Troubleshooting
Thermal Monocular and Scope WiFi Connection Guide
Setup guide · Thermal optics
Thermal WiFi Connection Guide
Phone or tablet not connecting to your thermal?
Why mobile data causes connection issues
Most thermal devices create their own WiFi network, but that WiFi network usually does not provide internet access.
Because of this, some phones and tablets, especially Apple devices with SIM cards, may get confused. They connect to the thermal’s WiFi, realise there is no internet, then try to use mobile data instead.
This can stop the thermal app from detecting or connecting to the device properly.
Step 1Download the correct app
Download the correct app for your thermal device.
For example: Hikmicro devices usually use the Hikmicro Sight app.
The correct app may vary depending on the brand and model.
Step 2Turn on WiFi or hotspot/network mode on the thermal
Go into your thermal device’s menu system and turn ON the WiFi, hotspot, or network setting.
On most devices, the WiFi password will also be shown in this menu.
If the password is not shown next to this setting, it may be:
- The device’s serial number
12345678- Another default password listed in the manual
This varies between brands and models.
Step 3Connect your phone or tablet to the thermal’s WiFi
Open the WiFi settings on your phone or tablet.
Refresh the available WiFi networks.
Your thermal device should appear as a WiFi network.
Select the thermal’s WiFi network and enter the password.
Step 4Turn off mobile data
After connecting to the thermal’s WiFi, make sure mobile data is turned off.
You can do this by either:
- Turning mobile data off completely
- Putting the phone or tablet into airplane mode, then turning WiFi back on
- Disabling mobile data just for the thermal app
Keep in mind: if you only disable mobile data for the app, you may need to turn it back on later when performing firmware updates. This is why most people prefer to use one of the other methods.
Step 5Open the thermal app and refresh
Once your phone or tablet is connected to the thermal’s WiFi, open the thermal app.
Refresh the device list inside the app, usually by swiping down.
In most cases, the thermal will appear automatically and connect. If so, happy days — hit live view and you’re off to the races.
Step 6Fully close and reopen the app if needed
If the thermal does not appear or connect, fully close the app and reopen it.
Do not just minimise the app.
Fully close it, reopen it, then refresh the device list again.
Step 7Check for a confirmation code
Some newer Hikmicro firmware versions require a confirmation step before the app can connect.
If your thermal is not connecting, look through the thermal device and check whether a code appears on the thermal and in the app.
If you see a confirmation code, press OK on the thermal device to approve the connection to the app.
Shop thermals by brand
This guide covers the general connection steps. Menus and app names differ between brands — the brand pages below list every model Bristle Up stocks.
Still not connecting?
Get in touch with Bristle Up
If you have worked through every step and the thermal still will not connect, get in touch. Tell us the thermal model, the phone or tablet, and what you see in the app.