Square Terminal not updating and not working

[GBHS_EVENTS]

Hello! My square terminal is suddenly not letting me use it. I turn it on and it goes immediately to a software update screen, times out saying that the update could not be installed, then takes me to a network settings screen. The terminal is connected to wifi. I tried forgetting the network and then connected it to three different networks hoping one would work but the device keeps telling me that the install could not download and to check network settings. I did a speed test, all are working at over 25Mbps. I can't access any menus or settings as it is only goes to the download install screen and the network settings screen. I have restarted it, turned it off, force turned it off.

What do I need to do?

[Stacelyn24]

That definitely sounds frustrating, especially since you've already tried multiple networks and confirmed your internet is working.

If it's stuck in an update loop and won't let you access any other settings or menus, it may be more than just a Wi-Fi issue. At that point, I'd reach out to Square Support directly since they can check whether there's a problem with the device itself or the software update being pushed to it.

Hopefully it's something they can resolve remotely, but keep us posted on what you find out.

[GBHS_EVENTS]

The Square Terminal was completely unresponsive and I couldn't interact with it at all. The only solution that worked for me was a factory reset, so I wanted to share the process in case anyone else encounters the same issue.

A few things to note before you start: the steps differ slightly depending on which version of the 1st Gen Terminal you have, and you'll need to set the device up again once the reset is complete.

Square Terminal (1st generation – V2)

1. Press and hold the power button for about 16 seconds, until a menu with Restart and Factory reset appears.
2. Press the power button once to move between options.
3. When Factory reset is highlighted, press and hold the power button for about 5 seconds until the countdown completes and the reset begins.

Square Terminal (1st generation – V1)

1. Press and hold the power button for approximately 10 seconds, until a black screen with a countdown timer appears.
2. Continue holding the power button until the timer reaches 0 and the screen indicates you can release.

After the reset, you'll need to set up your Square Terminal again.

Hope this helps anyone else in the same spot!

[Stacelyn24]

thank you so much for coming back here to tell us how you were able to correct this issue...hopefully this may help someone else in the future.  I am glad that its working for you though 🙂