrive.
Cabin
Bluetooth lights, thermostat or plugs, even when you're in the city.
Boat
Sensors, battery and lights in the marina under control from home.
Garage and workshop
Bluetooth devices without having to be next to them.
Your devices are your business
BLExpand is built so that we know as little as possible about your devices.
🔐 What we never store
- The list of your Bluetooth devices, their names and addresses
- The content of communication between the app and the device
- What you control and when
Data flows directly between your phones and your browser. The server only forwards it.
🛡️ End-to-end encryption coming soon
- Keys are created directly on your phones during pairing
- The server only sees encrypted data. Not even we can read it.
- A safety code to verify that nobody sits in the middle
Connections are already protected by TLS, access is secured with one-time QR codes, and you can remove a device with one click.
BLExpand Hub on ESP32
Prefer a solution without a smartphone?
A small, low-power box with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth based on ESP32-S3 / C6 chips. Plug it into USB and leave it in your van or cabin. No battery to swell in the summer heat, no system updates.
It can also do what a phone can't, for example devices whose app is bound to a specific address.
Try the beta with a phone ↗Start today, the beta is free
Until the app is on Google Play, install it directly from our website. Android 8 or newer is required.
After downloading, open the file and allow installation from this source. All versions and checksums are at dl.blexpand.app.
Questions?
Do I need to carry a second phone when I'm away?
No. For everyday tasks (heater, lights, plugs) use recorded actions: tap a button in the portal and the hub in your van sends the command itself. You only need the Virtual Device when you want to use the manufacturer's app fully (settings, detailed status). It can stay off most of the time and reconnects when switched on.
How many phones do I need?
Two: one (an old one is fine) stays next to the devices as the hub, the other one is with you as the Virtual Device. You then use the manufacturer's app on your everyday phone. Android can't connect to itself over Bluetooth, which is why the Virtual Device can't be your own phone.
Will my device work?
Most Bluetooth Low Energy devices whose app finds them by name or type work without changes. Some apps are bound to a specific device address. Those will be supported by the upcoming ESP32 Hub. Classic Bluetooth (headphones, speakers) is not supported.
Do I need root or any modifications?
No. Just install the app and scan a QR code. We don't modify devices or manufacturers' apps.
Does it work over mobile data in a van?
Yes. The hub connects outbound, so you don't need a public IP address or router configuration. A regular LTE router or mobile data is enough.
How fast is it?
Typically a fraction of a second. That is perfectly fine for turning on a heater or lights or reading a sensor. BLExpand is not meant for gaming or audio streaming.
How much does it cost?
BLExpand is free during the beta. An affordable subscription will follow later, with basic use staying free.
Is it secure?
Only your Google account has access to your hub, phones are paired with one-time QR codes and can be removed with one click. We don't store the list of your devices. End-to-end encryption of all communication is coming soon.
Give your old phone a second life
Set up a hub in minutes and control your Bluetooth devices from anywhere.