androideddystonegoogle-beacon-platformeddystone-url

How can I retrieve data attached to an Eddystone-URL?


I'm trying to experiment with Eddystone and Nearby messages in Android. I registered an Eddystone-UID with the Proximity Beacon API and attached some data. Then in my app I used the samples from the Nearby Messages API to retrieve it and everything seems to be working fine.

Since I want to use Eddystone-URL and a website for casual use, but offer the possibility of downloading an app, I was trying to use only the Eddystone-URL, and attach some data to it, so I can have additional information in the app.

I did the same steps as for the Eddystone-UID, but my app doesn't see any message. The beacon seems registered, and the data attached to it, but the app it's not receiving anything.

Am I missing something? Is this not supported?


Solution

  • The attachments you describe only work for Eddystone-UID. The whole purpose of the Eddystone-URL is to be based on the web, so this means not using any centralized servers(other than your web page). The URL just points you to a website. If you want data 'attached' to that URL, you would use web technologies to do that, e.g. have the data in your markup/as an additional web page/etc.

    Edit: I believe you want to have the best of both worlds: the URL beacon for the simple web page and a UID for your app to have additional data. That's exactly why Eddystone has multiple frame times, just have a beacon that broadcasts both a URL and a UID.