micro:bit
Free App
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About micro:bit
The best bits
• Create games on your phone then ‘flash’ them on to your micro:bit to get playing – no wires or cables needed!
• Snap a selfie by connecting your phone or tablet, and use your micro:bit as a remote control
• Never miss your mates again – now you can code your micro:bit to wake up and tell you when you’re getting a call or text
What’s in the app?
There are four areas to explore:
Discover takes you to the official website where you can find code ideas from other micro:bit fans. There’s loads of cool stuff to try out.
Create Code allows you to use the micro:bit code editors. Choose an editor and start coding. You can also go back and edit code you’ve already created.
Connections is where you can go to pair your phone or tablet to your micro:bit. Choose the device you’d like to connect to through a secure Bluetooth pairing.
Flash is where the fun begins: send a code file (.HEX) from your phone or tablet and see it on your micro:bit!
Permissions
read phone status and identity - This permission is used to allow the micro:bit to read basic state information of the phone. The user can write code on the micro:bit to react to these different states e.g. whether the display is on or off or a call or SMS message is received
receive text messages (SMS) - The micro:bit can react to different events on the phone and vice versa. This permission allows the user to make the micro:bit react in the event the user receives an SMS message. The message contents and details are not used or stored by the application.
take pictures and videos - The user can programme the micro:bit to send events to the phone to launch the camera or take a picture or video.
approximate location (network-based) – The application has to find and connect to the micro:bit over Bluetooth low energy. Scanning for Bluetooth low energy devices needs the approximate location service.
modify or delete the contents of your USB storage and read the contents of your USB storage - The application will save scripts, photos and any content you may have created to your USB storage. The application must be able to read, write and delete these files.
full network access and view Wi-Fi connections - The application needs access to the internet to access the micro:bit website so that the user can download code samples, access the code editors and to send usage statistics.
access Bluetooth settings and pair with Bluetooth devices - The application can discover, pair and connect to the micro:bit over secure Bluetooth.
draw over other apps - The user can program the micro:bit to display alerts on the phone or find the phone.
control flashlight, control vibration and prevent phone from sleeping - This permission is used to send a visual cue that a photo or video is being captured, to send events to make the phone vibrate and to prevent your phone from sleeping when it is flashing your micro:bit. "
• Create games on your phone then ‘flash’ them on to your micro:bit to get playing – no wires or cables needed!
• Snap a selfie by connecting your phone or tablet, and use your micro:bit as a remote control
• Never miss your mates again – now you can code your micro:bit to wake up and tell you when you’re getting a call or text
What’s in the app?
There are four areas to explore:
Discover takes you to the official website where you can find code ideas from other micro:bit fans. There’s loads of cool stuff to try out.
Create Code allows you to use the micro:bit code editors. Choose an editor and start coding. You can also go back and edit code you’ve already created.
Connections is where you can go to pair your phone or tablet to your micro:bit. Choose the device you’d like to connect to through a secure Bluetooth pairing.
Flash is where the fun begins: send a code file (.HEX) from your phone or tablet and see it on your micro:bit!
Permissions
read phone status and identity - This permission is used to allow the micro:bit to read basic state information of the phone. The user can write code on the micro:bit to react to these different states e.g. whether the display is on or off or a call or SMS message is received
receive text messages (SMS) - The micro:bit can react to different events on the phone and vice versa. This permission allows the user to make the micro:bit react in the event the user receives an SMS message. The message contents and details are not used or stored by the application.
take pictures and videos - The user can programme the micro:bit to send events to the phone to launch the camera or take a picture or video.
approximate location (network-based) – The application has to find and connect to the micro:bit over Bluetooth low energy. Scanning for Bluetooth low energy devices needs the approximate location service.
modify or delete the contents of your USB storage and read the contents of your USB storage - The application will save scripts, photos and any content you may have created to your USB storage. The application must be able to read, write and delete these files.
full network access and view Wi-Fi connections - The application needs access to the internet to access the micro:bit website so that the user can download code samples, access the code editors and to send usage statistics.
access Bluetooth settings and pair with Bluetooth devices - The application can discover, pair and connect to the micro:bit over secure Bluetooth.
draw over other apps - The user can program the micro:bit to display alerts on the phone or find the phone.
control flashlight, control vibration and prevent phone from sleeping - This permission is used to send a visual cue that a photo or video is being captured, to send events to make the phone vibrate and to prevent your phone from sleeping when it is flashing your micro:bit. "
All Application Badges
Free
downl.
downl.
