# Please help, can't get Inkbird ibt-6xs to connect to BBQ Go app.



## reformedvegan

hello,

I am having problems with my new 

 Inkbirdbbq
 ibt-6xs thermometer. I can't make a connection to it using the BBQ Go app. I downloaded the app, set permissions to allow location, turned on phone's Bluetooth, turned on the ibt-6xs, open the BBQ Go app, hit the start button, but the app is unable to detect the ibt-6xs. I have tried this now, multiple times, with two different phones running different versions of Android. Do I have a defective unit?


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## Steve H

You have bluetooth on. But is it actively searching for signals? On my phone. I need to request a search.


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## TNJAKE

There is a button on front of the unit you have to short press the first time you connect to Bluetooth


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## Steve H

I thought he said he did that. Ok, That could be a problem!


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## TNJAKE

Couldn't tell if he was talking about the start button on the app or the one one the unit. Worth a shot


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## reformedvegan

Okay, I tried pressing the start button on the app AND the button on the front of the thermometer unit, but it made no difference - the attempt to connect still timed out after 60 seconds. I tried a few times


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## TNJAKE

My phone's Bluetooth has an option in settings that says "make my device visible to others" give that a try


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## reformedvegan

My phone is running android 10. On Android 10, the phone is automatically "discoverable" as soon as the Bluetooth settings screen is opened - there is no manual toggle to make it discoverable. 

Also, my phone detects the BBQ thermometer, but of course it asks for a PIN if I try to connect from my phone's Bluetooth settings. I can toggle straight from my bluetooth settings screen (where the thermometer shows as an available device) to the BBQ Go app, tap "Start", and hit the little button on the thermometer, and it still won't find my phone and connect.


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## reformedvegan

Another thing, if I go into my Bluetooth settings and select "iBBQ" from there, a radio signal icon flashes on the ibt-6xs that looks kinda' like {(.)} , but of course, the phone also asks for a PIN. If I toggle back to the BBQ Go app from here, the icon on the ibt-6xs goes away and I cannot connect through the BBQ Go app.


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## smokerjim

Dont know if it makes a difference but do you have more devices with bluetooth turned on. You can PM inkbird through this site they are good at getting back to us.


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## reformedvegan

Well, 

 smokerjim
, I do have wireless speakers throughout the house that have bluetooth active all the time. I could unplug them all, but even if I do that, my phone (at least) can still detect active Bluetooth devices from my neighbors. If I step outside, then my phone detects active bluetooth devices from my other neighbors. So, I don't think there is a way to clear the environment of all other Bluetooth signals. If 

 Inkbirdbbq
 doesn't reply to this thread in the next day or so, then I will send them a PM.


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## Steve H

Have you tried to uninstall. And then reload the app?


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## reformedvegan

Okay, I got it to work!

Here is how I did it:

I downloaded a _different_ app for my phone, called EasyBBQ. This app appears to have the same interface as BBQ Go. In fact, there are a ton of BBQ thermometer apps on the Google Play Store that appear to basically be clones of one another, but they are all "published" by different companies. What is the origin of this?

Anyway, the EasyBBQ app connected to my Inkbird IBT-6XS right away - no problems whatsoever. I then deleted the Easy BBQ app from my phone, and opened the BBQ Go app, and BBQ Go connected right away!

Now everything is working, but it required use of another app for the initial connection to my phone. This appears to be a bug in in BBQ Go app. I hope 

 Inkbirdbbq
 can fix this bug. I would also like to know why all these thermometer control apps seem to be identical. I hope Inkbird is working on their own, custom app, and not going to rely on a re-branded generic app going forward. I would love to be able to give the probes custom names like "Lisa's Steak" or "Left Rear Grill Temp". I would also love to have the ability to log tempertures and export data as a CSV file or PDF or something. I would also love for the graph scale to be customized and to save data and reconnect to contiune the previous graph seemlessly in the event of an app crash or signal interruption. 

 Inkbirdbbq
 are you working on any of this?


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## TNJAKE

Glad you got it figured out. You can name each probe. Go to app. Open. Click on probe 1






Then scroll to bottom of preset page and find the plus. Click that





Then type in the name and desired temp


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## reformedvegan

TNJAKE
 Ah, thank you! I didn't see that plus sign. Now, I just need to meet someone named Lisa so that I can cook her a steak. 

