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WiFi Bird Box Camera 3rd Gen setup via Green Feathers app (AP mode)Updated 17 days ago

This guide shows you how to set up your 3rd Gen WiFi Bird Box Camera


Guide Contents -

  • Before you begin
  • Setup video
  • Let’s get started
  • 1. Registering an account
  • 2. Adding the camera to the app
  • 3. Resetting the camera and setting to AP mode
  • 4. Entering the WiFi details
  • 5. Connecting to the access point
  • 6. Troubleshooting
  • 7. Adding and renaming the camera
  • 8. To do next
  • 9. Hints & Tips
  • 10. Need More Help?


Before you begin

Test the WiFi signal strength by taking your smartphone/tablet to the site where you plan to install your camera; if it has weak signal at the installation site then the camera may struggle to maintain a connection (see section 9 Hints & Tips at the bottom of the guide for help with WiFi signal strength)

Insert a micro SD card if you have one; hold the camera with the lens facing up, then insert the micro SD card with the metal contacts facing up. Push it in fully until you feel it click into place. If you have trouble inserting the SD card to the point where it clicks into place, hold it down with your thumb then use a thin object like a pen to push it down fully

Before you mount the camera in the bird box, make sure it's connected to your WiFi router and can be viewed on the app. It's best to set the camera up when it's plugged in a different room to your router, then once it's connected you can unplug it and install it in the final location

Ensure the device being used to set up the camera is connected to the same WiFi network that you want the camera to be connected to (this is only required for the setup process)

Make sure you know the name and password of the WiFi network which the camera will be connected to

Make sure that you are connecting the camera to a 2.4GHz WiFi signal; if you don't know what this is you can read more here

Plug in the power supply into the trailing cable of the camera; after the camera has powered on you will hear a three note chime, and the camera will start saying "Wait for WiFi config"

Remove the lens cap on the camera, if it has one, and remove the cap on the reset button 


Download the Green Feathers app for Android from the Google Play store by clicking here.
Download the Green Feathers app for iOS from the App store by clicking here.





Let’s get started

To get started, open the app:


1. Registering an account

Tap 'Sign Up' to create an account, then select 'Agree' for the 'User Agreement and Privacy Policy'. If you have already signed up then skip below to the section called 'Adding the camera to the app'.



  1. Enter your email address, tick 'I Agree User Agreement and Privacy Policy' then tap 'Get Verification Code'. If you would like to use your Google or Facebook account to sign up you can do so by tapping the relevant icon at the bottom of the page.
  2. Enter this code into the app.
  3. Set a password for your account -  make sure it is something memorable.


Once your account is all set up, just log in to the app!


2. Adding the camera to the app

The first time you go on the Home page, you can choose to allow the app to use your device location. This is not essential, but helps with some features. Next, click the green '+' icon at the top right of the screen.



Now select the model of camera you are setting up, then select "AP mode":



3. Resetting the camera and setting to AP mode

Follow the instructions on the app or below to reset the camera and set it to AP mode. If your camera is already saying 'Wait for WiFi config', you can skip to step 4.

  1. Connect your camera to the power source. If your camera says "Wait for WiFi config" skip to step 4. If not, go to step 2.
  2. Press and hold the reset button until your camera says "Reset, camera reboot".
  3. Wait for your camera to say "Wait for WiFi config" (this can take up to 20 seconds).
  4. Now press the reset button 3 times. Wait for 5 seconds to go on to the next step.
  5. Place cap on reset button so it's waterproof. Tick 'Next step' when done.


The camera should now be set to AP mode, and you will see a network with a name beginning with 'SmartLife' appear in the list of available Wi-Fi networks on your smart phone/tablet. Don't connect your phone to it yet!


4. Entering the WiFi details

Now you need to enter the details of the WiFi network that you want the camera to connect to. The name of the WiFi network which your phone or tablet is connected to should be automatically filled in, so just enter the password. To change the WiFi network your device is connected to, tap the icon to the right of the WiFi name:

5. Connecting to the access point

Now go back to the app, select the 'Go to Connect' button, this will take you to your phone's wifi setting then select the 'SmartLife-0000' network to connect to it (if your device shows you a warning that there is no internet connection just ignore it, you will connect back to the normal WiFi router soon).


Now go back to the app and it should automatically begin connecting to the camera if it still i the wifi page, come out of there and go back into the GF app and it will start doing its countdown below, the camera should start link the camera to your wifi.



After a minute or so, it should have found the camera and added it to the app, you can set a name for the camera now, or later on in the settings menu.


If it picks up the wifi then it should pick up the wifi, this bar should move across, then it will tell you set a name for the camera, this will indicate that the camera has been added.



6. Troubleshooting

If the camera does not connect to your WiFi:

  1. Try resetting it and start again. 
  2. You can also try the QR code setup method, or the alternative setup method if you haven't already
  3. If this still fails, try setting the camera up in a different room, within range of your WiFi router still. Most modern WiFi routers use a combination of different WiFi frequencies (2.4GHz and 5GHz), but these cameras can only connect to 2.4GHz. Moving to another room can reduce interference from the 5GHz signal. To see other solutions to this issue you can read more here
  4. You can also email us here to speak to a member of our Helpdesk team. 


If you have connected it to your internet router, but it shows the message 'Establishing encrypted channel' and doesn't load: 

  1. Try closing the app and re-opening it. 
  2. If that doesn't work, please check what version of app you are using (go to the 'Me' section of the app, then select Settings > About). If the 'Current Version' is 1.0.0 then you will need to uninstall the app and re-install it, then log back in. You will not need to set the camera back up if you do this, it will remain connected to your Wi-Fi router.


Remember, this guide only applies to the 3rd Gen NCIP3WF & GFWF3 which was released in December 2020, if you have an older model of the camera have a look at our guide for the NCIP9WF or for the NCIP2WF. If you are unsure which camera you have, have a look at this article.


7. Adding and renaming the camera

Now you can rename the camera by tapping the pencil icon to the right of the camera name. Once it is added, to view the camera go back to the 'Home' page using the icon at the bottom left then select your camera from the list.




To view the camera go back to the 'Home' page using the icon at the bottom left then select your camera from the list.


8. To do next

To view the settings for the camera, select the pencil and paper icon at the top right of the camera live feed. To find out more about the settings, have a look at this guide.


To read about the motion detection settings, have a look at this guide.


If you want to get the device added to other phones, tablets or computers, you won't need to go through this process again, just follow this guide to get it done in a few minutes.


9. Hints & Tips

  • Keep the camera antenna pointing upwards as this improves the WiFi range
  • Try moving the camera into a different room to your router, this can help the camera connect to the 2.4ghz network instead of the 5ghz. 
  • To improve the range of your WiFi signal, purchase a WiFi extender
  • If your camera goes offline, check out this guide for some tips.


10. Need more help?

If you need help with anything else please check out our other guides or get in contact.


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