We’ve designed the app to be pretty intuitive when on-boarding a new Hotspot, but sometimes a little additional information can help clear up any lingering questions about what to do next. Here are the basic steps when installing your Hotspot:
Step 1: Download the app. If you already have, it’s recommended to check if there are any updates available.
iOS (iOS 13 and above) https://apps.apple.com/app/id1450463605
Android (Android OS 8 and above): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.helium.wallet
Step 2: Sign in or Create Account.
Don’t forget to write down your 12 word seed phrase, and keep them safe!! These can not be recovered if they are lost.
Step 3: Plug in the Hotspot:
Pretty easy, right? Plugging it into the outlet automatically powers it up. You’ll see the light do the following:
The yellow light come on after about 5 seconds. It will stay yellow for around 30 seconds as it boots up.
The light will shut off for about 10 seconds and come back as a light green.
All told, it can take 45 seconds to a minute for it to boot up all the way, but that yellow light will appear pretty quickly
Step 4: In the app, go to the Hotspots tab at the bottom of the screen and click the green Set up Hotspot button. That will walk you through pairing up over bluetooth.
FYI, this is done through the app, it won’t show in the phones ‘bluetooth devices’ area. Note that both Bluetooth and Location Services need to be enabled in both the phone settings as well as the app settings.
If you’re having trouble pairing, please check out the Hotspot Setup Troubleshooting Guide for suggestions.
Step 5: Connect to the internet. This can be done by selecting the WiFi network or plugging in an Ethernet cable.
If you have trouble connecting, please check out the Network Troubleshooting Guide for some tips.
Step 6: Add the Hotspot to the Blockchain.
Depending on when exactly your Hotspot was produced, it may require a firmware update as well. You’ll see a page in the app of this if it’s required. In that case, you just need to leave it plugged in and connected to the internet for about 15-20minutes…so you can take a break, go grab a coffee, watch some TV, etc, and then come back, re-pair over bluetooth, and proceed through the steps. At that point, as long as the internet has been properly connected it will have automatically updated and you’ll be able to skate through the setup.
You’ll see a note about On-Boarding Fees. For Hotspots purchased directly through helium.com, we waive this $40 fee (paid in Data Credits) for you!
Step 7: Set your Location
There will normally be a $10 fee to set your location (also paid in Data Credits), this is covered by Helium for the first two assertions but will incur a Data Credit cost after that. The fees are used to validate and safeguard the network.
Once past this screen, you can specify the location by zooming in on the map and Confirm Hotspot Location.
Note that this is not done automatically and is required before tokens can be earned.
Step 8: You’re done!
Please allow 24-48 hours to fully sync the blockchain.
Note that we do push firmware updates regularly, so even if you do not see the screen noted above, your Hotspot will most likely update itself. This does reboot the Hotspot as well, so do not be alarmed if the light goes white for a little while, as that’s the firmware updating.
Once it’s synced, and if you’re data hungry or curious, you can monitor your Hotspot and the Network from within the app, or from one of the two following pages: Our network visualizer: https://network.helium.com/coverage and by pasting in your wallet address here: https://explorer.helium.com/
For more information about what your hotspot is doing while it’s running, see the My Hotspot collection of articles in the support center.
