diff --git a/bleak/__init__.py b/bleak/__init__.py
index 2ced4b02d..1220ceccf 100644
--- a/bleak/__init__.py
+++ b/bleak/__init__.py
@@ -87,10 +87,10 @@ class BleakScanner:
             Optional list of service UUIDs to filter on. Only advertisements
             containing this advertising data will be received. Required on
             macOS >= 12.0, < 12.3 (unless you create an app with ``py2app``).
-        scanning_mode:
-            Set to ``"passive"`` to avoid the ``"active"`` scanning mode.
-            Passive scanning is not supported on macOS! Will raise
-            :class:`BleakError` if set to ``"passive"`` on macOS.
+        passive:
+            Use passive instead of active scanning mode. Passive scanning
+            is not supported on macOS! Will raise :class:`BleakError` if
+            set to ``True`` on macOS.
         bluez:
             Dictionary of arguments specific to the BlueZ backend.
         cb:
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ def __init__(
         self,
         detection_callback: Optional[AdvertisementDataCallback] = None,
         service_uuids: Optional[List[str]] = None,
-        scanning_mode: Literal["active", "passive"] = "active",
+        passive: bool = False,
         *,
         bluez: BlueZScannerArgs = {},
         cb: CBScannerArgs = {},
@@ -125,10 +125,18 @@ def __init__(
             get_platform_scanner_backend_type() if backend is None else backend
         )
 
+        # Backward compatibility with scanning_mode: Literal["active", "passive"] parameter
+        scanning_mode = kwargs.get("scanning_mode")
+        if scanning_mode is not None:
+            _logger.debug(
+                f"Overwriting parameter passive={passive} with legacy scanning_mode={scanning_mode}"
+            )
+            passive = scanning_mode == "passive"
+
         self._backend = PlatformBleakScanner(
             detection_callback,
             service_uuids,
-            scanning_mode,
+            passive,
             bluez=bluez,
             cb=cb,
             **kwargs,
diff --git a/bleak/backends/bluezdbus/scanner.py b/bleak/backends/bluezdbus/scanner.py
index d9cce225b..203a140f2 100644
--- a/bleak/backends/bluezdbus/scanner.py
+++ b/bleak/backends/bluezdbus/scanner.py
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@
 from dbus_fast import Variant
 
 if sys.version_info[:2] < (3, 8):
-    from typing_extensions import Literal, TypedDict
+    from typing_extensions import TypedDict
 else:
-    from typing import Literal, TypedDict
+    from typing import TypedDict
 
 from ...exc import BleakError
 from ..scanner import AdvertisementData, AdvertisementDataCallback, BaseBleakScanner
@@ -109,8 +109,8 @@ class BleakScannerBlueZDBus(BaseBleakScanner):
             Optional list of service UUIDs to filter on. Only advertisements
             containing this advertising data will be received. Specifying this
             also enables scanning while the screen is off on Android.
-        scanning_mode:
-            Set to ``"passive"`` to avoid the ``"active"`` scanning mode.
+        passive:
+            Use passive instead of active scanning mode.
         **bluez:
             Dictionary of arguments specific to the BlueZ backend.
         **adapter (str):
@@ -121,14 +121,14 @@ def __init__(
         self,
         detection_callback: Optional[AdvertisementDataCallback],
         service_uuids: Optional[List[str]],
-        scanning_mode: Literal["active", "passive"],
+        passive: bool,
         *,
         bluez: BlueZScannerArgs,
         **kwargs,
     ):
         super(BleakScannerBlueZDBus, self).__init__(detection_callback, service_uuids)
 
-        self._scanning_mode = scanning_mode
+        self._passive_mode = passive
 
         # kwarg "device" is for backwards compatibility
         self._adapter: Optional[str] = kwargs.get("adapter", kwargs.get("device"))
@@ -162,12 +162,12 @@ def __init__(
 
         self._or_patterns = bluez.get("or_patterns")
 
-        if self._scanning_mode == "passive" and service_uuids:
+        if self._passive_mode and service_uuids:
             logger.warning(
                 "service uuid filtering is not implemented for passive scanning, use bluez or_patterns as a workaround"
             )
 
-        if self._scanning_mode == "passive" and not self._or_patterns:
+        if self._passive_mode and not self._or_patterns:
             raise BleakError("passive scanning mode requires bluez or_patterns")
 
     async def start(self):
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ async def start(self):
 
         self.seen_devices = {}
 
-        if self._scanning_mode == "passive":
+        if self._passive_mode:
             self._stop = await manager.passive_scan(
                 adapter_path,
                 self._or_patterns,
diff --git a/bleak/backends/corebluetooth/scanner.py b/bleak/backends/corebluetooth/scanner.py
index bfcd2e30e..033b9ae48 100644
--- a/bleak/backends/corebluetooth/scanner.py
+++ b/bleak/backends/corebluetooth/scanner.py
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
 
 if sys.version_info[:2] < (3, 8):
-    from typing_extensions import Literal, TypedDict
+    from typing_extensions import TypedDict
 else:
-    from typing import Literal, TypedDict
+    from typing import TypedDict
 
