AutoBlue: enable or disable Bluetooth connectivity based on Wi-Fi connection

AutoBlue

AutoBlue is a smart idea wrapped into a somewhat unassuming package. It disables Bluetooth when connected to your home Wi-Fi network, and reenables Bluetooth when disconnected from the Wi-Fi network.

The goal of AutoBlue is to save battery life by keeping Bluetooth disabled when it’s not needed. Of course, this is only useful if you don’t use Bluetooth at home, and there’s really no telling how much battery life you actually save by disabling a Bluetooth connection when it’s not in use in the first place.

But it’s still a good idea if you happen to meet the criteria necessary to not make this tweak a hinderance. Check out our video walkthrough of AutoBlue in action after the fold.

Once you install AutoBlue, you’ll need to venture to the stock Settings app in order to set it up. There are two sections to configure for AutoBlue—a section for disabling Bluetooth when certain criteria is met, and a section for enabling Bluetooth when certain criteria is met.

AutoBlue Prefs

The criteria for disabling Bluetooth is as follows:

  • Connecting to any network
  • Connecting to a specific network
  • Never

The criteria for enabling Bluetooth is:

  • Disconnecting from any network
  • Disconnecting from a specific network
  • Never

The any network selection allows AutoBlue to work with any Wi-Fi network. In most instances, especially when using the scenario of disabling Bluetooth while at home, and enabling it while out, presumably in a Bluetooth connected car, you’ll want to use the specific network setting.

AutoBlue Settings 2

Up to five specific networks can be added to AutoBlue’s detection criteria. You’ll need to type these names in manually, but if you already happen to be connected to a network, you can leave this section blank, and AutoBlue will auto-populate the name of the network.

The real caveat to purchasing AutoBlue is that most of it can be accomplished by means of Activator, which is free. In fact, I created two Activator gestures with corresponding actions for enabling and disabling Bluetooth based on Wi-Fi connectivity status, and it worked exactly like AutoBlue. The only thing that Activator doesn’t allow, is the ability to single out specific Wi-Fi networks.

Activator AutoBlue

Activator can basically do the same thing as AutoBlue

AutoBlue is a good jailbreak tweak, but much of its functionality can be replicated in Activator. With that in mind, I recommend just using Activator, unless you prefer to use a specific Wi-Fi address for triggering actions. In that case, AutoBlue warrants purchase consideration. What do you think?