If you're setting up Arsenal for the first time, the best place to start is with the Setup article for your camera & phone brand in the Quick Start Guide.

Here are troubleshooting steps for several potential challenges with the Arsenal mobile app and phone connections.

Search for “Arsenal Remote” or “Arsenal camera assistant” in your phone’s app store or use the links below. If you’re outside the US, the download links on our website may not work. Search for the app in your phone’s app store instead. Arsenal’s app is included in the purchase price of your Arsenal. If you see another app that attempts to charge a fee, it is not the correct app.

Check if your phone meets the minimum requirements. Arsenal requires a phone running iOS 10 or Android 7.0 or later. Even though you may see Arsenal in your tablet App Store, Arsenal and the mobile app don’t support tablets yet.

Make sure you have WiFi internet access and sufficient battery life. Apps may not download or update if your phone is disconnected or low on power.

Make sure your Arsenal is powered on. Arsenal goes to sleep when not in use to conserve battery life. If you don’t see a green light on top of the device, turn on Arsenal.

Reboot Arsenal and wait for Arsenal to create a wireless network. Reboot Arsenal by holding the Power button for 8 seconds. After turning on Arsenal, allow 20-30 seconds before attempting to connect.

Verify that Location Services is enabled on your phone. Make sure Location Services are enabled to allow the Arsenal app to discover local WiFi networks.

Verify Arsenal is setting up a WiFi network and try manually connecting to Arsenal. Open your phone’s WiFi settings and look for a network beginning with Arsenal.

If prompted for a password use the password “arsenal1234” to connect to the Arsenal WiFi. Close and reopen the app and follow the instructions when prompted. If you don’t see any network, and your device is on, contact support.

Force quit and re-open the Arsenal Remote app. Try quitting your app and restarting it. This may fix the problem.

Try re-linking with your Arsenal. If you still see the connection screen, tap Get Started, and try reconnecting to your Arsenal.

Are you on a VPN? VPNs can block connection or make network switching problematic. If you're on a VPN and having connection trouble, try disabling the VPN.
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Make sure your camera is on the Supported Camera List. The list is found here: Supported Cameras.

Make sure your camera is powered on. Verify that your camera is powered on and not asleep.

Check your USB connection. The curly camera cable must be firmly connected to your camera’s USB port, or Multi-Port for some users, and Arsenal’s control port on the left side of the device (closest to the first A in “Arsenal”). Try reinserting the cable into the port and pushing the cable in more securely on both ends. If you plug into the charging port by accident, Arsenal can’t talk to your camera.

Charge your camera battery. Many cameras will shut off the USB port when the battery is low. Even if the camera still functions, a low battery can prevent a connection with Arsenal or cause erratic behavior. This can vary camera by camera, but if you are below 33% power (one bar on a three bar indicator) your camera’s low battery may be causing the problem.

Make sure you’re in the right mode. Some of Arsenal’s modes require choosing settings manually. If you’re accidentally in Manual Mode instead of Smart Mode, for example, photos will likely be over- or under-exposed. For Smart and handheld mode, make sure you are in Aperture Priority.

In Manual Mode, test whether your camera is showing you an accurate Live View. Unfortunately, some cameras auto-correct the live preview feed Arsenal receives. That means the settings you choose won’t appear in the preview, but will affect the final shot. To test this, take a test shot and see whether it matches what you saw in Live View.

In handheld mode with a DSLR, take a sample shot when the scene changes. When using a DSLR in handheld mode, Arsenal can only perform some functions after a shot is taken. If your subject or lighting changes, take a sample shot so Arsenal can recalculate appropriate settings.

Let us know when Arsenal is struggling. Arsenal has been trained and tested on some kinds of photography more than others. If you find a subject that Arsenal struggles to capture, let us know! We’re always looking to improve Arsenal’s artificial intelligence.