How to pair an ANT+ phone with an ANT+ sensor

Posted at: Dec 3, 2021

This is a summary of how to pair an ANT+ phone with an ANT+ sensor. Also how to respond if pairing or data reception does not work.

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on cyclabo. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

Sponsored Link

Even if ANT+ is built in, it may not work as is.

Basically, if a smartphone is equipped with ANT+, the sensor will be recognized and paired with an ANT+ compatible app. However, some smartphones may lack the apps or plug-ins to connect to the cyclocomputer or sensor, and if they do, the following problems may occur.

  1. pairing is not possible
  2. paired but not receiving data

This is the same for ANT+USB dongles, which require the appropriate plug-in to be installed in the phone.

Plug-ins to make ANT+ work on your smartphone

All plug-ins developed by ANT+ to make ANT+ work on smartphones are available free of charge.

  1. ANT+ Plugins Service
  2. ANT USB Service
  3. ANT Radio Service

Install these three.

Once installed, use ANTTester to check if they are applied. Check to see if they have been applied.

Screen shot of ANTtester running on a smartphone with built-in ANT+.

The image above is a screenshot of a Samsung Galaxy S8 with built-in ANT+. You can see that all the checkboxes above are “Yes”.

By the way, in the default state, there is no ANT USB Service, and even if Zwift could pair with the device, it could not receive data.

What if pairing/data reception does not work?

Because ANT+ pairs faster than Bluetooth (technically, it receives data by specifying a device rather than pairing it), once paired, it is more comfortable to use than a Bluetooth connection.

If you are having problems pairing or receiving data, you can use [ANTTester](/departure/?url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.quantrity.anttester&hl=en& gl=US) to check if you are missing a plug-in or if you are using a USB dongle, check if the USB dongle is recognized.

If neither of these is the problem, but the app is not receiving data, then there is most likely a problem with the app, so contact the developer of the app.


We have seen how to pair an ANT+ phone with an ANT+ sensor.

Basically, all you need to do is install the appropriate plug-ins, but if you have ANT+ built in but are having trouble receiving data from the sensor, please refer to this section.

Sponsored Link

Use your phone as a cyclocomputer.

Guide to Selecting External Sensors

Equipments & Accessories New Posts