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Published: February 7, 2024

Oral-B Bluetooth connectivity explained

Author: Jon Love (152 Comments)
Oral-B Bluetooth connectivity explained 1

Bluetooth is a technology that has been around for quite some time. No doubt you are quite familiar with it already.

You most likely use it on your smartphone for connecting your headphones, speakers, and other accessories.

But it is built into many of today's electric toothbrushes, to make them 'smart'.

In fact, it has been built into some toothbrushes for much longer than you might imagine. Oral-B introduced it into the Oral-B Smart Series 6000 back in 2014.

Oral-B iO toothbrush and smartphone app

Whilst Oral-B might have been the first, others including Sonicare and Colgate have too given some of their brushes this technology.

Oral-B does however remain the brand most focused on adding this technology to their toothbrushes.

For many people, yourself included maybe, the idea of a Bluetooth enabled toothbrush seems a bit ridiculous. But, the ridiculous is here and it's all geared toward improving your oral health.

Bluetooth is not a feature that we consider to be a must have. Nor do we rank it as 'high importance' in our guide to buying a new toothbrush. But do not be put off by what you may consider a gimmick.  It does in many cases actually work, and for some will add real value.

In this post, I explain Oral-B Bluetooth Connectivity; what it is, how it works, and how you can make use of it.

What is Bluetooth connectivity?

Bluetooth connectivity is a wireless standard for short-range interconnection between electronic devices.

It is this technology in your toothbrush, smartphone or tablet that allows the brush and your mobile product to communicate and capture relevant data.

Oral-B Bluetooth connectivity: how it works, explained

This is not an explanation of exactly how Bluetooth works, but how it works in relation to the Oral-B Bluetooth enabled ('smart') toothbrush.

You need a mobile device such as a smartphone, be that an Android or iOS mobile that has Bluetooth connectivity, and can run the Oral-B app.

Most modern smartphones are considered compatible.

On your device, you will need to download the free Oral-B app from the app store.

You can get the Oral-B toothbrush app for iOS HERE.

You can get the Oral-B toothbrush app for Android devices HERE.

You also need one of the Oral-B's Bluetooth enabled toothbrushes, which at the time of writing includes:

Once you have the app downloaded, you need to turn on Bluetooth from the settings on your mobile device.

Once Bluetooth is enabled on your smartphone, open the app, allow certain permissions, and follow the on-screen direction for pairing the brush.  The process usually takes just a few seconds. Turning the brush on or pressing the cleaning mode button is all that is normally required.

All being well your phone and app will communicate successfully, and once complete, there will be no need to re-pair in the future unless you actively delete the connection between the 2 devices.

Oral-B Bluetooth connectivity explained 2

With the connection established, the two devices can communicate and share the key data between them.

The brush can send data to an app, such as how long it has been brushing for and if too much pressure has been applied when brushing.

What might be mundane information is then presented in a nice and engaging format on the app screen so that we can clean our teeth to a better standard.

The data is analyzed and presented in a way that is meaningful, charts and graphs etc.

The number of options has improved over time, but you can do anything from customizing the cleaning time, to enabling and disabling specific cleaning modes and much more.

Oral-B Bluetooth connectivity explained 3

The sharing of data between toothbrush and smartphone is intended to assist you and me as the users in creating better brushing techniques and habits.

To get maximum value from this technology, it is best to use the app on your phone at the same time as you brush your teeth.

However, this is not always practical and something you might want to do. Not everyone wants their phone in the bathroom. You do not have to.

Most Oral-B brush handles can hold up to 20 cleans worth of data. Therefore, it is perfectly possible to go a week or so without pairing to the app.

This data is then transferred back to the smartphone app the next time it is connected.

It might not necessarily retain quite the depth of data as it might if used in real-time, but for most, it is good enough.

Oral-B Bluetooth connectivity explained 4

The sharing of data between toothbrush and smartphone is intended to assist you and me as the users in creating better brushing techniques and habits.

To get maximum value from this technology, it is best to use the app on your phone at the same time as you brush your teeth.

However, this is not always practical and something you might want to do. Not everyone wants their phone in the bathroom. You do not have to.

Most Oral-B brush handles can hold up to 20 cleans worth of data. Therefore, it is perfectly possible to go a week or so without pairing to the app.

This data is then transferred back to the smartphone app the next time it is connected.

It might not necessarily retain quite the depth of data as it might if used in real-time, but for most, it is good enough.

Oral-B Bluetooth connectivity explained 5

Whilst it is no replacement for a trained dental health professional, it is designed to be the next best thing, picking up on areas for improvement, so you can work towards a consistent cleaning routine that helps keep your teeth and gums healthy.

The app can intelligently make suggestions and provide tips to further improve your oral healthcare routine. Whilst some will be generic and applicable to all, some will be specific to you, based on the data your brush and app obtain from your brushing routine.

Different brushes & app configurations

It is very important to be aware that the exact configuration of the application does differ depending on the toothbrush you own and pair with the app.

The features and functions of the app will differ if using the Oral-B Smart 6 6000 compared to the Oral-B Genius 9000 or iO Series 9.

At the time of writing, I am aware of 6 different app configurations of the main Oral-B app. 1 particular Bluetooth enabled Oral-B brush requires a new app entirely and there is too a Fun Zone app for kids Bluetooth enabled brushes.

This is intentional by Oral-B and can make understanding exactly what the app will offer you quite difficult.

The underlying user experience is similar, but there are subtle differences.

Typically, the more premium brushes offer more features within the application. This is normally because the handle itself has more premium technology built-in.

The app is updated fairly regularly, which can result in changes, and in the summer of 2020, a significant update was rolled out with the introduction of the Oral-B iO.

What you might learn about at time of purchase or in a review could be different when you come to use the brush with the app.

Here at Electric Teeth, we try to keep on top of these updates, but as you can imagine with so many brushes and configurations, it can be tricky.

Whilst the app stores do usually list what has changed with each update, the details of these changes can be limited. I have seen features be added and removed with little or no notice. With 'auto-updates' often enabled this issue can be magnified.

It is also essential to enable certain device permissions for some features to work correctly. Location is one such permission, which not all agree with. You have the choice, but not enabling it can limit functionality.

There are countless features we could explain, but here is a list of the main options/menus available within the app and what they offer you.

Oral-B Bluetooth connectivity explained 14
  • Home
    • Your latest brushing data with quick access to additional app functions.
  • History
    • All your historic toothbrushing data is charted often with a score for a simple quick glance interaction and understanding.
    • Depending on your brush will depend on the exact data available, but it can include coverage, pressure, brush time, gum guard, and additional routines.
    • The data is often broken down by week, month, and year.
  • Challenges
    • A list of medals/awards you have and can win based on certain activities.
    • Achieve models for regular brushing routines or at certain times of the day.
    • Set specific dental care journeys such as whitening or fresh breath.
  • More
    • Home to all the key settings for the app and your toothbrush including battery status as a percentage (%).
    • Create or login to an Oral-B Me account to sync and retain your data on Oral-B's system which should make it easy to retain data if you change toothbrush or smartphone.
    • Personalize your brush handle changing the order of cleaning modes and the light on the Smart Ring.
    • Enable or disable certain cleaning session features such as visuals or vibrations on the handle.
    • Track how long you have been using your brush head, setting reminders for when a replacement is required.
    • Notification settings - change the notification you receive from the app.
    • You can get personalized data sent through to you for review and encouragement as well as more generalized news and info if you wish.

