thread Re: Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis? in Archived Discussions (Read Only)

Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis?

rickined — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 19:58:31 GMT

I have a Square NFC reader paired with a Nexus 7. Every day when I start up the Nexus 7 and start the Square app it says "connecting to reader" and just hangs there. I need to go into the Square app settings, "Forget" the reader, and then reinstall it. This process only takes about a minute, but it is very annoying. I don't have this problem with any other BLE devices that I use with the Nexus 7.

Is this a Sqaure problem?

Re: Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis?

Sean — Wed, 11 May 2016 22:36:29 GMT

So sorry to hear! This definitely shouldn't be happening. I'm pleased to share that the Nexus 7 is fully compatible with our Contactless + Chip Reader.

Have you already had a chance to go through these troubleshooting steps? They've been a really good starting point for many sellers who have run into issues.

If these tips don't fix the problem, would you mind letting me know? Also, are you getting an error message when your reader tries to connect? Any extra details would be awesome! 👍

Re: Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis?

thegallery — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 15:14:11 GMT

I'm having a similar problem.

Almost every day when I get to work Square app it says "connecting to reader"
I hold the button on the reader down until the lights flash orange but usually that don't happend so I continue holding the button until the lights flash red I release the button and press it again to restart then I can press the button for a few seconds to get the flashing orange lights. Sometimes it will pair at this point or sometimes I have to restart the app and if that don't work I restart the phone and of course after restarting the phone or app I have to do the process to get the orange lights flashing again.

Why does it unpair every day?

App version 4.57
Using samsung gallaxy s4 with android 5.0.1
Both are fully charged.

Re: Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis?

rickined — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 15:18:14 GMT

no idea. It is some bug somewhere, some bluetooth thing I think. I have a nexus 7 with the most updated software. The best way I've found around this problem is to unpair the reader in Square point of sale and then re-connect it. Adds an extra 60 seconds of work to my day, but typically solves the problem.

Re: Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis?

EJ_ — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 19:20:02 GMT

@rickined Great answer!

@thegallery You should only have to pair your Square Contactless and Chip Card Reader to your device once. You don't (or shouldn't) have to hold down the button on the front of the reader when the Point of Sale app indicates that it's pairing to the reader when you open it up.

It should connect automatically. Toggling your bluetooth of your device off and on again usually helps as well.

The suggestion made by @rickined usually resolves this issue when it's happened to me in the past.

Re: Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis?

abundance-shop — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 21:48:56 GMT

I am glad to see other Android users experiencing this problem. I originally replied under an iOS problem report where @Sean announced that Apple had fixed it. However, he informed me that this was not a known Android problem.

"I run the register app on a Samsung 10.1 (From Square) Android Tablet using Android 6.01 (Marshmallow) and experience the same/similar problem with a Bluetooth connection. Most of the time the contactless/chip reader works flawlessly. However, from time to time, the app goes into a mode where it shows a message 'Connecting' to the contactless/chip reader and never recovers. Up to now our fix has been to go to settings, instruct the app to forget the chip reader and initiate the pairing again. With an impatient customer waiting to complete checking out this is not a good solution and restarting the app is worse because all the sale information would be lost.

Is there a problem fix for Android?"

Don't know how many problem reports it takes to get traction towards getting this fixed.

Re: Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis?

Sean — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 22:09:42 GMT

Hi again @abundance-shop. 👋 As I mentioned in our other thread, this is part of the experience that we're continually looking into improving. I know it can be a little tough for us to test the experience on every device (24,000+ Android devices on the market), but we do our due diligence, promise! As for the next steps, I'll share your feedback. Also, my best advice is to keep on top of software updates, as we make improvements with each update! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback.

Re: Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis?

Soon — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 03:07:59 GMT

I have Bluetooth connectivity issue with the contract reader to my huawei p9. The reader frequent disconnects with my phone. It always happens first thing in the morning and also if there is no transaction in a few hours. The app will ask me to hold button on reader to connect and then it will fail. Very often I have to turn my blue tooth function off and on again to get connection. Now it just stopped connecting. I had to go back to use an iPhone to process payment. Help!

Re: Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis?

puka — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 16:44:18 GMT

Hey @Soon - It doesn't look like the Huawei P9 is included in our list of tested devices. Because it has not been tested yet, we cannot guarantee its compatibility with our software and hardware.

Re: Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis?

Soon — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 17:46:09 GMT

I checked out the list of tested devices and it appears that Square has not tested any recent models of Huawei devices. Huawei devices are not available in the States. Is that why Square has not bothered testing them? And will you be? I am in the process of upgrading my phone and this will seriously impact my decision on selection of new phone. Can you please shed some lights on this matter Please?

Re: Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis?

Helen — Sat, 19 Jan 2019 01:56:43 GMT

@Soon Some Huawei devices are compatible with Square, but you're right we haven't tested all of them. 😞

The Hardware team is constantly testing devices as they are released and they test devices that are available in different countries. If you're getting a new device I strongly recommend checking the our Device Compatibility site to make sure the device you choose is compatible.

Re: Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis?

kimiboc72 — Sat, 13 Jun 2020 02:19:11 GMT

Hi. I have been suffering with connecting daily too. there are three of us that try and use it and all three of us have a different set of 'tricks' or routine to get it connect. Should I ask them for a new one? Never thought about it. Its been such a problem we have manually entered every sale for a year 😞 We are an alpaca farm.

Re: Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis?

Soon — Sat, 13 Jun 2020 03:38:06 GMT

I gave up on the contactless device and ordered a terminal. And it has been a bliss since. Since 3 of u are using it, may be it is worth investing the money in the terminal.

Re: Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis?

thegallery — Sat, 13 Jun 2020 10:40:44 GMT

I also gave up on the contactless device and went back to the square magstripe reader

Re: Why do I have to re-connect/pair my contactless reader on a daily basis?

JustinC — Sun, 14 Jun 2020 21:38:20 GMT

Have you done any POS app troubleshooting? Also, you should try a hard reset on your reader. Usually these steps fix most connectivity issues with the reader.

If you ran through those steps to no avail, file a warranty claim if you've purchased the reader within a year.

@kimiboc72