Tineco smart vacuums are meant to connect to a Wi-Fi network and the Tineco app. If you are having trouble connecting your Tineco smart vacuum to a Wi-Fi network, please do the following troubleshooting actions:

• Make sure your smartphone’s operating system is up to date - The Tineco app requires Android 6.0 or later and iOS 9.0 or later.
• Make sure you enter the correct Wi-Fi login details - Enter the correct Wi-Fi network username and password, with no black spaces at the end.
• Make sure you are using a 2.4G Wi-Fi network - The Tineco app does not support a 5G Wi-Fi network. If you are using a 2.4G or 5G mixed network, make sure your mobile device is connected to the 2.4G network.
• Make sure you choose the correct region - You need to make sure the Tineco app region is consistent with the place of your Tineco vacuum purchase. Also, make sure your smartphone’s time zone and location are the same.
• Keep the router, smartphone, and the Tineco vacuum close to each other - The trouter, smartphone, and your Tineco device must be close to each other during the connection process. The closer they are, the smoother the connection is.
• Make sure the Wi-Fi network is stable and has enough bandwidth - If there are too many devices connected to your wireless router at once, disconnect a few devices then try reconnecting your Tineco again. You may also get a higher Mbps plan or upgrade to a tri-band router for faster, higher frequencies.
• Enable location services on your smartphone - Please enable geolocation permissions when the Tineco app asks for access. On an iPhone, you can enable this by going into settings and finding the Tineco app and changing the location access to "While Using the App".
• Do not use a VPN or Citrix - A virtual private network (VPN) needs to be disabled temporarily in order to be able to connect your Tineco to a Wi-Fi network. A firewall must also be disabled.

If you have done the above steps, try restarting your phone after installing the Tineco app for the first time. It is recommended by Tineco to restart your phone after installing the Tineco app for the first time.

Troubleshooting Tineco not connecting to Wi-Fi

There are four things you can do to troubleshoot a Tineco vacuum not connecting to Wi-Fi. You need to switch to a 2.4G network, move the router closer to your Tineco vacuum and phone, disconnect devices from the Wi-Fi network to free up bandwidth, and set up your device properly.

Here are the four troubleshooting tips explained further:

1. Switch to a 2.4G network

Firstly, make sure you are using a 2.4G Wi-Fi network. Modern routers typically use two frequency bands, 2.4G and 5G. Tineco smart vacuums can only connect to a 2.4G network. They do not support a 5G network.

To check if your router is dual-band, look up the model on the manufacturer’s website. Check the SSID name. If 2 networks are being broadcast from the router, it is most likely a dual-band router.

Be sure to select a 2.4G network for all Tineco smart vacuums. If there are duplicate SSIDs, confirm that the MAC address associated with the SSID corresponds to the Wi-Fi Access Point. The instructions for finding the MAC address will be in the Administration section of the Wi-Fi Access Point user manual.

2. Move the router closer to your Tineco vacuum and your phone

If your Tineco vacuum is having trouble connecting to Wi-Fi or frequently loses its W-Fi connection, it may mean that the Wi-Fi signal is not strong enough in the area where the Tineco vacuum drops its connection. Make sure to keep the router, smartphone, and the Tineco vacuum close to each other.

Router placement makes a big impact on a Tineco vacuum’s connectivity. Try placing your home’s router in a more central area, so the coverage is more uniform throughout the house.

Even with centrally placed routers, there could be some “dead zones” around large metal objects. Household items like refrigerators or stoves can interfere with your internet connection and disconnect your Tineco smart vacuum cleaner from the Wi-Fi network when you are cleaning in a certain area of your house. 

You can often identify these “dead zones” by using your smartphone to search for available networks in areas where the vacuum disconnects. Check the signal strength of available networks in those areas compared to other areas in your house. If you find a “dead zone”, try moving the router to a better location.

3. Disconnect devices from your Wi-Fi network

You can also try to disconnect a few devices that may overcrowd your Wi-Fi network. If you have several devices and family members using the internet, you'll need more bandwidth to keep up. On average, a home with more than 10 devices connected to Wi-Fi at the same time will start to notice bandwidth issues.

If you have trouble connecting your Tineco vacuum, log into the router settings and look through all the devices that are currently connected to your Wi-Fi network, then disconnect the ones that are not in use.

Streaming and gaming demand a certain amount of bandwidth speed to get the best experience without a lot of buffering or lag. Freeing up the bandwidth on your Wi-Fi network gives more bandwidth space for your Tineco. There’s less competition with other devices to get a strong connection to the Wi-Fi.

4. Set up your Tineco and smartphone correctly

Last but not least, make sure your Tineco smart vacuum cleaner and smartphone are set up properly. If you have trouble connecting Tineco to Wi-Fi, set it up properly by doing the following:

• Make sure your smartphone’s operating system is up to date - The Tineco app requires Android 6.0 or later and iOS 9.0 or later.
• Make sure you enter the correct Wi-Fi login details - Enter the correct Wi-Fi network username and password, with no black spaces at the end.
• Make sure you choose the correct region - You need to make sure the Tineco app region is consistent with the place of your Tineco vacuum purchase. Also, make sure your smartphone’s time zone and location are the same.
• Enable location services on your smartphone - Please enable geolocation permissions when the Tineco app asks for access. On an iPhone, you can enable this by going into settings and finding the Tineco app and changing the location access to "While Using the App".
• Do not use a VPN or Citrix - A virtual private network (VPN) needs to be disabled temporarily in order to be able to connect your Tineco to a Wi-Fi network. A firewall must also be disabled.

Remember, you need to connect the Tineco app within the 180 seconds allotted (after you select a device). If you fail to do so, you need to restart the connection process from the beginning.

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