Going ever so slightly deeper into some of the features.

  • Timer
    • This is the live countdown of your brushing routine. 
    • It shows how long you have been brushing for, what quadrant you should be focused on, what cleaning mode you are using and if too much pressure has been applied during the brushing cycle.
    • With AI/position detection enabled brushes it should show precisely what teeth have been cleaned and which areas have been missed. Those perfectly cleaned teeth will show white with poorly cleaned areas being a dull white or pale blue color.
  • Dental care journeys
    • This gives the option to customize the app and the toothbrush to aid you in achieving specific oral healthcare goals, be that freshening breath, fighting plaque or improving the health of your gums. 
    • Specific conditions are set, some of which are dependent upon the model of your toothbrush. But this could include changing the recommended brushing time, disabling cleaning modes and adding in other reminders.
Oral-B Bluetooth connectivity explained 15

Real-time tracking - 6 & 16 zone (3D teeth tracking)

Many brushes, notably the iO Series offer real-time tracking.

This is where sensors in the brush handle track the position of the toothbrush in relation to your teeth and report this back to the app.

The intention is that it gives an overall picture of how well you are brushing, by turning this data into a score. The toothbrush is picking up more than just how long your brushed for. It is looking at whether you actually brushed your upper right molars or not for example. The better your coverage with the brush head, the better the score.

However, not all tracking is equal necessarily. And unfortunately, the differences are not that clearly defined by Oral-B.

Some 'smart' or Bluetooth enabled brushes offer no actual position detection technology. The most they will offer is an on-screen timer.

Those that do offer real-time tracking will highlight on-screen which area of the mouth you are covering at that time.

You primarily have either 6 or 16 zones tracking.

There is a strong argument to suggest that the 16 zones (3D teeth tracking) can encourage you to brush all your teeth better than when you track just 6 zones.

The 16 tracked zones are as follows:

  • Upper rear right
    • Front surface
    • Biting surface
    • Inside surface
  • Upper font
    • Front surface
    • Inside surface
  • Upper rear left
    • Front surface
    • Biting surface
    • Inside surface
  • Lower rear right
    • Front surface
    • Biting surface
    • Inside surface
  • Lower front
    • Front surface
    • Inside surface
  • Lower rear right
    • Front surface
    • Biting surface
    • Inside surface
Oral-B Bluetooth connectivity explained 16

Whereas the 6 zones tracked with the other models are:

  • Upper rear right
  • Upper front
  • Upper rear left
  • Lower rear right
  • Lower front
  • Lower rear right
Oral-B Bluetooth connectivity explained 17

The app screen is configured in such a way that you can clearly see which of the 16 zones you have and have not brushed.

16 dotted zones sit in the center of the on-screen display in a circular formation. As each zone is brushed correctly, that dotted zone disappears until no dotted zones remain and all the teeth on the large visualization turn white.

When only 6 zones are tracked, you can essentially spend all the time cleaning only 1 of the surfaces within that zone and the brush will still consider the zone brushed. That isn't the case with the models offering 16 zone tracking.

The extra detail in the tracking can pick up on more specific, but important improvements needed in your brushing routine.

Of course, with any toothbrush, you want to be giving fair attention to all of the 16 zones so you have an even clean to the teeth and gums.

Thus, to master your technique models like the iO Series 9, with 16 zone tracking, does have that bit extra to push you to make sure you are making the correct contact with all surfaces.

But, how much difference this really makes in everyday use, is a bit subjective.

There is no long term data available that analyses if apps and real-time tracking do have a beneficial impact compared to someone learning the correct brushing techniques via other means and implementing them.

To better understand and see how the 6 and 16 zone 3D teeth tracking works, watch the following video.

Oral-B Bluetooth connectivity explained 18

Multiple users

Most electric toothbrushes and associated apps are geared to work for one user only.

For example, if 2 people shared a Bluetooth enabled brush handle, the brush would track 4 cleaning sessions in a 24 hour period.  By default, it would then sync these 4 sessions to the app assuming it was the brushing data for 1 user. 

Oral-B have addressed this issue to a point,  but it is far from an ideal solution at this stage, in my opinion.  

In order to maintain correct brushing records for each individual’s brushing statistics, the automatic synchronisation of cached brush data needs to be turned off.

This is completed in the app, by navigating to the 'More' menu and following 'Your Brush'>'Sessions'>'Automatic Session Sync' and moving the slider to the “off” position.

Oral-B Bluetooth connectivity explained 19

With this setting disabled, all users can use the one brush handle in combination with their individual smartphone and installed version of the app. However, any brushing events that take place in the absence of the app will not appear in their statistics and will be lost.

Essentially what this means is that 2 or more users can make use of the Bluetooth connectivity and tracking on their own phone, as long as they have their phone within Bluetooth range every time they brush, to allow for the immediate syncing of the tooth brushing data to their phone.

Another option, perhaps more expensive, but less hassle is to consider either the dual handle packages of the Genius 8900, 9900 or the Smart 5 5950 (view on Amazon).

In these packages, you get two brush handles.  This will potentially mean rather than sharing brush handles, each user will have their own, and you will only be sharing the charging stand and other included accessories. 

Now each user has their own brush handle, their own cleaning data can be recorded and shared to their own mobile device for performance review, without the need for the phone to be in range every time you brush.

Which brushes have Bluetooth connectivity?

This list is subject to change, but currently the following Oral-B models have Bluetooth connectivity:

Which brushes have which features?

The following table gives a breakdown of how the app configuration and features differ depending on the Oral-B toothbrush.

ModelOn-screen timerReal-time tracking with AI
Pro 6000YesNo
Pro 6500YesNo
Smart 4 4000YesNo
Smart 5 5000YesNo
Smart 6 6000YesNo
Genius 8000YesYes - requires use of smartphone camera
Genius 9000YesYes - requires use of smartphone camera
Genius XYesYes – 6 zones
iO4YesNo
iO5YesYes – 6 zones
iO6YesYes – 6 zones
iO7YesYes – 6 zones
iO8YesYes – 6 zones
iO9YesYes – 3D teeth tracking – 16 zones
iO10YesYes – 3D teeth tracking – 16 zones

Where can I get the app?

There is an app for Android and iOS devices.  The compatibility of the app with different products may vary.

You can get the Oral-B app for iOS HERE.

You can get the Oral-B app for Android HERE.

FAQ

There are a number of frequently asked questions surrounding the Bluetooth connectivity and the Oral-B app, the answers to which are included below.

If you have any other questions, please leave a comment below or get in touch.

How to connect an Oral-B toothbrush to Bluetooth

  • You need to turn on Bluetooth on your mobile device.  It is worth ensuring that within your Bluetooth settings, the device is set to ‘discoverable’.
  • Download and install the Oral-B app if you have not done so already.
  • Open the app and follow the on-screen prompts for how to complete the pairing and setup procedure.

