Robotics: Smart Machines - HoverBots | Not Connecting to Mobile Device

Thank you for choosing Thames & Kosmos and for your interest in our Robotics: Smart Machines - HoverBots kit.

 We are sorry to hear that you are having issues with the HoverBots app. The mobile app should automatically connect to the base via Bluetooth. Follow these steps to see if you can establish the connection.

First, make sure you have downloaded the HoverBots Programming and Controller App (different from the Robotics: Smart Machines app), using the links below.

Apple App Store
Google Play Store

Then, you want to enable Location Services (very important), by following these steps:

1. From your home screen, enter your Settings menu.
2. Tap on “Location services” or “Location access” – whichever your phone shows.
3. From this screen, you can toggle on or off any of the location services your phone offers. (Please make sure if you are able to set the "Mode" or Location services to be "High Accuracy")

Now, make sure that you have inserted new, name brand Alkaline batteries into your balancing robotic base (as generic and rechargeable batteries have less strength, resulting in a weaker signal) and turn the base on.

Next, make sure that you don’t have any other apps running in the background, as the HoverBots app requires a lot of ram to operate and go into the HoverBots app, where you will see a large Bluetooth symbol.

​Tap the Bluetooth icon and you will get a list of Bluetooth devices. One of them will be a series of numbers that you won't recognize from your other Bluetooth Devices.

Tap on that code, and it should bring you to the next screen, which will give you 3 options. Tap "Balance Settings" and select the setting based on the model you have built (for example, the Rover works using Balance Setting C, the Pendulum works using Balance Setting D, etc.).

As long as the Bluetooth connects successfully, the balancing robotic base will begin trying to balance itself and the app will take you to the home screen. In the upper-left you will see the Bluetooth symbol in green, indicating it is connected. If it is grey, it means the connection has been lost and you will need to reconnect.

If it is still not connecting, exit the app, perform a force close and try restarting the app to see if the balancing robotic base connects on its own.

I hope that resolved the issue. If not, we kindly ask you to send an email to [e-mail] with the following information:

•  Your mailing address and phone number
• Date of purchase (or when you received it as a gift) and the retailer it was purchased from
• The production code from your box (an alphanumeric code located in the white square with the UPC bar code)
• The type of device you are using and the operating software it is running on
• A screenshot of the available Bluetooth devices screen (as shown below).

If you have any additional questions about this or any of our other kits, please do not hesitate in including them in your email to us.

Thank you again for choosing Thames & Kosmos. We hope you and your family continue to enjoy our products for many years to come.

Kind regards,

The Thames & Kosmos Technical Support Team