This will make the unit much more useful. I got this unit to try and "decode" my pellet cooker. I want to know where the hot and cold spots are, and what the temp swings are like. I need a graph readout and multiple probes to do this.


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## TNJAKE

It also has graph data. But it resets sometimes when you close the app. I leave mine running in background and it usually works uninterrupted. It doesn't save cook data though. You can screenshot it though


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## TNJAKE

Click button top right corner





Then graph comes up. There is a separate one for each probe


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## reformedvegan

Wow, I just noticed that the BBQ go app was last updated November 11, 2018. I sure hope they are planning to maintain it, or replace it with something better!


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## Inkbirdbbq

Hi there,thank you for supporting Inkbird. 
Please turn on the GPS before connecting.Android system need to open it.
Thanks for the suggestion. We are working hard to develop our own app.
We will try our best to perfect what you said.
Any confusion please feel free to contact me.
Miya


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## dr k

I have five or six bbq BT therm apps down loaded for my Sorken 6 probe BT therm so I  get notified which one's get updated. None yet. Lots of the last updates were because no connection to  Samsung 10. They all crash periodically on my Samsung Gs7 when using my phone while monitoring and when you go to  different apps then back to monitoring. Then when leaving the bbq app to go to FB or SMF etc a message says app has stopped running do you want to restart it. You need to restart the app to start monitoring again but it saves your presets for each probe and loses the graph. And all bbq app graphs periodically restart for no reason several times throughout a long smoke. Dropping graphs is one thing I can live with it's the crashing and having to restart from using  the phone's other apps that finally crash the bbq app running in the background. The bbq apps don't crash when it's running and you set it down to sleep and check just the bbq app. I have been using the Chugod app because it has four alarm tones to choose from instead of the one out of hand sound on the others. I use the split screen view to have the chugod app on top always in view and the others I go in and out of below it.  With the recent apps button on the lower left I  swap out apps I surf and don't move the chugod app on top because the bottom split view app  is the one that changes with the recent button.  With the bbq app alway on the top third of the screen and any other app on the bottom two thirds  or 50/50 split,the app doesn't  crash but the graphs will always restart periodically.  So far two long smokes and no crashes. So here's a screen shot of me posting this post with the bbq app on the top third of the screen and SMF on the the botton two thirds. I can view and scroll the bbq app and normally use it as I post just keep it split screen. Once you go to full screen it's a matter of time when you get the notification the app has stopped running.


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## Inkbirdbbq

dr k said:


> I have five or six bbq BT therm apps down loaded for my Sorken 6 probe BT therm so I  get notified which one's get updated. None yet. Lots of the last updates were because no connection to  Samsung 10. They all crash periodically on my Samsung Gs7 when using my phone while monitoring and when you go to  different apps then back to monitoring. Then when leaving the bbq app to go to FB or SMF etc a message says app has stopped running do you want to restart it. You need to restart the app to start monitoring again but it saves your presets for each probe and loses the graph. And all bbq app graphs periodically restart for no reason several times throughout a long smoke. Dropping graphs is one thing I can live with it's the crashing and having to restart from using  the phone's other apps that finally crash the bbq app running in the background. The bbq apps don't crash when it's running and you set it down to sleep and check just the bbq app. I have been using the Chugod app because it has four alarm tones to choose from instead of the one out of hand sound on the others. I use the split screen view to have the chugod app on top always in view and the others I go in and out of below it.  With the recent apps button on the lower left I  swap out apps I surf and don't move the chugod app on top because the bottom split view app  is the one that changes with the recent button.  With the bbq app alway on the top third of the screen and any other app on the bottom two thirds  or 50/50 split,the app doesn't  crash but the graphs will always restart periodically.  So far two long smokes and no crashes. So here's a screen shot of me posting this post with the bbq app on the top third of the screen and SMF on the the botton two thirds. I can view and scroll the bbq app and normally use it as I post just keep it split screen. Once you go to full screen it's a matter of time when you get the notification the app has stopped running.
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> View attachment 451732


Thanks for the support. We are working hard to our new own app. Please look forward to it.


