Apple tv 4K connection to iPad mini

General Discussion
1

I had trouble connecting a new iPad mini via Zwift Companion to a new AppleTV 4k running Zwift. Could not get it to work.
Tried updating software on Apple TV, ipad mini, restarting both, restarting router.

Finally figured out that the Apple TV 4K was preferentially connected to my iPhone as the bluetooth bridge from prior. Perhaps when I used iPhone to set up Apple TV 4K?
or prior use of ZC on iphone?

No indication on the Apple TV that this was the case

Only 3 bluetooth connections to Apple TV

  1. Apple TV remote
  2. Bike
  3. in my case, iPhone - had to turn this off (on the phone) and switch to iPad mini (see steps below)

note - would be nice if Apple TV had a menu somewhere to list current bluetooth connections - none listed in Settings/Bluetooth on my Apple TV 4K

Steps

  1. Had to go into iPhone, into the Zwift Companion App, More/Settings/Device Connection, and TURN OFF the BLE device connection on the iPhone

  2. Then go into the iPad mini, into the Zwift Companion App, More/Settings/Device Connection, and TURN ON the BLE device connection on the iPad Mini

2

I read your post and was confused. ATV does not connect to your iOS devices via BT. It connects via the network. The approach of turning on and turning off BT on your iOS devices should’t impact how Zwift connects to it. If you are using “airplane mode” to turn off BT, then you’ve also turned off WiFi, which is why your approach worked.

Also, why are you trying to run Zwift Companion on two iOS devices at the same time?

This is the path for Zwift on ATV and your Zwift Companion:
iOS -->Zwift Companion --(Network)–>Zwift Server–(Network)–>ATV

Sensors --(BT)–>Zwift Companion–(Network)–>Zwift Server

3

I was not clear enough. I did not use Airplane mode.
I also did not plan to run ZC on two devices at once.

But I inadvertently was running ZC on two iOS devices, and did not realize that they would battle each other. Only one device can act as the BT bridge at one time. I did not realize that having previously established an iPhone as the iOS bridge (even though it was no longer in the room) precluded a bridge connection by a 2nd iOS device.

It was rather mysterious for a while. Eventually I figured out that I had to deactivate the first device (in this case, the iPhone upstairs) as the bridge in order to use the 2nd (intended) device - the iPad mini - as the bridge for bluetooth.

It was not obvious that an iPhone that I had used as a BT bridge 4 months prior that was not even on the same floor was preventing the iPad mini from connecting as a BT bridge.

I figured that someone else might be stumped by this, and might come across this post and find it useful