Hi Everyone - newbie here.
I’ve bought a couple of ESP32 devices and flashed them to be a bluetooth proxy. However, there not descovering any BT/BLE devices. I can see that they are running BT from my phone, I know my Govee BLE thermostats are working as I can see them through the app. I just can’t work out why the ESP32s providing a BT service.
I’m really a bit lost as to what I’ve done / not done. Might a kind soul in the community be able to help?
Diagnostics
{
"home_assistant": {
"installation_type": "Home Assistant OS",
"version": "2025.1.1",
"dev": false,
"hassio": true,
"virtualenv": false,
"python_version": "3.13.1",
"docker": true,
"arch": "x86_64",
"timezone": "Europe/London",
"os_name": "Linux",
"os_version": "6.6.66-haos",
"supervisor": "2024.12.3",
"host_os": "Home Assistant OS 14.1",
"docker_version": "27.2.0",
"chassis": "vm",
"run_as_root": true
},
"custom_components": {
"meross_lan": {
"documentation": "https://github.com/krahabb/meross_lan",
"version": "5.4.1",
"requirements": []
},
"ble_monitor": {
"documentation": "https://github.com/custom-components/ble_monitor",
"version": "13.0.0",
"requirements": [
"pycryptodomex>=3.21.0",
"janus>=2.0.0",
"aioblescan>=0.2.14",
"btsocket>=0.3.0",
"pyric>=0.1.6.3"
]
},
"hacs": {
"documentation": "https://hacs.xyz/docs/use/",
"version": "2.0.2",
"requirements": [
"aiogithubapi>=22.10.1"
]
},
"govee_ble_hci": {
"documentation": "https://github.com/Home-Is-Where-You-Hang-Your-Hack/sensor.goveetemp_bt_hci",
"version": "0.10.3",
"requirements": [
"bleson==0.1.8"
]
},
"localtuya": {
"documentation": "https://github.com/rospogrigio/localtuya/",
"version": "5.2.1",
"requirements": []
},
"octopus_energy": {
"documentation": "https://bottlecapdave.github.io/HomeAssistant-OctopusEnergy",
"version": "13.5.0",
"requirements": [
"pydantic"
]
}
},
"integration_manifest": {
"domain": "esphome",
"name": "ESPHome",
"after_dependencies": [
"zeroconf",
"tag"
],
"codeowners": [
"OttoWinter",
"jesserockz",
"kbx81",
"bdraco"
],
"config_flow": true,
"dependencies": [
"assist_pipeline",
"bluetooth",
"intent",
"ffmpeg",
"http"
],
"dhcp": [
{
"registered_devices": true
}
],
"documentation": "https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/esphome",
"integration_type": "device",
"iot_class": "local_push",
"loggers": [
"aioesphomeapi",
"noiseprotocol",
"bleak_esphome"
],
"mqtt": [
"esphome/discover/#"
],
"requirements": [
"aioesphomeapi==28.0.0",
"esphome-dashboard-api==1.2.3",
"bleak-esphome==2.0.0"
],
"zeroconf": [
"_esphomelib._tcp.local."
],
"is_built_in": true,
"overwrites_built_in": false
},
"setup_times": {
"null": {
"setup": 0.07407927699387074
},
"01JGEBVYAXFX09BVWV15WTYABX": {
"wait_import_platforms": -1.0212713939836249,
"config_entry_setup": 1.107525696977973
},
"01JGC2GWQ7GEZRPA5QA3HPW0EE": {
"wait_import_platforms": -1.0253774009179324,
"config_entry_setup": 1.109004080062732
}
},
"data": {
"config": {
"created_at": "2024-12-31T12:43:19.773931+00:00",
"data": {
"device_name": "esphome-web-c9388c",
"host": "192.168.1.13",
"noise_psk": "",
"password": "",
"port": 6053
},
"discovery_keys": {
"dhcp": [
{
"__type": "<class 'homeassistant.helpers.discovery_flow.DiscoveryKey'>",
"repr": "DiscoveryKey(domain='dhcp', key='142b2fc9388c', version=1)"
}
],
"zeroconf": [
{
"__type": "<class 'homeassistant.helpers.discovery_flow.DiscoveryKey'>",
"repr": "DiscoveryKey(domain='zeroconf', key=('_esphomelib._tcp.local.', 'esphome-web-c9388c._esphomelib._tcp.local.'), version=1)"
}
]
},
"disabled_by": null,
"domain": "esphome",
"entry_id": "01JGEBVYAXFX09BVWV15WTYABX",
"minor_version": 1,
"modified_at": "2025-01-06T07:42:36.665574+00:00",
"options": {
"allow_service_calls": true
},
"pref_disable_new_entities": false,
"pref_disable_polling": false,
"source": "user",
"title": "ESPHome Web c9388c",
"unique_id": "14:2b:2f:c9:38:8c",
"version": 1