Can the brush connect to 2 or more different mobile devices and sync the brushing data for different users?

  • Yes.  Refer to the section titled ‘multiple users’ above.

Is it right that the app requires access to my device location?

Yes.  This is a permission that must be granted for the app to work.  Disabling or denying this permission will stop the app from working correctly.

The brush is not connecting to the app. What do I do?

  • The cause may be different for each user, but it is worth turning both the mobile device and the brush off and restarting them.
  • Make sure that Bluetooth is turned on and your mobile device is marked as ‘discoverable’ within the settings.
  • For previously paired devices, try deleting the connection and re-pairing.

Can I turn off Bluetooth?

Bluetooth can be deactivated on models that have both a power and cleaning mode button.

  • Press the on/off button and the mode button simultaneously for 3 seconds to disable Bluetooth completely.
  • Turn the toothbrush handle back on, you should now notice that the Bluetooth icon just above the power bar is now turned off, meaning your Bluetooth is deactivated.
  • You can reactivate the Bluetooth anytime, by following the same steps and you will know it is back on when the icon is lit up.

With the Oral-B iO Series Bluetooth can be turned off via the settings on the display rather than via button presses.

Author: Jon Love

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E
Emily
January 9, 2024

Hi there, I wonder if someone could shred some light on this please as it’s driving me insane! (LOL) I have recently brought the IO9 and I’m confused by what guided and unguided means on the app? It has both on my app but I have only brushed my teeth the once? Yet I have two separate sessions logged at separate time frames only a couple of minutes apart is that the tongue clean I do after? They both have the time of how long it took to brush my teeth but only one shows the picture of the teeth and the coverage and that’s the guided session. It does this day and night and I don’t know why it’s logging twice? I can’t upload a photo for reference. Many thanks in advance. 😊

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
January 9, 2024

Emily. A guided session is where you have used the brush at the same time as the app. An unguided session would be where you have used the brush, but not used the app at the same time. For example your phone and app are in a different room at a different time when you brush. I'm not sure why it's showing 2 sessions if you have only used it once. It could be a default/template example to show you what it might look like as you are using the app for the first time.

E
Emily
January 10, 2024

Hi Jon, Thank you for your speedy reply much appreciated. That’s what I thought I always use it with the app and only the once hence getting confused. Last night I tried not turning it on again after brushing for tongue clean and there was no unguided session so I’m wondering if it’s that’s? I’m going to try it again this morning but with tongue clean and see what happens. Many thanks 😊

AA
Ali Asif
October 11, 2023

Hi Jon, Thanks for sharing the details. One question which is not clear is - can I connect to two tooth brushes in one app, the scenario is one brush at home and other for the travel. Best Regards

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
October 11, 2023

Hi Ali. No, you can't do this. The 'best' option you have is to disconnect one brush and re-connect the other as you move between brushes. You are not the first to want such functionality.

AA
Ali Asif
October 11, 2023

Thank you .

TD
Tracey D
May 14, 2023

I currently have the Genius 9000, but was thinking of getting another one (either same or the io series) for travel. Can I connect both to the app, or is it only one toothbrush at a time? I’ve tried looking for the answer via various searches on Google, but can’t find anything. Thanks in advance!

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
May 15, 2023

Good question Tracey. You can't have 2 different brushes connected at one time. You have to 'forget' one and reconnect the other each time you switch. The data from the relevant brushing sessions should sync/stay in order, but it's not a case of just tapping to select which brush you are using or it automatically detecting each time. Is there a reason why you can't use your current Genius 9000 for travel?

M
Michael
February 20, 2023

Thanks for the useful article. How does the six zone analysis dovetail with the four zone/30 second per zone cleaning routine and timer? For example, you’re supposed to spend 30 seconds on each of the four zones - upper left/right and lower left/right. But the app looks at six zones - upper left/middle/right and lower left/middle/right. I’ve found that it therefore double counts my efforts in the middle sections because, as it sees it, the middle section is getting two lots of 15 seconds each with the left and right sections getting only one lot of 15 seconds each. I think it would have been clearer if the app had had only four sections, or if the timer was in segments of 20 seconds. How do we reconcile these please?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
February 22, 2023

Hi Michael. The short answer is I do not think there is an easy way for this to be reconciled/improved. It is a frustration I have highlighted in some of my hands-on reviews of specific models. Oral-B's latest model, the iO10 does default to sextant (20 second) pacing in line with the 6 zones in the app. If you have the app open at the same time as you brush, the pacer on the handle is usually disabled, thus you can work on a 6 zone approach by following the on-screen timer.

M
Michael
February 22, 2023

Thanks, yes, I’ve now noticed that the timer buzzer seems to be disabled when using the app, so you just learn to follow the thing on screen. Seems to work fine - it’s not really that accurate in terms of knowing where it is in your mouth, but if you treat it as a general guide it’s fine. The main learning point for me is that the back teeth seem to require more time to clean than the front, so it helps with that.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
February 22, 2023

It isn't perfect Michael, but as long as you are gaining insights and learnings/that is he main thing. You are likely a couple of steps ahead of the majority in ensuring you have lovely clean teeth and gums.

K
Kieran
February 12, 2023

Hi Jon, I don’t have “My Account” available in the “More” section. I have the latest version of iOS (16.3) installed and my app version is 9.2.1 (5381). Could this be a regional feature? I have contacted Oral-B about this and I am currently awaiting reply.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
February 13, 2023

It is quite possible the features vary by region. Particularly if you have imported the iO10. I am interested to know what you get back from Oral-B. Where are you located?

K
Kieran
February 13, 2023

I am located in Ireland and the toothbrush was bought in Ireland, you can buy it from a few shops in Ireland. Oral-B have said that they’re looking into this so I’ll let you know if they solve the issue

K
Kieran
February 4, 2023

Hi Jon, Was there an update to the Oral B app that removes the ability to log into account? I recently bought the io10 with the assumption that it would sync through Wi-Fi to the cloud but it doesn't sync until I go into the app and then wake the toothbrush. I noticed that there's a lot of features in this article that don't appear in my Oral B app.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
February 6, 2023

Hi Kieran. The app does get updated every so often and the exact configuration can potentially depend on the model connected. I am not aware of the facility to log into your Oral-B account being removed. The syncing does depend on how you have the brush setup. It sounds like you have the iO10 setup to connect via Bluetooth rather than WiFi.

K
Kieran
February 6, 2023

Hi Jon and thanks for the quick reply. I’ve got the base set up with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, when I go into the app it shows both the Wi-Fi signal strength and the Bluetooth symbol. Also the base is showing the time which it needs the Wi-Fi connection for. When I go into “More” I only have the options to connect to Apple Health app and for the bleeding gums notification but there’s no other options available

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
February 6, 2023

Hi Kieran. I have just checked by resetting and reconnecting the iO10 I have. With my iO10 connected, under 'more' I have 'Your Account' where you can login. Do you not have this? This is on an Apple iPhone with iOS 16.2. My app version is 9.2.2 (5381) (This is taken from the 'More' section of the app itself.