Android
4.4+
4.4+
Bug
buster
buster
Android app
App History & Updates
What's Changed
* Fixed the issue with runtime permissions on pairing activity
* Updated links to http://microbit.org/
* Fixed the issue with runtime permissions on pairing activity
* Updated links to http://microbit.org/
Version update micro:bit was updated to version 2.0
More downloads micro:bit reached 10 000 - 50 000 downloads
What are users saying about micro:bit
X
by X####:
by X####:
I've been looking at the reviews and I think this is better working on different divice. as this is developed by Samsung mobile I would guess this is made to work with their phones made within the last year or so. Can someone confirm this works on the Samsung Galaxy s6 edge?
Y
by Y####:
by Y####:
I have a microbit and its pink love it I love coding its easy
X
by X####:
by X####:
Edit, no PC inbetween as asked in there comment. The BBC Micro:Bit is amazing. Most of the app is perfect but you can't connect via bluetooth after the 2nd connection. Having to go into BT settings then un-pairing, then back into the app and re-pairing is a headache. Works fine connected to the desktop. However the goal is to get youngsters into coding and most families don't have a desktop. Got smart devices though. If the app was running perfectly i'd probably have given it a go on a UDOO NEO or a Pin64
J
by J####:
by J####:
Installed this on my wife's Nexus 9, it freezes the tablet and won't Bluetooth pair correctly. On my Samsung tablet it works perfectly, coincidence? I think not. Using a laptop instead to flash hex files as this app is woeful. Would give it 0/5 if I could.
E
by E####:
by E####:
I'm getting "DFU not a valid HEX file" on Nexus 6 every time I try to flash code - have tried unpairing, reinstalling the app, you name it. I'd really love to make it work!
X
by X####:
by X####:
Latest version much better. Can now take photos on my phone via micro:but control. Only gripe is I have to re-pair everytime I flash new code to the micro:bit
L
by L####:
by L####:
Well done Samsung update 11/11/2016 has the app working well on my Galaxy 4 Tab and J3 phone. Good job. Good fun when these things work.
X
by X####:
by X####:
Have this app working OK on a Nexus 7 but on my Google Pixel I cannot pair. I go through the procedure and the micro:bit shows the expected tick at the end of the process indicating that it thinks it's paired successfully but the Samsung app says it failed to pair.
X
by X####:
by X####:
Such a shame, otherwise a good app, but useless if it doesn't connect!
E
by E####:
by E####:
Nexus 9 gives the above error on any attempt to flash programmes. Glad the app now installs on tablet, shame it's useless!
X
by X####:
by X####:
Complete waste of time, useless. I gave it 1 star because it won't allow any lower -5 is about right for it.
X
by X####:
by X####:
But now will not show score of game, instead just pops up square animation. Is anyone else experiencing this?
X
by X####:
by X####:
Its pretty good it serves its purpose, that's all I can really ask for.
X
by X####:
by X####:
Like the app but I can't flash files any help?
X
by X####:
by X####:
Thanks Samsung for the update. Working fine on my Android 7 now
U
by U####:
by U####:
Amazing app thank you Samsung now I can use my microbit
X
by X####:
by X####:
Cannot pair with sgs4
U
by U####:
by U####:
Cool app
X
by X####:
by X####:
Had quite a few teething problems with the micro:bit (mainly to do with connectivity) which is a shame because it's a great bit of kit and my daughter has really taken to coding it. Hope they manage to fix it.
