Windows Mobile 6.5 Bluetooth Object Push Profile

This article provides an overview of the Bluetooth Object Push Profile (OPP) used in Windows Mobile 6.5, detailing how it enabled devices to wirelessly transmit vCard contact files to other compatible phones and computers. It outlines the specific role of the OPP standard, its integration within the mobile operating system, and the practical workflow for sharing digital business cards.

The Bluetooth Object Push Profile (OPP) is the specific profile responsible for sending and receiving vCards in Windows Mobile 6.5. Operating over the core OBEX (Object Exchange) protocol, OPP is designed specifically to push small data objects—such as electronic business cards (.vcf), calendar items (.vcs), and plain notes—directly from one Bluetooth-enabled device to another without requiring complex network setup.

In Windows Mobile 6.5, OPP was implemented within the native Microsoft Bluetooth stack, though some device manufacturers (such as HTC or HP) occasionally substituted it with third-party stacks like Broadcom/Widcomm. Regardless of the underlying driver stack, OPP functioned as a point-to-point, client-server service. The sending device acts as the client pushing the object, while the receiving device acts as the server listening for incoming pushes.

To send a vCard using OPP on a Windows Mobile 6.5 device, users utilized the native "Beam" or contact export feature:

  1. Open the Contacts application and highlight the target contact.
  2. Select Menu, followed by Send Contact, and choose Beam... or Via Bluetooth.
  3. The operating system initiates a Bluetooth device discovery process to locate nearby discoverable targets advertising the OPP service.
  4. Once the target device is selected, Windows Mobile transmits the contact packaged as a standard vCard 2.1 or 3.0 file over the OPP link.
  5. The receiving device prompts the user to accept the incoming transfer, after which the contact data is saved directly into the target device's address book.

Because OPP is an open, interoperable standard, Windows Mobile 6.5 devices could exchange vCards not only with other Windows Mobile hardware, but also with Symbian, BlackBerry, Palm OS, and early Android devices, as well as desktop computers equipped with Bluetooth OBEX services.