V
Vladimir
April 14, 2023

Hi John, I have the same issue as Kieran has. I don’t have “My account” in “More section”. I do not have the option to synchronize to the cloud through wi-fi until I wake up my toothbrush. All my devices are updated to the latest versions, iPhone with iOS 16.4.1, My app version is 9.3.1 (5789). May be you have some new information on this issue?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
April 14, 2023

Hi Vlad. I have just updated my phone to the same iOS version & made sure the Oral-B app is up to date. I do have access to 'My Account'. Possibly it could be worth uninstalling the app and then reinstalling & reconnecting the brush. You could speak to Oral-B too as they may have alternative ideas, but there are often many variables and not always a logical explanation as to why something may or may not happen.

CB
Cliff Baughen
January 30, 2023

At last someone is prepared to give more information about how it works (thank you). I purchased my Genius X toothbrush about a year ago and use it with an iphone 8. The Oral B app worked well for a few months. Then the tooth sensing stopped displaying. Oral-B Support suggested certain actions but it made no difference. They said the App technical people would get back when there was a solution. About August the tooth sensing started again (I assumed it was the updated app). It stopped working after about 3 weeks. Oral B support still say it is with their technicians. Everything else appears to be working (bluetooth connection shows when using). iOS etc are up to date. Oral B say that the bluetooth connection needs to be 'secure'; what does this mean? They also say that the iphone needs to be on natural power and not power saving; which settings are they thinking of? I would appreciate any thoughts.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
January 30, 2023

Hi CLiff. Sorry to hear about your troubles. I can't say I have experienced the same issues as you, but I have heard of others having reliability issues and app updates do or do not help. It seems you have been particularly unlucky with an update fixing the issue only to go wrong again. I am not entirely sure what they mean by 'natural power' I think they might mean disabling 'low power mode' which is an option in the settings menu that disables certain background tasks when active to reduce battery drain.

CB
Cliff Baughen
January 31, 2023

Thanks for your reply. I've tried turning off Battery Health & Charging: Optimised Battery Charging and Low Power Mode and it made no difference.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
January 31, 2023

Ok Cliff. A last ditch effort, if you are prepared is to remove the app from the phone. Reset the brush. And then install the app and try connecting the brush again. You might have tried this already.

CB
Cliff Baughen
March 30, 2023

Thanks. I had tried that several times. The good news is that they have now sent me another brush and the system is currently working. Thanks again for your interest. Cliff

P
Philip
November 29, 2023

I had the same problem with Genius X and Google Pixel 6 Pro. App regularly says I'm brushing wrong part of mouth. It worked in past so likely explanation is an update but there is no facility to roll ack. Unfortunately, it has continued with a new brush. If anyone can help I'd be grateful.

AA
Andreas Allikma
December 27, 2022

My session stopped after two minutes and started a new one, making my session only 63% complete. Now my clean streak is ruined. How do I delete that session?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
December 29, 2022

If you got to the 'history' section in the app. Find the session(s) you want to delete and you slide that session to the left, it should offer the option I think.

C
Cindy
April 3, 2023

What if it appears to accept the deletion, but appears again when you review history. We can’t seem to get the bad session to actually remove…

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
April 4, 2023

This seems odd. I don't know. This is outside my knowledge. One to speak to Oral-B directly about.

C
Cindy
April 4, 2023

Ok, thanks for the response!

M
Mo
December 27, 2022

Does Oral b pro 4 have Bluetooth?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
December 29, 2022

Where have you seen this 'Pro 4' Series. They 4 series is usually known as the Smart 4 and does have Bluetooth, but some of the options/features enabled by Bluetooth are limited compared to other models. There have been Pro 4 models several years ago which may have had Bluetooth, but these are not sold now. Before confirming either way, I would like to know more about this Pro 4 you mention. Do you have a link to it?

M
Mo
January 4, 2023

How do I connect to my phone my phone model is Samsung s 22 plus?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
January 4, 2023

Does your model definitely have Bluetooth? There will be a Bluetooth icon on the front of the handle if it does. If it does, you need to download the Oral-B app from the Google Play store. With Bluetooth turned on, on your Galaxy S22, open the app and follow the on-screen instructions to connect the brush to your phone.

M
Mo
January 5, 2023

Ok thx

K
Kim
December 6, 2022

Just bought an io9 toothbrush and can't get it to show my brush sessions from when I'm not using the app. I thought that the brush would synchronize with the app whenever it were connected next time? Is that not correct? Best regards Kim

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
December 7, 2022

Hi Kim. Have you been into the settings to check that automatic sync is turned on?

V
Vanessa
November 29, 2022

I have a question about the multiple toothbrushes for one app. I bought a new io8 and previously used the pro 6000 which is now quite old already and takes forever to charge. I will however leave the old brush at my parents place for when I come visit so I don't need to bring my new io8 with me every time. I am using the oral b app and in the article it was explained one brush can only be connected to the app which is unfortunate in my position. Is there a way I still can make this work? Should I disconnect the brush every time I change between them? Will my data still be saved after that?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
November 29, 2022

Hi Vanessa. As far as I am aware you will need to disconnect/reconnect the different brushes each time. The app layout/configuration will be slightly different based on the features of the iO8 vs the Pro 6000. As long as you have an Oral-B account, which saves data in the cloud, you should be able to ensure all your data is retained when switching between the brushes.

N
Natasha
December 29, 2022

Last month I buy IO7 model. And first two days I have full acces to app. Full 3D tracking in 6 zones and everything else. It was great. But then 2 days after that it start to show only timer tracking. I don't understand why? If I can't use full app why it's work at first? Thanks and sending hello from Croatia. By the way I have Xiaomi 9AT model and Android 10 on him

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
December 31, 2022

Hi Natasha. I am not sure why you should stock getting the full tracking. Have you setup any special journeys or completed any configuration that might have caused this change? The simplest thing to do to rectify the issue is to reset the handle & reconnect it to the app, whilst also making sure you have the most up to date version of the app. You can reset the brush from the settings menu on the display on the brush. All being well this will resolve the matter.

N
Natasha
December 31, 2022

Yes, I set one month challenge to example healty gum or something like that. And it works and with than. Then suddenly stop. I try reset and brush and app a few times and it won't work. Next year I plan to buy new mobile phone. I hope that problem will stop. Thank you on your answer. All the best in 2023

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
January 2, 2023

Thanks for the extra information Natasha. It still doesn't seem right that it should work and then stop. You should check the app is up to date on your phone. It might be worth trying it with a friend or family member's phone, if possible to try and help determine if the brush is at fault or the phone. There can be an incompatibility with certain mobile devices, but seeing as it did work, it is all a bit strange.

M
Michael
November 8, 2022

Similar question to Rene P below, but the other way round.... I have two handles. This is because of work, I basically maintain two home bases and it's easier. I've just upgraded both my brushes to the io-Series 9000 and using the app for the first time. Can I have two brushes syncing to the same phone and combining data? It looks like I need to disconnect the existing brush and connect the other one each time I change location. Is this my only option or am I missing a trick?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
November 9, 2022

Hi Michael. As far as I am aware, you are correct that the only option is to disconnect one brush and reconnect the other each time you change location, to combine the data.