},
"storage_data": {
"device_info": {
"uses_password": false,
"name": "esphome-web-c9388c",
"friendly_name": "ESPHome Web c9388c",
"mac_address": "**REDACTED**",
"compilation_time": "Nov 25 2024, 08:39:04",
"model": "esp32dev",
"manufacturer": "Espressif",
"has_deep_sleep": false,
"esphome_version": "2024.11.1",
"project_name": "esphome.web",
"project_version": "24.11.1",
"webserver_port": 80,
"legacy_voice_assistant_version": 0,
"voice_assistant_feature_flags": 0,
"legacy_bluetooth_proxy_version": 0,
"bluetooth_proxy_feature_flags": 0,
"suggested_area": ""
},
"services": [],
"api_version": {
"major": 1,
"minor": 10
},
"update": []
},
"dashboard": "5c53de3b_esphome"
}
}
What BLE devices do you have? And are expecting HA to discover?
Have you added the Bluetooth integration? Bluetooth - Home Assistant
I have a pair of Govee Thermometer / Hygrometers - H5105
They seem to work fine with the Govee app
I tried to add the Bluetooth integration but I get the pop-up
No unconfigured Bluetooth adapters found. There are 0 ignored adapters.
Can the esp see the ble devices in the ESPHome logs?
In case you aren’t clear, esp32’s only do BLE not regular Bluetooth.
Your Govee Thermometer / Hygrometers - H5105 require active scanning.
Or also try it with our Theengs Gateway Add-on 
Thanks for the reply @DigiH
I tried Theengs Gateway
[21:21:57] INFO: Creating TheengsGateway configuration...
[21:22:00] INFO: IDENTITIES:
[21:22:00] INFO: BINDKEYS:
[21:22:00] INFO: BLACKLIST:
[21:22:00] INFO: WHITELIST:
[21:22:00] INFO: Starting TheengsGateway...
ERROR:BLEGateway:No Bluetooth adapters found.
I’m not sure how to set up active scanning - more reading required
If you do not have any local Bluetooth adapters Theengs Gateway cannot catch any BLE broadcasts - the same as the internal Bluetooth integration.
The only alternative would be to use OpenMQTTGateway on an ESP32 as a proxy, or just as a stand alone BLE to MQTT gateway, receiving and decoding many devices, as well as your Gove H5101. The MQTT integration would be required for that, to then allow for auto-dsocvery of your H5101s.
Very similar to the ESPHome solution @Mahko_Mahko is suggesting. I’m confident one or the other solutions will work fine for you and your H5101s 
@DigiH thank you again
I’m running HA on a Hyper-v VM, so I have no access to usb or BT. The ESPs will be my only BT interfaces.
I’ll need to plod through this, so thank you. Hopefully I have enough pointers.
Being a newbie, I’ll just be a bit slow.
If you already have the Theengs Gateway Add-on installed, and assuming you have the Mosquito MQTT Broker and the MQTT Integration installed as well, go to the Theengs Gateway Add-on configuration and switch off
BLE
This will tell it to not even look for a local Bluetooth adapter.
Then when you web install the esp32dev-ble-mqtt-undecoded binary of OpenMQTTGateway on an ESP32, and configure it with your WiFi and MQTT broker credentials, it will automatically act as a remote Bluetooth antenna for the Theengs gateway Add-on to received the BLE broadcasts and to allow it to receive and decode your H5101s.
Once they have been discovered you can switch off
DISCOVERY
in the Add-on configuration, as not to discovery any other BLE devices which might appear in your vicinity.
I hope this helps
So the solution from @DigiH is spot on and thank you so much for providing it, thank you also for all the other contributions.
Note that, there are quite a few different binaries to choose from at OpenMQTTGateway and I actually had more success with the esp32-olimex-gtw-ble-poe one. Also worth noting that I bought 3 boards one of which was slightly different and doesn’t work with the binary above. So some experimentation might be required.
Next stop is to make a depth gauge with an esp32 to measure ground water level. I’ll post back when I’m done