Version: 2.0
Last updated: 2026-03-11
Legend
| Product Verb | Development Action |
|---|---|
| "MUST" | Mandatory product requirement |
| "SHOULD" | Optional recommendation |
| "MAY" | Nice to have |
Overview
This specification document is divided into two sections:
1. Minimum requirements describe the criteria for a peripheral category to be compatible with ChromeOS.
2. Additional requirements describe the criteria for certification in addition to Minimum requirements.
Terminology
Bluetooth device or device refer to the ChromeOS compatible peripheral being qualified. ChromeOS device refers to the host or controlling device, if applicable.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Generic Bluetooth Requirements
The following requirements apply to all Bluetooth devices (accessories and peripherals). Additional sections define scenario-specific requirements.
- The device MUST be qualified and listed on https://launchstudio.bluetooth.com.
Bluetooth Basic Rate and Enhanced Data Rate (aka Classic)
These requirements apply to any device supporting the Bluetooth BR/EDR transport.
The device MUST support Enhanced Data Rate (EDR).
The device MUST support the Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) without requiring pairing.
Bluetooth Input Device Requirements
These requirements apply to Bluetooth accessories that provide user input capabilities, such as mice and keyboards.
The device MUST use Low Energy (LE) transport.
The device MUST support the HID Over Gatt Profile.
Bluetooth Headset and Speaker Device Requirements
These requirements apply to Bluetooth accessories that provide audio input and output capabilities through the Bluetooth Hands Free Profile (HFP) and Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP). These requirements are in addition to the Generic Bluetooth Requirements.
The audio device MUST set the following bits in the Major Service section (2.8.1) of the Class of Device (COD) parameter:
Audio (bit 21)
Rendering (bit 18)
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Along with the Minimum requirements, a peripheral MUST meet below mandatory requirements to achieve certification.
Generic Bluetooth Requirements
[Mandatory] MUST be qualified against Bluetooth Core 4.2 (amended) or higher core specification.
[Mandatory] MUST be securely FW upgradable on ChromeOS.
[Optional] The device SHOULD use a 7.5ms aligned connection or sniff interval.
Bluetooth Low Energy Requirements
These requirements apply to any device supporting the Bluetooth Low Energy transport.
[Mandatory] The device MUST support LE secure connections.
[Mandatory] The device MUST be capable of resolving private resolvable addresses. - [Mandatory] The device MUST support the Battery service if the device is equipped with a battery. The device's low battery threshold should be set to 15% of the battery's usable capacity.
[Mandatory] The device MUST use a connection interval aligned to a 7.5ms interval (eg 7.5ms, 15ms, 22.5ms etc.)
[Mandatory] The device MUST only set the Generic or Limited discoverable flag if in bonding mode.
[Mandatory] When in pairing mode, the device MUST at least contain the following sections:
- In the main advertisement:
- Flag
- LE Appearance
- Either in the main advertisement or the scan response:
- TX Power Level
- Services
- Local Name (can be short)
[Optional] When in pairing mode, the device SHOULD use an advertisement interval no larger than 100ms and remain in pairing mode for at least 30 seconds.
Bluetooth Basic Rate and Enhanced Data Rate (aka Classic)
[Mandatory] MUST support Secure connections.
[Mandatory] MUST support the Device ID Profile.
[Mandatory] MUST support a sniff interval which is a multiple of 7.5 ms. 15ms is recommended.
[Mandatory] MUST support a link supervision timeout of at most 10 seconds (<5 seconds is recommended).
[Mandatory] When discoverable, the device MUST use an Extended Inquiry Response which includes at least the following sections:
- Local Name (complete or short)
- TX Power Level
- Service List (complete or short)
Bluetooth Input Device Requirements
These requirements apply to Bluetooth accessories providing user input capabilities such as mice and keyboards.
[Mandatory] The device MUST use a random address (private or static). - [Mandatory] The device MUST use a new random address whenever the device is put into pairing mode.
[Mandatory] The device MUST use high duty cycle directed advertisements or undirected advertisements with an advertisement interval of no more than 50 ms for fast reconnections.
[Optional] The device SHOULD support Fast Pair to facilitate proximity-based pairing. In the future this will become a mandatory requirement.
Bluetooth Headset and Speaker Device Requirements
[Mandatory] The device MUST support A2DP 1.3 or later
- [Mandatory] The device MUST support the AVDTP Delay Reporting mechanism.
- [Mandatory] The device MUST support a jitter buffer of at least 150ms and report any changes via the AVDTP Delay Reporting mechanism.
[Optional] The device SHOULD support AAC decoding.
[Mandatory] The device MUST support AVRCP 1.6 or later including support for the following features:
Absolute volume control
Play (if a physical button is present on the device)
Pause (if a physical button is present on the device)
Stop (if a physical button is present on the device)
Forward (if a physical button is present on the device)
Back (if a physical button is present on the device)
[Mandatory] If the device has a microphone, the device MUST support the HFP Profile.
[Optional] The device MAY support HFP 1.7 or later.
[Optional] The device MAY support the battery level reporting feature if the device has a battery.
[Optional] The device MAY support Wide Band Speech and mSBC encoding.
[Optional] The device MAY support absolute volume control.
[Mandatory] The device MUST NOT assume there will be AT commands to change call status for an audio session to be opened.
[Optional] The device MAY support Accept/Reject an incoming voice call and Terminate a call (if a physical telephony button is present on the device)
[Optional] The device SHOULD support Fast Pair 2.0 or later to facilitate proximity-based pairing. In the future this will become a mandatory requirement.
[Mandatory] The device MUST have a switch delay between A2DP and HFP smaller than 250ms.
| Date | Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-05 | 1.1 | Added [ChromeOS specific muting requirements]. |
| 2024-02-01 | 1.0.1 | Republication on a new platform. |
| 2023-08-18 | 1.0 | Initial Partner Site Publication. |
Revision History
| Date | Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-11 | 2.0 | Update documentation |
| 2026-03-11 | 1.1 | Update documentation |
| 2024-02-01 | 1.0.1 | Initial publication on Google Developers platform. |
| 2023-08-18 | 1.0 | Initial publication. |