Ant Radio Service – 2022 Updated

What is Ant Radio Service?

Ant radio is very much similar to the system components that enable other forms of wireless connectivity on your mobile device (Wi-Fi, NFC) unless you start an app that requires ANT wireless communication, it will not run or use system resources. You can also install an ant radio Mobile App.

Ant Radio Service is much similar to a system service that is pre-installed by your device manufacturer or added as part of an Android update by your carrier and Smartphone manufacturer. It usually allows built-in ANT communication hardware already present in your mobile device to operate.

ANT Radio Plugins

With the Ant Plugins, the service makes other apps of your choice to communicate with ANT+ compatible products (system services cannot be deleted or launched directly). Other applications allow you to do things like view your sport, collect, transfer, health, improve household air and fitness data in real-time on your mobile device. The compatible products that can be used with your mobile device will depend on the third-party Android app you select.

What is the purpose of ANT Radio Service and ANT+ Plugins?

They ensure that Bluetooth connectivity is working fine on your mobile device. Plugins don’t have  user launcher icons or interface but they run in the background to communicate with your phone’s wireless components such as Bluetooth, WI-FI, and NFC,

How to use Ant Radio

This system service cannot be launched directly. Whenever any application that requires ANT wireless, communication is used, it runs automatically in the background. Ant+plugins enabled applications also typically require downloading the ANT+ Plugins.

Some popular apps enhanced with ANT+

• * Samsung S Health
• * Garmin Fit
• * Sports Tracker by STL
• * My Tracks
• * Run.GPS Trainer UV
• * IpBike, IpWatts, IpPeloton, IpSmartHr
• * Self-loops
• * Sporty Pal
• * Map My FITNESS / RIDE / RUN / WALK+ / HIKE / DOG WALK

Apps that are enabled by ANT can use this service to connect

• Heart Beat Rate: Receive live heart rate data from heart rate straps or wearables produced by many popular manufacturers
• Health and Fitness Equipment: Connect ANT+ enabled fitness equipment and bicycle trainers to popular training and workout apps
• Motorcycle Speed and Cadence: Capture Motorcycle speed, distance, and/or cadence data
• Power of motorcycle: Capture data from ANT+ cycling power meters such as Garmin Vector
• Distance and Speed Monitor: Capture speed and distance data from running foot pods.

How to remove ANT Radio Service?

As this service is standard software, you’re unable to delete it from your phone. However, you can disable this service by following the manufacturer’s instructions.

The typical process is:

settings>applications>application manager>appropriate app>force stop>disable

If you disable this service, it will not affect your phone’s software. If you want, in the future, the ability to connect to services and devices via ANT+, just enable the service again.

NOTE: As this is a factory-installed service, it may enable/re-download if you reset and/or update your phone. Don’t panic! Just follow the instructions to disable it again.

ANT+ is been supported by few mobile devices natively

If your mobile device does not have ANT+ eligibility you can add an external adapter. There are two options and depending on your Android software version and device hardware capabilities you can choose which one best suits you. We will try to clarify these issues in the paragraphs below.

If someone has Android version 3.0 and higher AND your device has USB Host capabilities then he/she can use an ANT USB stick together with a USB OTG (On The Go) cable. The Pixel, Pixel 2, Nexus 7, Nexus 10 tablet, Nexus 5, 5X, and Nexus 6P smartphones, the HUAWEI P8, P9, P10, the Samsung Galaxy S5, S6, S7, S8, and many other latest mobile devices have USB Host capabilities. If it is not on your phone then you just have to install the ANT Radio Service, ANT+ Plugins, and the ANT USB service.

If someone has Android version 2.3.4 and higher AND your device does not have USB Host capabilities you can use our Android ANT+ accessory.  Your mobile device must support the Android accessory protocol. If someone finds the Self-loops ANT Service in the Google Play store with your device it means his/her device supports the Android Accessory Protocol. If you want to use our Android ANT+ accessory you need to install the ANT Radio Service and the Self-loops ANT Service. A  USB A to USB B micro-cable is needed.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

If you have external ANT+ adapters you can connect to sensors and devices that use the ANT+ standard. Mobile Applications written using the official ANT APIs will all work just fine. Self-loops Group Fitness and Self loops applications are fully certified by the ANT+ Alliance and support a great number of ANT+ sensors, such as bike power meters (SRM, Cyclops Power Tap, SRAM Quark, Power2Max, and Garmin Vector), heart rate monitors, cadence and speed sensors, foot pods and weight scales.