Dash Cam Wi-Fi Troubleshooting Guide

Wi-Fi networks are usually a source of internet connectivity – but that’s not the case for dash cams. Unlike a regular Wi-Fi network signal that gives you internet access, Wi-Fi in dash cams only work to pair the dash cam and its dedicated smartphone app together. The Wi-Fi feature is present in modern dash cams like Thinkware, BlackVue, and VIOFO.

There are many possibilities why your dash cam can’t connect to the Wi-Fi network, and below are the usual cases that we encounter:

We’re including this in the list because there are some cases where users can’t connect to the Wi-Fi… because the Wi-Fi networks are turned off. Before anything, make sure that the camera’s Wi-Fi is turned on, sometimes through a WiFi button, and that the Wi-Fi setting of your smartphone is on as well.

Another possibility is the distance between the devices. For most dash cam manufacturers, the range between the dash cam should not be farther than 10 meters for not to have connectivity issues. We recommend starting the connection right besides your camera, to eliminate any possible interference.

When connecting to a Wi-Fi network, a network name and password will be required – which can be misspelled or might include a typo. Do note that the network connection information is case sensitive (uppercase and lowercase characters must be taken into account) and guarantees that the network encryption type is right depending on network security encryption.

To resolve this, double-check your dash cam's Wi-Fi settings to confirm you've entered the correct network name (SSID) and password.

Outdated firmware on your dash cam may cause Wi-Fi connectivity issues. To resolve this, please check for firmware updates from your dash cam manufacturer to ensure your dash cam is running the most recent version. Upgrades are usually updated on the website, or on the smartphone app’s settings directly.

Moreover, it’s important to note that in some cases, the dash cam’s WiFi network does not get recognized as a true Wi-fi network by the mobile phone, so the phone is likely to encounter issues connecting.

Again, you cannot use the Wi-Fi from a dash cam to browse the internet, so it is important to differentiate between the camera’s Wi-Fi, and the type of Wi-Fi you can use to watch youtube with.

Setting your phone to airplane mode will frequently resolve this, and will be touched on more later.

There’s also a chance that your micro SD card is preventing you from connecting to the Wi-Fi. If you choose a low-grade micro SD card, there’s a big chance for you to experience this.

To resolve this, ensure that you're using a branded SD card that came with the camera to alleviate these WiFi connectivity issues that other brand SD cards may cause. Moreover, you can also do a complete SD card reformat and install most recent dash cams.

If other buttons on your camera provide you with proper responses, and the camera otherwise appears to be working normally, then it’s likely not the SD card.

There could also be instances where customers disable permissions for the dash cam application, even if it’s required. It’s fully understandable if privacy is the concern, although major features of the smartphone app will depend on this.

Local network, photos, and locations are what the app is usually asking your permission for. If you don’t grant access to these, your dash cam smartphone app will not properly function. To resolve this issue, go to your settings and update the permissions granted.

This is especially applicable to Android models, as many models actually automatically relinquish permissions after a few months of inactivity, depending on the android model.

In extreme situations, uninstalling and re-installing the app will help resolve this, and have the app ask for permissions all over again.