M
Michael
November 9, 2022

Not a big deal so I’m happy to do that on alternate weeks. Thanks for taking the time to look into it.

DL
David Lambrakis
October 17, 2022

Why do guided sessions not register in the app? Bluetooth sync's, the brushing session is visible in the app, but it is never guided. How do I ensure the session shows up as a guided session.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
October 17, 2022

Hi David. I don't have an answer for you, this is beyond my knowledge in truth. Have you made sure the app is up to date? It could be worth resetting the brush to see if this clears any issues/fixes this. This would lose any unsaved data. Oral-B should in theory be able to advise better on this than I can.

PH
Peter Haugaard Hagen
September 1, 2022

Why cant you have different users on the same account? For example my having my child as a user on my phone?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
September 2, 2022

I don't know the exact reason Peter. Oral-B hasn't designed the app/toothbrush this way, unfortunately.

PH
Peter Haugaard Hagen
September 2, 2022

Sounds like something they should and its probably easy also

CG
Carol Griffiths
February 21, 2022

I am about to change my phone and wanted to know if when I transfer data from my old phone to my new one will all my history and medalsvin my oral b io app transfer as well.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
February 22, 2022

If you have signed into the Oral-B app on your current phone, it should be backing up this data to the cloud. If then you sign into the app on your new phone, it should as far as I am aware be available on your new phone.

S
Stelios
January 29, 2022

I brush my teeth twice a day but unguided. When I sync my toothbrush with the app, the unguided sessions are not synced anymore. Why????

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
January 31, 2022

Hi Stelios. I am not sure why they would suddenly stop syncing. If you go into the app and go to More>Your brush (toothbrush needs to be connected)>Sessions>Automatic Session Sync - Is this toggled on to sync all sessions?

S
Stelios
January 31, 2022

Thank you for your reply. Yes the automaticac sync is activated and I never touched it. The sync of the unguided sessions just stopped. It is so annoying that I can not keep tracking of my sessions anymore, since most of my sessions are unguided. I paid so much money for this high technology toothbrush and I am completely disappointed.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
February 1, 2022

OK, so please go to the app store and check your app is up to date. If it is, the next option would be to uninstall and reinstall the app to see if there is some bug or something. The repairing process between the app and the brush once the app has been installed again may fix the issue. If that doesn't work, it is probably going to be worth speaking directly to Oral-B to see if they have any additional advice.

NR
Nicholas Rubin
February 26, 2021

Great guide. Thank you! Is there a way to edit/delete records from the history?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
February 26, 2021

Good question. I had to double-check as I didn't recall there being an option. The only option you have is to delete a session/data. Within the app, go to history and if you scroll down you will see each recorded session in dark blue rectanges. If to press and swipe on one, a red bar will appear. Continue to swipe it off the screen to delete the data for that session.

NR
Nicholas Rubin
February 26, 2021

Done! Thanks again!

RB
Richard Bradshaw
January 27, 2021

Good morning, I have been using a Smart brush for a week and most sessions on the timer show as ‘unguided’. Can you explain what this means a whether it is better to use unguided or guided, please? I also believe the average times are incorrect, by my own calculation, but am willing to let that play out over time as it doesn’t really matter if I know I brushed for 2 mins. each session. Thanks Richard

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
January 27, 2021

Hi Richard. Unguided means that you have brushed your teeth without using the brush at the same time as the smartphone application. Therefore when it syncs it is an indicator that at the time of brushing you were not using the app. I am not sure what model you have, but what should happen, is of you brush your teeth, whilst having the app on your phone open it will be saved as a 'guided' session. Those guided sessions should show you on screen how well you are brushing etc. I hope this helps.

DL
David Lambrakis
October 17, 2022

I have my phone on, and the App Open every time. I even press the sync button. Yet only about 1 in 5 Session show as Guided. The rest only ever show as Unguided. How do I fix this?

RB
Richard Bradshaw
January 27, 2021

I’ll try that, thanks. Richard.

J
Jenny
January 20, 2021

That was so helpful and sorted the issue - thank you for taking the time to help out.

J
Jenny
January 18, 2021

On my new io9 the modes seem to be locked and I can’t change them and move them up and down on the app - can you advise please - much appreciated!

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
January 19, 2021

Hi Jenny, Did you set up a journey/specific program in the smartphone app for example whiter teeth or fresh breath? If so this is what has likely locked the modes. If you go into the app, change the journey for example by disabling it, the modes should be made available again.

E
Ed
January 9, 2021

I prefer to use the unguided brushing as the AI does not work accurately and distracts from my actual brushing focus. Is it possible to edit the recording for unguided sessions where it does not record or allow manual entry for rinsing and gum bleeding?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
January 11, 2021

Hi Ed. No, I do not believe there is a way to do this (unless I have missed an option).

GS
George Sloss
January 5, 2021

it says it's the wrong password and can't get it re pair it is a smart 6 6000n

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
January 5, 2021

No need to enter a password normally George. Have you tried 0000? Failing that, forget the device within your Bluetooth settings and re-pair it via the Oral-B app.

M
Monica
December 17, 2021

Hi I have tried this several times it just does not work I'm sending the toothbrush back sadly. I have seen that many have the same problem unfortunately.

RP
Rene P
December 5, 2020

Morning Jon, Thank you for your great article & explaining , in short, the working of The Oral B toothbrush. You explain having one Holder with multiple users. My question ( have not found the answer yet): I have 3 oralB IQ toothbrush holders. I am wondering if I can just set up 1 account & register all 3 Holders to this same account. Kind a creating a family account ( my daughter, wife & me). Instead of using 3 different phones, accounts. I tried logging out( same phone) on the app& turning on different Holder, to see if the app register this toothbrush. No luck. Wondering if you have a solution for this & steps. Thank you so much & stay safe in these challenging times. Kind regards, RP

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
December 7, 2020

Hi Rene. Do you want all the brushing data to be combined? Or are you wishing for the brushing data of each user to be separate?

RP
Rene P
December 7, 2020

Morning Jon, I would like the brushing data , for each user separate. Just one app with 3 users. RP

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
December 7, 2020

Rene. The only way I think this will work is for each user to sign in and out of their account each time and to go through the pairing process with the brush handle each time. In short, it is a very awkward and likely impractical configuration.

RP
Rene P
December 7, 2020

Hi Jon, I had a feeling the app was not set up for potential, 3 users. Tried signing in/out. Really not practical. I thought it would have been convenient to have all the data ( 3 users ) in just one app/account vs three individual ones. Thank you again for your response, RP

KW
Katarzyna Wac
August 13, 2020

Great post, thank you! So how about the API, is that existing? functional? reliable? We are looking for collecting this data as addition to wearables/smartphone/self reports data for quality of life assessment.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
August 14, 2020

I am afraid I am unable to make comment on any API. You would need to speak to Oral-B on this. I am sure there is one, but I suspect this is only available to select/approved partners of Procter & Gamble, the Oral-B parent company.