 import objc
 from CoreBluetooth import CBPeripheral
@@ -52,10 +52,9 @@ class BleakScannerCoreBluetooth(BaseBleakScanner):
             Optional list of service UUIDs to filter on. Only advertisements
             containing this advertising data will be received. Required on
             macOS >= 12.0, < 12.3 (unless you create an app with ``py2app``).
-        scanning_mode:
-            Set to ``"passive"`` to avoid the ``"active"`` scanning mode. Not
-            supported on macOS! Will raise :class:`BleakError` if set to
-            ``"passive"``
+        passive:
+            Use passive instead of active scanning mode. Not supported on
+            macOS! Will raise :class:`BleakError` if enabled.
         **timeout (float):
              The scanning timeout to be used, in case of missing
             ``stopScan_`` method.
@@ -65,7 +64,7 @@ def __init__(
         self,
         detection_callback: Optional[AdvertisementDataCallback],
         service_uuids: Optional[List[str]],
-        scanning_mode: Literal["active", "passive"],
+        passive: bool = False,
         *,
         cb: CBScannerArgs,
         **kwargs
@@ -76,7 +75,7 @@ def __init__(
 
         self._use_bdaddr = cb.get("use_bdaddr", False)
 
-        if scanning_mode == "passive":
+        if passive:
             raise BleakError("macOS does not support passive scanning")
 
         self._manager = CentralManagerDelegate.alloc().init()
diff --git a/bleak/backends/p4android/scanner.py b/bleak/backends/p4android/scanner.py
index 609e5846e..6737814d5 100644
--- a/bleak/backends/p4android/scanner.py
+++ b/bleak/backends/p4android/scanner.py
@@ -11,11 +11,6 @@
 else:
     from asyncio import timeout as async_timeout
 
-if sys.version_info[:2] < (3, 8):
-    from typing_extensions import Literal
-else:
-    from typing import Literal
-
 from android.broadcast import BroadcastReceiver
 from android.permissions import Permission, request_permissions
 from jnius import cast, java_method
@@ -39,8 +34,8 @@ class BleakScannerP4Android(BaseBleakScanner):
             Optional list of service UUIDs to filter on. Only advertisements
             containing this advertising data will be received. Specifying this
             also enables scanning while the screen is off on Android.
-        scanning_mode:
-            Set to ``"passive"`` to avoid the ``"active"`` scanning mode.
+        passive:
+            Use passive instead of active scanning mode.
     """
 
     __scanner = None
@@ -49,12 +44,12 @@ def __init__(
         self,
         detection_callback: Optional[AdvertisementDataCallback],
         service_uuids: Optional[List[str]],
-        scanning_mode: Literal["active", "passive"],
+        passive: bool,
         **kwargs,
     ):
         super(BleakScannerP4Android, self).__init__(detection_callback, service_uuids)
 
-        if scanning_mode == "passive":
+        if passive:
             self.__scan_mode = defs.ScanSettings.SCAN_MODE_OPPORTUNISTIC
         else:
             self.__scan_mode = defs.ScanSettings.SCAN_MODE_LOW_LATENCY
diff --git a/bleak/backends/winrt/scanner.py b/bleak/backends/winrt/scanner.py
index 68b0940b0..79260ed23 100644
--- a/bleak/backends/winrt/scanner.py
+++ b/bleak/backends/winrt/scanner.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import asyncio
 import logging
-import sys
 from typing import Dict, List, NamedTuple, Optional
 from uuid import UUID
 
@@ -12,11 +11,6 @@
     BluetoothLEScanningMode,
 )
 
-if sys.version_info[:2] < (3, 8):
-    from typing_extensions import Literal
-else:
-    from typing import Literal
-
 from ...assigned_numbers import AdvertisementDataType
 from ..scanner import AdvertisementData, AdvertisementDataCallback, BaseBleakScanner
 
@@ -64,8 +58,8 @@ class BleakScannerWinRT(BaseBleakScanner):
         service_uuids:
             Optional list of service UUIDs to filter on. Only advertisements
             containing this advertising data will be received.
-        scanning_mode:
-            Set to ``"passive"`` to avoid the ``"active"`` scanning mode.
+        passive:
+            Use passive instead of active scanning mode.
 
     """
 
@@ -73,7 +67,7 @@ def __init__(
         self,
         detection_callback: Optional[AdvertisementDataCallback],
         service_uuids: Optional[List[str]],
-        scanning_mode: Literal["active", "passive"],
+        passive: bool,
         **kwargs,
     ):
         super(BleakScannerWinRT, self).__init__(detection_callback, service_uuids)
@@ -82,8 +76,7 @@ def __init__(
         self._advertisement_pairs: Dict[int, _RawAdvData] = {}
         self._stopped_event = None
 
-        # case insensitivity is for backwards compatibility on Windows only
-        if scanning_mode.lower() == "passive":
+        if passive:
             self._scanning_mode = BluetoothLEScanningMode.PASSIVE
         else:
             self._scanning_mode = BluetoothLEScanningMode.ACTIVE