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## donpachuco

How do these things get such good reviews, when out of over 100K downloads, the app scores a 2.7 out of a possible 5 stars?  A bbq friend, stated to me, that the app, "had to be designed by some mongoloid kid in the poorest possible area of China, with no BBQ experience".  Makes me worry about dropping $60 to $70 on a IBT-6XS, if that's the case.  Also, my friend Bryan's words, not mine, so don't shoot the messenger.


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## TNJAKE

donpachuco said:


> How do these things get such good reviews, when out of over 100K downloads, the app scores a 2.7 out of a possible 5 stars?  A bbq friend, stated to me, that the app, "had to be designed by some mongoloid kid in the poorest possible area of China, with no BBQ experience".  Makes me worry about dropping $60 to $70 on a IBT-6XS, if that's the case.  Also, my friend Bryan's words, not mine, so don't shoot the messenger.


I have a few of their products and have never had an issue


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## reformedvegan

donpachuco said:


> How do these things get such good reviews, when out of over 100K downloads, the app scores a 2.7 out of a possible 5 stars?  A bbq friend, stated to me, that the app, "had to be designed by some mongoloid kid in the poorest possible area of China, with no BBQ experience".  Makes me worry about dropping $60 to $70 on a IBT-6XS, if that's the case.  Also, my friend Bryan's words, not mine, so don't shoot the messenger.



Well, I finally downloaded another app called easyBBQ. It's clearly a very slightly modified version of the same app that is BBQ Go. Which is the chicken and which is the egg? Are they both eggs of some other chicken? Anyway, the easyBBQ ap connected right away. And BBQ Go would also connect fine after I made that initial connection using the other app. The app is really great with the exception of disconnecting if you accidentally close it or your phone goes to sleep. I would love to be able to store cook data and modify the axies on the graphs, but that's really not truly necessary. The Bluetooth range of my Inkbird is great, and I solve the disconnection issue by using an old phone that has a busted SIM card slot as a dedicated unit for the Inkbird. That way I am not messing up the touchy BBQ Go app by running another app or receiving a call etc.

Inkbird clearly needs to come out with a better app though, that is undeniable.


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## Inkbirdbbq

reformedvegan said:


> Well, I finally downloaded another app called easyBBQ. It's clearly a very slightly modified version of the same app that is BBQ Go. Which is the chicken and which is the egg? Are they both eggs of some other chicken? Anyway, the easyBBQ ap connected right away. And BBQ Go would also connect fine after I made that initial connection using the other app. The app is really great with the exception of disconnecting if you accidentally close it or your phone goes to sleep. I would love to be able to store cook data and modify the axies on the graphs, but that's really not truly necessary. The Bluetooth range of my Inkbird is great, and I solve the disconnection issue by using an old phone that has a busted SIM card slot as a dedicated unit for the Inkbird. That way I am not messing up the touchy BBQ Go app by running another app or receiving a call etc.
> 
> Inkbird clearly needs to come out with a better app though, that is undeniable.


Thanks! We are working on that.


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## donpachuco

I mean every time I look at it and think about buying it, while I like the esthetics of the unit and the 6 probes, I remember the reviews.  At least it wouldn't be as big of a disappointment as spending $1,500 on a pellet grill and having a crap controller, probes, and sketchy app.  I wanted the 6 probe unit to work in place.


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## duke_meister

Thanks for this thread. Just to be clear to other BBQ Go newbies, the instructions are completely wrong.

The app it says to download, won't pair with the device.
The instructions don't say to press the power button to pair the device.


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## reformedvegan

donpachuco said:


> I mean every time I look at it and think about buying it, while I like the esthetics of the unit and the 6 probes, I remember the reviews.  At least it wouldn't be as big of a disappointment as spending $1,500 on a pellet grill and having a crap controller, probes, and sketchy app.  I wanted the 6 probe unit to work in place.





 donpachuco
 The unit really is great, I have no problems whatsoever with it, except for my initial connection to the BBQ Go app. It has largely replaced my ThermoPro TP-08S as my go-to. I love the Inkbird.



duke_meister said:


> Thanks for this thread. Just to be clear to other BBQ Go newbies, the instructions are completely wrong.
> 
> The app it says to download, won't pair with the device.
> The instructions don't say to press the power button to pair the device.




