Bluetooth 6.1 update brings smarter privacy and power perks without changing your experience

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has officially rolled out Bluetooth Core Specification 6.1, quietly introducing some meaningful behind-the-scenes upgrades focused on user privacy and energy efficiency.

One of the key additions is Randomised RPA (Resolvable Private Address) Updates, a feature designed to make device tracking significantly harder. This enhancement refreshes Bluetooth addresses more frequently and unpredictably, making it difficult for third parties to track your devices over time—even if Bluetooth is just running passively in the background.

While Bluetooth isn’t typically a major security risk, its persistent broadcasting can enable long-term device fingerprinting. The new randomisation feature directly addresses that concern.

In addition to privacy, Bluetooth 6.1 also brings a modest boost in battery efficiency. Though SIG hasn’t published exact figures, the improved timing of address refreshes is expected to slightly reduce power consumption across devices, especially in always-on accessories like smartwatches, earbuds, and fitness trackers.