ZS
Zachary Spence
April 28, 2020

Why is the genius X position detector so rubbish? Sometimes it doesn’t even pick up where you’re brushing. You could be brushing for 2 mins + and it not show an area completed. Then once you’re finished the app will say work on areas in blue. (Sometimes the whole mouth) when in fact all areas were brushed.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
April 28, 2020

It isn't perfect for sure. On the whole it works fairly well, at least it has for me. That said many seem to have a worse experience. There does seem to be a level of inconsistency in results.

C
Conny
April 16, 2020

Hi Jon, Is there a way to make a Smart Guide 3742 A work with any Oral B bluetooth toothbrush? I am curious why it even exists, if it doesn't connect to any toothbrush... Thanks! Conny

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
April 17, 2020

Hi Conny. I don't think there is a way. Presumably, you had the guide from a different toothbrush and now have a new one? Check out this SmartGuide article for more information which could help.

L
Larry
December 31, 2020

I have been searching for ways to extend the Oral-B platform using an SDK or API of some kind to create new cool ways of using this tech. There used to be a site called developer.oralb.com. But, it seems inaccessible now.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
January 2, 2020

Hi Larry. Interesting. What ideas did you have, if you don't mind sharing?! I was not aware of the developer site, as I have never looked into this personally. I guess you could always reach out to Oral-B, but I would be surprised if they offered such functionality.

M
Mirela
December 17, 2019

Hello, I just bought an Oral b Genius 8200. When first open it, my phone bluetooth saw it, but when I tried to connect with the app it doesn't not work. And know my bluetooth cannot see it and the app is trying to find it but it cannot succeed. Any ideas what could I do to connect the toothbrush with the app?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
December 18, 2019

Hi Mirela. The easiest and simple thing to do, would be to try uninstalling the app on your smartphone. Once you have done this, reinstall it and say yes to the permissions it asks for. Then try pairing the toothbrush again. If you try this and you are not successful we can potentially consider other ways to get it working.

M
Mirela
December 18, 2019

Hello, I've done that. I also reset my toothbrush and start the bluetooth again both on my device and my toothbrush, but the problem is the same. The bluetooth seems to be activated on the toothbrush , but it cannot be seen from any device. Thank you!

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
December 18, 2019

Mirela. When you say the toothbrush cannot be seen from any device, are you going into the bluetooth settings on your smartphone to find the toothbrush or are you trying to connect via the app? When the app launches, it normally asks for you to power it on and detects the brush. If you do this, what happens? Nothing I am guessing, but I wish to confirm.

M
Mirela
December 18, 2019

Hello, "When you say the toothbrush cannot be seen from any device, are you going into the bluetooth settings on your smartphone to find the toothbrush or are you trying to connect via the app?" - I've checked both, but neither from bluetooth settings on my smartphone ( and I also check that the bluethooth version is compatible), nor from the app, the toothbrush cannot be seen. "When the app launches, it normally asks for you to power it on and detects the brush." - Nothing happens, the app keeps searching for the toothbrush Thank you!

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
December 18, 2019

Thanks for the extra information. The last suggestion I have is to make sure the toothbrush is fully charged and then try again. Perhaps it would be best to speak to Oral-B who may be able to offer some extra advice. Others may have had this problem and they may have a fix. Sorry I cannot help further.

M
Mirela
December 18, 2019

Ok! :) Thank you a lot for the information!

A
Agnes
May 13, 2019

I just bought the Genius 9000, partly because of the travel case which allows the brush to be charged while in the case (useful while on holiday). But I feel I've already fallen at the first hurdle because when I plugged it in, I couldn't see any evidence of charging - is the light in the base of the travel case supposed to be on or flashing? Haven't got my head round the whole Bluetooth issue yet, it's the first time ever I've had a toothbrush for which I have to read a user guide to know what to do with it!

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
May 14, 2019

Hi Agnes. Yes, when the power cable is connected to the travel case and the brush is charging inside, there should be a green light on the bottom of the case that flashes. When the brush is fully charged that flashing light will stop. If you open the case up, and the Genius 9000 is sat in the correct position, the charging icon on the Genius 9000 brush handle will also light up.

A
Agnes
May 14, 2019

Thank you, Jon, for confirming what I had already assumed. Neither of those happened, I turned the brush slightly to see whether there was a light on the handle, and there wasn't. I've put it on the charger stand overnight; when I situated the handle the 'smart ring' lit up white for a second and the charging light started flashing, so I know that is working correctly. What did puzzle me was that the handle won't sit all the way down on the charging stand; there's a gap between them that I never got with previous models of Oral-B brushes. It isn't fully charged yet (when I got up the light was still flashing) but when it is I will give the travel case another go. Fingers crossed...

A
Agnes
May 14, 2019

... the Saga continues. Having established that the smart case charger seems to be defective, I contacted the Boots store where I got it on Saturday (when it was the only one they had in stock) and managed to get an exchange done in a different Boots store (where they had the same model but not the Limited Edition one - the smart case is plain white, and the box says "Genius 8000 - 9000" but it appeared to be the same one. And this is what I found: when I plugged the smart case charger cable plug into the socket, the green light flashed and the handle did what I expected it too (although the charging light on the handle 'stuck' at 2 of the 3 light units staying lit up). Until about 2 seconds later, when the lights all went out. When I pulled the charger plug and and back in, the lights repeated except for the green one in the smart case base. I repeated this again, and the same thing happened, with the smart case [green] light not flashing at all. I then plugged in the charger base and put the handle on it (this one sat right down on the base), and it is charging normally as I write this. So the weak point appears to be the smart case charger, either the plug, the cable or the case itself - or it could be that both charger plugs are not exactly the same (according to my husband, the smart case charger might need an adapter)... Can this be the case, I wonder? I can't find any mention of the plugs being different between the charger stand and the smart case.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
May 15, 2019

Hi Agnes. Ok, so well done for trying to work out what is going wrong! The charger for the smart case, is designed to connect to the 2 pin power socket found in UK bathrooms. You can buy adapters that allow you to connect it to a 3 pin UK socket instead. Presumably you are connecting the power cable for the case and the charging stand to the same 2 pin socket in your bathroom?

A
Agnes
May 18, 2019

Hi again Jon, We've managed to sort everything out between us... (Although it took my physicist husband to fit the returned brush with all the bits and pieces back into the box!)... First of all, the pins on the smart case plug are infinitesimally smaller than those on the charger stand plug, which is only noticeable when you hold both plugs side by side to compare - so although it fits into the 2-pin UK bathroom socket, it does not make the contact it needs to get 'juiced'... so the better option is to use the adapter that allows me to plug it into the 3-pin mains socket, which also frees up the bathroom shaver socket. When I plugged in the replacement smart case, I must have made momentary contact to make the appropriate lights activate for that split second. Then I did find that there is a minute difference between the brush-and-stuff I had to return and the replacement one; the 'user guide' is slightly different, but it performs the same so no complaints there, I'll put up with the less pretty smart case. (tongue in cheek remark - and it never used to take a 20-minute read to work out how a toothbrush works!) Now I'm puzzled how a brush head can be 'whitening' (there are 2 included in the box), plus yesterday I bought a set of 'floss action' brush heads which turn the cleaning experience (at the higher frequency) into a somewhat scary fight for control. Or am I the only one? On the up side I must admit that my teeth - to quote the ad - feel really clean!

