Your Droid 2 bristles with antennas: for Wi-Fi, GPS, cellular networks, and Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology designed to let all kinds of devices connect with one another, to exchange or sync files and photos, for example, or to let a cellphone serve as a wireless modem for a computer.
With a little work (and some downloadable apps), you can get the Droid 2 to do all that. Mostly, though, the Droid 2’s Bluetooth capabilities come in handy for hands-free talking with Bluetooth earpieces.
If you’ve ever seen someone walking down the street, apparently talking to an invisible friend, you’ve seen Bluetooth in action (unless he really was talking to an invisible friend). The small device clips to your ear, and you talk into its microphone and listen in the tiny speaker stuck in your ear.
The earpiece you use for making phone calls is typically monaural, and not designed for listening to music. If you’re a music lover, invest in a stereo Bluetooth headset.
To use a Bluetooth earpiece with your phone, you’ll need to pair them—that is, get the two of them talking to each other. The process is a bit geeky, but not hard. The exact steps may vary a bit depending on the earpiece you’re using. But generally, these are the steps you’ll take:
Turn Bluetooth on in the earpiece and make it discoverable.
Don’t be lulled into thinking that hands-free calling with Bluetooth is safe. Studies show that the danger in talking on a phone while driving isn’t related to holding the phone—it’s the distraction of holding a conversation while driving.
In other words, set the earpiece so your Droid 2 can find it. Check the earpiece’s documentation on how to do it.
Turn on Bluetooth on your Droid 2.
There are several ways to do this—go to the Settings pane and tap the Bluetooth icon on the Power Control widget, if Bluetooth isn’t already turned on. You can also press the Menu key from the Home screen or a pane, and select Settings→“Wireless & networks” and then tap Bluetooth. When Bluetooth turns on, your Droid 2 will start scanning for any nearby Bluetooth equipment. Your earpiece should show up on the list.
Tap the name of the earpiece and type a passcode.
The earpiece’s manual will give you the passcode. The passcode is for security purposes, so that no one else can pair with the device. The number is usually between four and six digits, and you’ll need to type it within a minute or so. You only need to enter the passcode once. After that, the pairing will happen automatically.
You should now be connected. You’ll still dial using the Droid 2, but you’ll be able to talk through the earpiece. Check the earpiece’s documentation on how to answer calls, control the volume, and so on.
There are plenty of Bluetooth car kits out there, and some cars even come with Bluetooth capabilities. You generally pair your Droid 2 with a Bluetooth car kit in the same way you pair it with a Bluetooth earpiece. How you use the car kit varies, of course. In some instances, you can dial a number on the car’s touchscreen, or answer the phone by pressing a button on the steering wheel.