Unknown bluetooth device BT-B18 wants to play sound on this TV

[userF9ie5pidHn]

For the past few days, my Samsung NU8000 keep popping up a notification saying that "device name BT-B18 would like to play sound on this TV", the TV only gives me 2 choices either Connect or Close. If I choose connect it leads to a separate screen and then shortly after it says device fail to connect. If I choose Close, then shortly after the TV gives me the same pop up notification again. I have no idea what this device is. Factory reset the TV will temporarily make it go away for a day or so, but then it randomly appears again whenever I turn on the TV. At first I thought it has something to do with my Apple TV or PS4 but after pulling the plug from both of those devices, the TV still consistently gives me that pop up notification. This is driving me like crazy. Can anyone help? Is it possible that it's an issue with the faulty Bluetooth module or Wifi module board inside the TV?

[userxdsEfa1tOK]

I have a UN55LS03NAF and also started experiencing this exact same thing since a few days ago. The device that keeps trying to connect is called “BT” and I have no idea how to prevent this from happening.

[userxdsEfa1tOK]

I got in touch with Samsung customer support.

They patiently walked through all the settings with me while the notifications kept interrupting causing the remote control to lose highlight focus in settings menus. When highlight focus is lost, we would have to press the home key to re-establish focus and quickly navigate back settings before a new notification shows up to take away focus again.

In the end we tried every setting we could not figure out how to block speakers from attempting to pairing with the TV. Customer support forced a factory reset (causing lost of all app, settings, logins) and the notifications stopped coming but after 3 hours the notifications started showing back up again while I was watching TV.

Customer supports hands were tied. This is just terrible product design. 

[userd4hdSM4n4p]

Hello. I’m having the same problem. A mini Bluetooth audio receiver/transmitter has been trying to play my TVs audio through it. A message pops up every 15 seconds (along with an annoying “bing” sound) which freezes my remote until I cancel the request to connect. I contacted Samsung support three times about it. They finally forced a factory reset that caused me to lose my apps, settings and logins. Two seconds after the reset, the unknown device popped up again. Service rep said he did everything he knew how to do and that he was forwarding my information and problem to the dedicated team higher up. He said I would get an email in 24 hours from someone. It’s now been a week and no follow up from Samsung at all. The tv is unwatchable and it’s only 6 months old. It’s a series 8. 

[Samsung_WypW6q9]

It's a speaker trying to connect. If it's not yours then its probably one of your neighbors.

[userxdsEfa1tOK]

Thanks but that doesn’t really help. This just feels like bad product design. There are so many ways to address this beyond me walking to all of my neighbors in this apartment complex and asking them if I can raid their house for Bluetooth devices.

For example, Samsung could allow the customer to do any of these:

1. Disable Bluetooth or Bluetooth discovery.

2. Suppress repeat notifications from the same Bluetooth connection.

3. Suppress notifications from Bluetooth connections.

4. Blacklist devices from connecting

[Samsung_WypW6q9]

Well I didn't expect you to walk around asking all of your neighbors I was just letting you know since you assumed something was wrong. I suggest you go to bluetooth settings as soon as you turn the TV on. It might give you more options when the device pops up & you can try blocking it or looking for the "do not ask again" button.

[userxdsEfa1tOK]

Thanks for the tips. I’ve travsered every menu setting on the 2018 Samsung Frame and none will disable these notifications.

Sounds like a nice feature request for future builds.

[userF9ie5pidHn]

I have been on the phone with a Samsung rep too. For almost 2 hours, all she could do at the end was to remotely go into the service menu and do a factory reset on the TV, then that pesky notification went away for a while but unfortunately it appears again and again the next day, the pop-up frequency is so high that it would sometimes even freeze my navigation through the TV menu. I would like to confirm that there is currently NO option in the TV menu that allows us to turn bluetooth on/off permanently or to blacklist any specific bluetooth device attempting to connect to your TV at all, or to block any annoying notifications on that top upper right corner for that matter. Also, my NU8000 is not even 6 months old. I have never had this problem before so obviously a recent firmware update must have messed up the Bluetooh connection somehow, or perhaps it's a Bluetooth speakers from my neighbor houses wanting to access and Samsung gives me no choice of control on my TV (wow..talk about security vulnerabilities).

The last resort that I've tried, and so far it stays good, is to disable Bluetooth completely within the service menu. To do that you need to buy a normal Samsung TV remote (the one with all the number buttons, amazon sells if for ~$14, remote model BN59-01199F). Then go into the service menu (turn off TV, press "Mute, 1, 8, 2, Power" and this blue menu will appear)

To know what settings you need to change, go to youtube, search "Unlocking Bluetooth Samsung TV" and watch the video by Rtings.com: do the OPPOSITE of every setting he changed in that video. These actions will disable your Samsung smart remote control, but whatever, rather that then a stupid TV nagging you with weird unknown bluetooth notification. What a horrible experience, I'll probably never buy another Samsung TV ever again.

[User_123]

Have you got any solution for this? I am also getting the same error since May 2019 i.e. after samsung had  updated the firmware to 1251  (it might also be coincidence). I have NU7470 model and I purchased the same in Nov 2018. This is still under warrenty. Samsung has already replaced the bluetooth and even motherboard of my TV but still they could'nt solve this problem. I am thinking the sue them in court.