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
May 20, 2019

Hello again Agnes. Pleased to hear you feel that your teeth are really clean, that is the main point after all right? Glad you have also gotten there with the travel case. I do think they could make things simpler for people and I say that having tested most toothbrushes. I get confused by it all. So, not wanting to leave a huge comment, perhaps I can link you off to a couple of different articles on this website about the brush heads which you may find useful. But in short, no a brush head does not whiten the teeth as such, just may be helpful with removing stains that dull the teeth colour. The floss action brush heads can help get in between the teeth, but remember to floss or use interdental brushes still.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
May 14, 2019

Great. Let me know how you get on. I can't say my Genius 900 has a gap on the charging stand, but if the lights are flashing that is a good thing.

M
Mirela
February 22, 2019

Hi, I have the pro 6000 and I want to turn off the Bluetooth on my brush. I tried the steps by holding the on and the mode button and it seems like the Bluetooth is off and I put the brush to be charged. As soon as I pickup the brush again it lights up the Bluetooth button again, which tells me the Bluetooth is on again. How do I make sure the Bluetooth doesn’t turn on again? Thanks

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
February 22, 2019

Hi Mirela, These steps to turn off Bluetooth on the toothbrush, where are you getting these from? I don't recall off the top of my head a way to actually turn the Bluetooth off on the brush handle. You can use the brush without making use of the Bluetooth connection, does the Bluetooth connection need to be turned off?

rc
raymond clinton
February 12, 2019

Hi, My app has been stuck on day 56 (this is your final sesion) for over a week now and its bugging the life from me. I cant unlock acheivments and although the main stuffs working like gum guard etc it constantly day by day says the same thing over and over. I love my 9000 genius but the app fails me which is a shame because its my daily ritual.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
February 13, 2019

Hi Raymond. Did you setup a 'Dental Care Journey' within the app where you have been working to achieve a specific goal? It might well be a case that you have and this needs disabling.

D
Darlene
December 26, 2018

Black 7000 is not charging. Does it have to have blueTooTh set up for it to be used, charging etc? Can I not set up Bluetooth for it to charge?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
December 27, 2018

Hi Darlene. You do not have to set Bluetooth up for the brush to charge. The brush can be used day in and day out without ever using Bluetooth,if you wish. It can take 12 hours or so to fully charge a brush. Presumably the socket is working? Any lights on the brush when sat on the charging stand?

G
Geoff
January 7, 2018

Since connecting my toothbrush to the app the wireless brushing timer on the sink no longer works... is there a way to get the clock to work again?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
January 8, 2018

Geoff, this is a little odd. What model do you have? You might want to try pairing the handle again by visiting this article and scrolling down to the section 'It works with more than 1 brush handle' and follow the steps outlined. Hopefully that will get you back up and running.

KH
K Haynes
December 31, 2017

Hi just received as a Christmas present, despite all settings on & as discoverable on my Sony experia with latest software it still won’t connect to Bluetooth, it will be sent back .Complete waste of money.wont recommend.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
December 31, 2017

What brush in particular did you receive? Is the phone seeing the brush or making any connection at all?

K
Kits
December 6, 2017

Hi, I recently bought a genius 9000 toothbrush but am unable to connect the brush to the app on my LG G5. The app will say connecting for a long time and never connect or it will keep on telling me to turn the power on then off. Please advise me on what would be best as I bought it hoping to experience the features on the app.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
December 7, 2017

Hi Kits, You are not the first to have a problem with the brush connecting to an LG G5, it seems to be a common problem. Just see the other comments on this page. One thing to check is as part of the Google Android Permission setup, did you allow the app to have access to your location? If not, try allowing this.

A
Andreas
December 1, 2017

Hi, I got the 9000 and a oneplus 2 android mobile. I'm able to pair the devices but experience that my sessions suddenly stops and go forward to the next part under the 2 min

n
name
December 2, 2017

Same sort of issue here, in the Position Detection mode it simply stays stuck on that circle thing even after the brush is turned off, I never get to see the score, except once by some miracle the score showed up. It sometimes instead goes to next screen saying brush your tongue.

AS
Airax Sarkari
September 4, 2017

Do you know which smart guide you tested with the oral b 9000? There are a couple of models and I'd like to buy the right one.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
September 4, 2017

Airax, We used the one that came with the Oral-B Pro 6000. The model number of the smart guide: Type 3742 & IC: 6856A-3742 We have had others say they have purchased this and it works with the 9000.

TS
Timucin Sabuncu
August 27, 2017

If every individual use their own phones to connect to the brush, does the settings of the brush changes automatically for everyone's preferences?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
August 27, 2017

No. The brush can connect to multiple phone but only one set of data. If you want each user to have their own brushing data each user must have their own brush handle.

JB
Jeanette Burgess
March 26, 2018

Well that doesn't make a lot of sense. A family should be able to each track their brushing with the one handle.

JC
John Chater
July 17, 2017

I've been searching around as I'm curious that for some reason the Oral B app requires access to my phones location before it will work with the new 9000 I have just got. Anyone know why my location is needed? I don't like the idea of my location being tracked every time I clean my teeth...

I
Ivan
November 29, 2017

It's actually an Android (6 and up) Bluetooth problem. For some reason Google made the API to require Location permissions for "Low Energy Bluetooth" to work. Trust me, I'm an engineer :)

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
November 29, 2017

Ivan. Valuable feedback. So if people enable location permissions, all will be ok?

I
Ivan
November 29, 2017

Hi Jon, If you enable location permissions the LE Bluetooth connection will work. At the same time this does permit the company to collect your location data while the app is running, but I can't say are they using it or not or to what level. In my experience, most companies use that data to know the distribution of their product and possibly the time of day it is used. It is highly unlikely (and in many cases banable from Google Store) that they are pinpointing you as a an individual. You are just a statistic. eg "150 people in London used our product compared to 100 a month ago".

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
November 29, 2017

Super Ivan. This is great info, Thank You. I do suspect that is how they use the information, based on previous press releases I have seen. Don't think they are going to come knocking on your door saying you have not brushed today :-)

ET
Electric Teeth Staff
July 17, 2017

It is possible that the data is being gathered for marketing purposes, but this is commonplace with a lot of apps now. Technically speaking though there probably isn't a reason for the app to know your phone's location each time.

J
John
July 18, 2017

Now that's what I figured, so after getting the brush working with my phone I removed the location permission from the app and then it stopped talking to the brush until I allowed the permission again. It's weird, and I can't find any info about why that feature is required for the brush to work

ET
Electric Teeth Staff
July 18, 2017

Yes that's often the way with app permissions. They are 'required' for the app to work, so removing them stops the app from working. In this case it seems like location could be an optional permission but the app is setting it as required.

DB
DANNY BELVIN
May 31, 2017

I JUST BOUGH THIS THING FOR 130 BUCKS AND IT WON'T CONNECT TO MY MOTO G 4TH GENERATION PHONE. WHEN WILL THIS BE FIXED???