D
 duke_meister
 I think you misunderstand the issue. The unit's instructions clearly stated to press the only button (power button) to pair, but paring was absoultly not possible on the first use of the unit using the BBQ Go app. The unit had to first be paired with another third party app before it could be recognized and paired using the BBQ Go app. The third party app could then be deleted with no further issues connecting with the BBQ Go app.


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## duke_meister

reformedvegan said:


> donpachuco
> The unit really is great, I have no problems whatsoever with it, except for my initial connection to the BBQ Go app. It has largely replaced my ThermoPro TP-08S as my go-to. I love the Inkbird.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> D
> duke_meister
> I think you misunderstand the issue. The unit's instructions clearly stated to press the only button (power button) to pair, but paring was absoultly not possible on the first use of the unit using the BBQ Go app. The unit had to first be paired with another third party app before it could be recognized and paired using the BBQ Go app. The third party app could then be deleted with no further issues connecting with the BBQ Go app.


"The unit's instructions clearly stated ..."

Not clearly at all. My manual says, and I quote: "Press and hold the power button on the device for 3 seconds to power it on".  That's it. IMO it's only obvious once you know. Anyway, not a big deal :)


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## deanokhan

Inkbirdbbq said:


> Thanks for the support. We are working hard to our new own app. Please look forward to it.


Do you have an ETA on the new app. The bbqgo app graph is pretty bad. The graph lines disappear when it goes high and you can only guess if it's stable or not unless you keep looking at it


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## Inkbirdbbq

deanokhan said:


> Do you have an ETA on the new app. The bbqgo app graph is pretty bad. The graph lines disappear when it goes high and you can only guess if it's stable or not unless you keep looking at it


We have a New product. Both support Bluetooth and Wifi connection. And it uses our new app. Support tracking the temperature graphs at any time, also can download it. The Bluetooth connection only supports real-time check. If you need discount for this unit, please PM me.


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## deanokhan

Inkbirdbbq said:


> We have a New product. Both support Bluetooth and Wifi connection. And it uses our new app. Support tracking the temperature graphs at any time, also can download it. The Bluetooth connection only supports real-time check. If you need discount for this unit, please PM me.
> 
> View attachment 483113


doesn't answer my question,  anyways I just figured out a work around for the graph, I will need to test a little.


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## Inkbirdbbq

deanokhan said:


> doesn't answer my question,  anyways I just figured out a work around for the graph, I will need to test a little.


No problem. Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions.


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## MartinMuckl e

I had the same issue as the original poster. I tried the Easybbq trick but although Easybbq connected straight away it made no difference to the Bbq Go app.

The solution was to long press on the app icon and go to App Info. Once there go to Permissions and select location. Then choose the 'Always' option.  Then when I started the app and the device I pushed the power button quickly ( as in Easy bbq) and connected.


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## sajurcaju

I know it's an old thread, but archiving my experience.
As reformedvegan found, easyBBQ connects effortlessly. It even tells you to push the button once to pair. I then tried BBQgo again--no connection. Amazing that I have to use a competitor's app on BBQgo hardware.
It is complete BS that I need to have location on (easyBBQ also). BBQgo says "no data collected" which is certainly a lie. Unhappy customer.

Even better. BBQgo won't let you run it without turning on location. easyBBQ requests location, you tell it "no" and it opens up to read your thermal sensors. Works over bluetooth, I can play music in my earbuds at the same time, what's not to like?


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## dr k

Inkbirdbbq


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## dr k

sajurcaju said:


> I know it's an old thread, but archiving my experience.
> As reformedvegan found, easyBBQ connects effortlessly. It even tells you to push the button once to pair. I then tried BBQgo again--no connection. Amazing that I have to use a competitor's app on BBQgo hardware.
> It is complete BS that I need to have location on (easyBBQ also). BBQgo says "no data collected" which is certainly a lie. Unhappy customer.
> 
> Even better. BBQgo won't let you run it without turning on location. easyBBQ requests location, you tell it "no" and it opens up to read your thermal sensors. Works over bluetooth, I can play music in my earbuds at the same time, what's not to like?


Inkbird should be able to help 

 Inkbirdbbq


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