---
title: "Connect and manage readers on iOS"
description: "Pair a Bluetooth card reader, inspect its status, and prepare it for checkout."
image: "https://developer.sumup.com/og/index.png"
---

> Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.sumup.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connect and manage readers on iOS

After [authenticating a merchant](/terminal-payments/sdks/ios/authentication/), open the reader settings to pair a supported Bluetooth card reader. The examples below run in your app's `UIViewController`.

## Present card reader settings

Open the SDK's reader settings so the merchant can find and select a nearby Bluetooth reader. The SDK remembers the selected reader for later payments.

This screen is optional: if no reader is saved when checkout starts, the SDK asks the merchant to select one.

![Search Bluetooth](</img/guides/ios-sdk_bluetooth-permission.png>)

![Terminal selection](</img/guides/ios-sdk_terminals-found.png>)

### Swift

```swift
SumUpSDK.presentCardReaderSettings(from: self, animated: true) { success, error in
    if let error {
        print("Could not open reader settings: \(error.localizedDescription)")
        return
    }
    print("Reader settings closed: \(success)")
}
```

### Objective-C

```objc
[SMPSumUpSDK presentCardReaderSettingsFromViewController:self
                                             animated:YES
                                           completion:^(BOOL success, NSError *error) {
    if (error) {
        NSLog(@"Could not open reader settings: %@", error.localizedDescription);
        return;
    }
    NSLog(@"Reader settings closed: %d", success);
}];
```

## Reader status

The `lastReaderStatus` class property returns the most recently reported information about a saved or connected card reader. It returns `nil` if the merchant is not logged in or no reader has been connected and saved.

The returned `SMPReaderStatus` object exposes:

- `batteryLevel` — last reported battery level (updated during pairing or transaction processing; freshness varies with reader usage).
- `serialNumber` — the serial number printed on the back of the physical reader.
- `readerType` — the reader model (`SMPReaderType` / `ReaderType`): Unknown, Pin Plus (incl. Pin Plus Contactless), 3G, Air (incl. Air Lite), Solo, Solo Lite. Returns Unknown if no reader has ever been connected, which is the expected value for Tap to Pay on iPhone-only integrations.
- `isActive` — `YES` when the reader is currently active or becoming active (e.g. after calling `prepareForCheckout:`). Returns `NO` if no reader has been connected or the saved reader is currently disconnected.

### Swift

```swift
if let status = SumUpSDK.lastReaderStatus {
    print("Reader: \(status.serialNumber), active: \(status.isActive), battery: \(status.batteryLevel)%")
}
```

### Objective-C

```objc
SMPReaderStatus *status = SMPSumUpSDK.lastReaderStatus;
if (status) {
    NSLog(@"Reader: %@, active: %d, battery: %lu%%", status.serialNumber, status.isActive, (unsigned long)status.batteryLevel);
}
```

## Prepare for checkout

Call `prepareForCheckout` when a payment is likely to start soon, such as when the merchant enters an amount. It asks the saved Bluetooth reader to wake up. The merchant must be logged in and a reader must already be paired.

### Swift

```swift
SumUpSDK.prepareForCheckout()
```

### Objective-C

```objc
[SMPSumUpSDK prepareForCheckout];
```

Use the completion-handler variant to check whether the reader woke up before starting checkout:

### Swift

```swift
SumUpSDK.prepareForCheckout { (success: Bool, error: Error?) in
    guard success, let status = SumUpSDK.lastReaderStatus, status.isActive else {
        // reader did not wake — handle accordingly
        return
    }
    // reader is active, proceed to checkout
}
```

### Objective-C

```objc
[SMPSumUpSDK prepareForCheckout:^(BOOL success, NSError * _Nullable error) {
    if (!success) {
        // reader did not wake — handle accordingly
        return;
    }

    SMPReaderStatus *status = SMPSumUpSDK.lastReaderStatus;
    if (status.isActive) {
        // reader is active, proceed to checkout
    }
}];
```

## Verify the connection

Check `SumUpSDK.lastReaderStatus` after pairing. Its `isActive` property indicates whether the saved reader is active or becoming active.

## Next step

[Accept a reader payment](/terminal-payments/sdks/ios/payments/).

Source: https://developer.sumup.com/terminal-payments/sdks/ios/readers/index.mdx