X
by X####:
by X####:
This app does nothing else than flash code to the microbit. But the code can not be created in the app and I can not even be loaded from the phone. It can only be loaded from the microbit web page. Completely useless.
C
by C####:
by C####:
(Sony Z2) it installs and no compatibility issues, it seems like a good app even downloaded Hex will open into this app to load onto the micro:bit but jsz don't. Some sensor monitoring would be a nice addition. After running new code I can't establish Bluetooth and need to drop code over USB on Windows and other time I need to toggle Bluetooth on mobile so I'm not sure where this issue originates.
X
by X####:
by X####:
Buggy as hell, connectivity problems and unuseable via Samsung tablets. Why produce something limited to the small screen on the phone when the larger tablet screen makes way more sense? BBC, you need to sort your bedmates out. Samsung you need to get your corporate brains up to speed.
X
by X####:
by X####:
Useless. Keeps losing connection to Samsung S4. How can this be associated with an educational product from BBC? Very disappointing and has wasted a lot of my son’s time – he thought he was doing something wrong when it was the problem of this terrible app.
M
by M####:
by M####:
This seems to have some serious compatability issues, I am wondering if it is set up to only run with new Samsung devices and is a slightly cynical way of pushing children in that direction? Hope I'm wrong would love to be able to roll this out properly.
X
by X####:
by X####:
Pairing works fine for the Nexus 5x, but I keep getting "file not a valid HEX" when I try to flash any code. I'm yet to find anything online about it or find a solution. I can flash code through bluetooth on my iPad mini however, so I doubt there is anything wrong with the micro:bit.
B
by B####:
by B####:
BBC why pick Samsung as your partner for this terrible project you have no friends. More compatibility u idiots
X
by X####:
by X####:
Doesn't work with Moto G 2nd Gen 4G Phone. On pressing button A, micro bit doesn't show any PIN - that where am stuck.
E
by E####:
by E####:
Far from intuitive and buggy. I am using Nexus 6 with Android 7 (Nougat). The pairing process is not very intuitive and many people seems to struggle with it. Manually pairing from standard Android control panel app is much easier than going through the Samsung app since it switches between the app and Android UI which is confusing. I see a good intention that BBC and Samsung tried to make pairing work with multiple micro:bit in pairing mode in classroom, but this needs to be much more simpler. The other issue is flashing. I successfully paired micro:bit, but the app fails to flash over Bluetooth. "File not valid HEX. Please try again" is the error message I get. Once this happen, Bluetooth connection doesn't work anymore and micro:bit is in corrupted state that I need to upload new HEX file using USB.
X
by X####:
by X####:
My Moto E 2nd gen won't connect to my Micro:bit.
H
by H####:
by H####:
BLE doesn't work with my HTC one. Seems like all testing has been done with Samsung phones. Not cool.
F
by F####:
by F####:
It has the potential to be a really good app and really helpful when using the microbit but it isn't compatible for my device (Moto E 2nd gen) and I presume it is only compatible with Samsung which isn't very good.
X
by X####:
by X####:
basically will not pair with a samsung 6 phone despite following all instructions. An afternoon wasted and a frustrated child.
X
by X####:
by X####:
Sometimes it will alow u to put like 2 of the square things in but then crashes
H
by H####:
by H####:
The app only takes you to a link for a website
A
by A####:
by A####:
Please make a tablet version! Why does it only work on phones?!?
S
by S####:
by S####:
It needs to work with older phones and the coders should be built in because the webpage doesn't work well (well actually not at all)
M
by M####:
by M####:
Why does it stop working on connection
X
by X####:
by X####:
Always crashes... What a pity!
E
by E####:
by E####:
doesnt work on Samsung S7
by X####:
Cannot connect with Bluetooth on Nexus 5/Android 6.0.1. Pairs OK using Android settings but app does not list it as a paired phone and cannot connect. Tried forgetting in BT settings and using visual pairing via the app. This also fails - phone scans for micro bit after pattern entered but never finds it and times out. Have reset flash memory with new block app over USB, no difference. Very poor experience..