Anyone else finding the Victron SmartSolar MPPT app keeps dropping Bluetooth on Android 14?

Since updating my phone to Android 14 last month I've been having a nightmare keeping the VictronConnect app connected to my 100/30 MPPT. It'll pair fine, show me the live data for maybe 30 seconds, then just silently disconnect. Have to force-close the app and reopen it to get it back, and even then it's hit and miss. Running a Motorola Edge 40, if that matters.

The frustrating bit is it was absolutely rock solid before the update. I've got a 400W panel array going into a 100Ah lithium and I rely on the app to check my state of charge and absorption/float transitions when I'm parked up in the van. Tried turning off battery optimisation for the app, toggling Bluetooth off and on, even reinstalled VictronConnect — no joy. The MPPT itself is firmware 1.61 and the app is the latest 6.00 something.

Has anyone cracked this, or is it a known issue Victron are working on? I've seen a couple of vague mentions on Reddit but nothing concrete. Wondering if there's a workaround or whether I'm better off just picking up a cheap older Android device to dedicate to the van setup.

CrispySkipper | Posts: 847 | Location: Norfolk Broads

@Trevor1975 yes, been pulling my hair out with exactly this! I've got a 75/15 and a 150/35 both doing the same thing since Android 14 landed on my Samsung S23.

What sorted it for me was going into the Android developer options and disabling "Bluetooth LE audio" — seems Android 14 changed some background process handling that clashes with how VictronConnect maintains its connection. Also worth checking that battery optimisation is completely disabled for the VictronConnect app specifically, not just "unrestricted" but fully excluded.

Victron's own forum acknowledges the issue and apparently a fix is in the pipeline for a future app update. Worth keeping an eye on their changelog. In the meantime the developer options workaround has kept mine reasonably stable. Still drops occasionally but nothing like before.

BoatClive | Posts: 1,203 | Location: Shropshire Canal System

@Trevor1975 @CrispySkipper - worth trying this before anything else: go into your Android 14 settings and under Apps, find VictronConnect, then check Location permissions. Android 14 got quite aggressive with background location restrictions and Bluetooth scanning is tied to that on newer builds. Set it to "Allow all the time" rather than "only while using."

Also check your battery optimisation settings - Android will absolutely hammer the app's background processes if it thinks it's draining power, which is somewhat ironic given what we're all using these things for! Add VictronConnect to your unrestricted apps list.

Sorted mine out on a Samsung A54 doing exactly that. Still the odd hiccup but nothing like before. Victron's forum also mentioned a firmware tweak coming but no confirmed date yet.

BC_Boats | Posts: 412 | Location: Array

Disable Nearby Device Scanning in Android 14's location permissions for VictronConnect — Google decided Bluetooth now needs to know your precise location apparently, because obviously my Fogstar batteries are a flight risk. 🛰️

PanelJulie | Posts: 412 | Location: Array

@Trevor1975 had this exact issue on my Samsung S23 after the Android 14 update. The fix that actually stuck for me was going into Android Settings > Apps > VictronConnect > Permissions and making sure Nearby Devices is set to Allow all the time rather than just While using the app.

Also worth checking that battery optimisation is turned off for VictronConnect — Android 14 seems very aggressive about backgrounding Bluetooth apps.

Been running a 150/45 on the boat and a 100/20 for home backup, so I need reliable monitoring on both. Once I sorted those two settings the drops basically stopped. Still the odd hiccup but nothing like before.

Victron are aware apparently — supposedly a fix coming in a future VictronConnect release but no ETA I've seen.

SimonHenderson | Posts: 847 | Location: North Yorkshire

@Trevor1975 worth checking whether the issue is specific to your phone's battery optimisation settings as well. Android 14 got quite aggressive with background app restrictions and it'll kill the Bluetooth connection to save juice even when you're actively using the app. Go into Settings > Apps > VictronConnect and make sure it's set to "Unrestricted" under battery usage. Also disable any adaptive battery features for it specifically. Made a huge difference for me on a Pixel 7 - went from constantly dropping after 20-odd seconds to staying rock solid. Victron have acknowledged the Android 14 compatibility issues on their community forum too, so keep an eye out for an app update in the coming weeks apparently.

DefenderDream | Posts: 1,204 | Location: Array

Adding to what @BC_Boats mentioned — there's a secondary issue in Android 14 where the OS aggressively kills background Bluetooth connections to preserve battery. Go into Settings > Apps > VictronConnect > Battery and set it to Unrestricted. Also worth disabling Adaptive Battery globally whilst you're troubleshooting.

On my setup (100/50 MPPT in the Defender-based motorhome), I also had to toggle off Bluetooth scanning always available under Location settings — separate from the Nearby Devices permission @BC_Boats flagged.

Victron are aware of this; there's a thread on their community forum. The workaround that actually solved it for me was keeping the phone's screen on whilst connected — crude, but confirms it's the background process being killed rather than a pairing issue with the unit itself.

TimHarris | Posts: 293 | Location: Shropshire

@Trevor1975 I had something similar on my Pixel 7 after the Android 14 update. What sorted it for me was going into the phone's developer options and disabling "Bluetooth AVRCP version" dropping it down a notch, plus turning off the "LE Audio" feature if it's enabled. Also worth making sure VictronConnect has background location permission granted — Android 14 tightened those permissions considerably and the app needs it to maintain the BLE connection properly. Bit of a faff but once I'd done both changes it's been rock solid since.