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
June 1, 2017

Hi Danny. We cant comment on incompatibilities with particular phones. We do not make the app, we are a third party site who has written about it? Is the phone detecting the brush at all and just won't connect?

D
DANNY
June 4, 2017

ITS NOT DETECTING THE BRUSH AT ALL

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
June 5, 2017

It is possible that there is an incompatibility. As you may have seen via the comments here, the LG G5 is a device many have struggled to get this brush to work with. To determine whether it is phone related, do you have another phone be that of a friend or family members you could try? If it works with another phone you know its the phone that is the problem rather than the brush?

C
Clayton
May 4, 2017

It does not connect to Huawei P9 Plus. Tried it with my partners iPhone 7 Plus and it worked just fine. Really frustrated to have paid good money for a phone and good money for a toothbrush that are not capable to talking to each other.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
May 5, 2017

Sorry to hear this Clayton. Sometime there are incompatibilities due to the way manufacturers setup their Bluetooth profiles. It may well be that future software updates resolve this.

L
Levi
April 27, 2017

I have the Oral B Pro 5000. It won't connect to my Samsung Galaxy J3 anymore.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
April 28, 2017

Hi Levi. Sorry to hear this. Have you tried removing the connection on the phone and re-pairing the brush to it? Do you have other Bluetooth devices the phone is connecting to?

L
Levi
April 28, 2017

Yes, I have uninstalled the app, reinstalled it and I still isn't finding my phone. Yes, the phone is connected to other Bluetooth devices.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
April 28, 2017

Thanks for the information Levi. I presume your Bluetooth is set to 'Discover mode' on the phone so that the brush can find the phone? It could be the Bluetooth on the brush that is at fault. Perhaps try connecting to a different phone if you have one or maybe that of a friend or family member. Give it a try and let me know how you get on.

M
Mark
April 23, 2017

Just purchase a new Oral B 6500 Pro from Boots and Bluetooth does not work at all. When the brush is switched on and the Bluetooth light is on it doesn't show up as available to be paired on any device. Tried an Ipad Air and a Samsung Galaxy S7. Have yet to use the brush at all so could safely be returned but seems a nuisance. Anyone else had this problem?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
April 23, 2017

Thats odd and a little frustrating Mark. Not heard of this issue before. Have you tried putting the brush on the charger and then taking it off to see if that makes it work? Might sound odd, but that might do the trick.

M
Mark
May 5, 2017

I got mine working on a Samsung Galaxy S7 eventually. Under Settings - Connections - Bluetooth Improve accuracy settings - enable Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning. Works a treat now.

M
Mike
March 23, 2017

The best way to connect your LG G5 to the Oral B toothbrush is as follows: Turn Bluetooth on, Open Oral B app Go to settings, then timer then scroll to the bottom & male sure the sound is on. Then that's it works perfectly.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
March 24, 2017

Hi Mike, Thanks for the feedback. Always helpful. Glad you have it working. My only fear is if you have turned sound on, that is then the phone listening out for the motor of the brush which is referred to as sound connectivity rather than Bluetooth so it might not be as accurate, none the less its a connectivity option and glad it is working.

B
Bas
March 9, 2017

My Oral B 9000 does not save activity of the past. For example I've used it this morning and a few minutes back(currently it is evening, and now with the app open) The app does recognize my current activity but did not recognize my activity of this morning. What can be the issue?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
March 10, 2017

Bas. Try re-syncing the brush, it should save it. Turn the brush off, wait for all the lights to go out. Open the app and follow the on screen instructions. Best course of action is to press the mode utton rather than the power button and that usually forces a sync.

B
Bas
March 19, 2017

Great, that's the trick! Thanks

JB
Janet Berkon
March 4, 2017

I have just bought a genius 8000 and when trying to set up it will not accept either of the codes you suggest. This is just a gimmick and not worth paying the extra money for, I have just wasted all morning trying to get it to work to no avail, very very frustrating was this thoroughly tested before launching it?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
March 5, 2017

Hi Janet, Sorry to hear you are having problems in getting the Genius 8000 connected to your phone. I am unable to say what tests Oral-B went through prior to production. I had no issue connecting to my smartphones, but that does not excuse the fact. It is clear some people have had issues. This is likley down to Bluetooth protocols on the phone and how they have been setup and configured. Updates to devices and the app may help in time resolve the issue.

LP
Lisa Prevuznak
March 4, 2017

Having the same problem as above. Pairs with my google pixel but not with my son's Motorola Droid turbo 2. Won't load on his phone past the connecting the app. Very disappointed.

PA
Patrick Aten
February 28, 2017

I have the same problem with an Oral B Genius toothbrush. I will sync fine with my Google Pixel XL phone but it will NOT sync with my wife's Moto Z Droid. I have tried the passwords mentioned above, restarted the phone. Uninstalled and reinstalled the app. Still won't pair.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
March 2, 2017

Hi Patrick. You have 2 new phones and it would sound like the Moto Z may have an incompatibility. I am not sure whether the app needs updating or it is something to do with the Bluetooth profile on the Moto Z. It could be that the latest software on those phones has been configured differently and an update, I would imagine to the Oral-B app might resolve it. Perhaps you could raise with Oral-B to have them look at it as part of their future testing. Sorry it is not working.

RF
Richard Friend
February 6, 2017

Hello, I cannot get the brush - Black 6500 - to connect to my phone - LG G5. I have tried both the phone and app to connect the brush. The phone finds the brush but asks for a passcode, which cannot be set on the toothbrush. Using the App it finds the brush immediately but will not connect. Please advise.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
February 7, 2017

Hi Richard, We have not heard of anyone having issues connecting before. Common Bluetooth passwords are 0000 or 1234 which is worth trying. Are you following these steps as described in the user manual? Before using the Oral-B™ app make sure Bluetooth is activated on your smart phone (for directions please refer to your smart phone’s user manual). Your toothbrush will appear in the list of devices as: «Oral-B toothbrush». Note: Oral-B™ app functionality is limited if Bluetooth is deactivated. • Start the Oral-B™ app. You can use the app and your SmartGuide (i) at the same time. • Once you start using your toothbrush by lifting it off the plugged-in charger (h) or pressing any button (c)/(d), it automatically connects to the Oral-B™ app. If no connection has been established, briefly press the mode button (d) on your toothbrush handle and wait for a connection. • Any further app instructions will be displayed on your smart phone. • Keep your smart phone in close proximity when using it with your toothbrush handle. Make sure the smart phone is safely positioned in a dry place.

A
AM
November 30, 2020

Same issue when using Samsung Galaxy S10. I can't figure this out.. not that it should be this challenging. Sending it for a refund

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
November 30, 2020

Did you give permission to things like location when it requested access?

J
Jordon
February 27, 2017

I'm having the same issue on my LG G5 except it wont load past connect on the app.

k
krystal
June 2, 2017

My G5 too

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
February 27, 2017

Hi Jordan, try closing the app on the phone and restarting it. Power the brush handle off for a minute and then try repairing.https://www.electricteeth.com/uk/wp-admin/edit-comments.php#comments-form

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