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Quick connection check
Run through these checks on the host and every joining device.
- Turn Bluetooth on and grant Bluetooth permission to TextRace.
- Keep every device close together with TextRace open in the foreground.
- Confirm every player is running the latest app version.
- Return Home, recreate the lobby, and scan again.
- Do not pair the phones in system Bluetooth settings; join inside TextRace.
Help topics
Common questions
A nearby race does not appear
Confirm the host is still on the lobby screen, Bluetooth is enabled and permitted on both devices, and the apps remain in the foreground. Move the devices closer, return Home on the joining phone, and scan again. A full four-player lobby will not accept another racer.
Joining stalls or the handshake fails
Return both devices Home and create a fresh lobby. Verify both devices use the same current TextRace version; protocol versions from older releases may be incompatible. You do not need to pair the devices through Android or iOS settings.
Bluetooth is unavailable on Android
Open Android Settings, enable Bluetooth, and allow Nearby devices/Bluetooth permission for TextRace. On older Android versions, scanning may also require location permission even though TextRace does not use your location for gameplay. Restart the app after changing permissions.
A player disconnects during a race
TextRace allows a short reconnection grace period. If a guest remains disconnected, they retire from the competition and connected racers continue. If the host leaves or loses the session, the competition ends because the host coordinates timing and authoritative results.
How do I restore TextRace Pro?
Open the TextRace Pro screen and choose Restore Purchases. Use the same Apple App Store or Google Play account that made the original purchase and ensure store connectivity is available.
The app has no cross-platform account system, so an Apple purchase does not unlock Android and a Google Play purchase does not unlock iPhone. Guests never need Pro to join a Pro-hosted race.
What happens to my local statistics?
Your nickname, player identity, consent choice, and lifetime statistics are stored on the device. Changing your nickname keeps your statistics. Clearing app data or uninstalling the app removes them, and they cannot currently be restored from the cloud.
How do anonymous analytics work?
Analytics starts disabled. You can choose Share Anonymous Usage during setup and change the choice later from the shield icon on Home. Declining does not restrict gameplay, Pro, or local statistics. TextRace does not use Advertising ID or send nicknames, sentences, typed input, room codes, or Bluetooth peer identifiers to Firebase.
What devices and connections are supported?
TextRace supports nearby Android and iPhone players over Bluetooth Low Energy, including mixed-platform rooms. A race supports two to four players; Last Racer Standing requires at least three. Keep races in the foreground. Internet is not required for nearby gameplay, but purchases, restoration, and optional analytics may require it.