F800 Annoyance Thread

[rdash]

I posted earlier in the main Thinkware Forum when I saw the F800 would be in Best Buy in late July. I had been following it pretty closely since and it seems our local Best Buys got them a few days into August. I picked mine up yesterday and installed (w/ the hardwire kit) earlier today. This ongoing thread here (https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/f800-installed.30199/) has a pretty good list of the issues. Just going to reiterate some of them in one spot and add a few others. Thanks to folks in that thread I actually figured out WTF is actually needed to get to the settings in the F800 App.

My first issue (sort of) is that I downloaded the previous Thinkware App that isn't called Thinkware Cloud (F800). This one takes advantage of the WiFi that gets enabled from the dashcam and does *not* require a hotspot. It will connect once after the camera boots and if you close it or lose connection after that -- you are done and have to restart the camera to get it back up. Live mode in the classic app works fine -- as do *most* options. However, when I went to actually configure parking mode the app will crash.. which kicks you into the cycle of having to restart the damn camera to get the app working again. There's also a configuration option to change the SSID for the camera & set a password. This doesn't seem to actually take... it saves, disconnects, but nothing changes on the camera. Lame.

So then I realize this is not actually the right app.. even though some stuff works and there's setting you can't get to on the F800 specific app. So.. cue using the F800 app. It connects initially through WiFi relatively easily. But then it wants you to go to this horse**** Hotspot setup. I just escaped out at this point not realizing this is mandatory to configure the F'ing dashcam. What an absolutely abomination of a design feature. In any event -- once you exit out of the Hotspot config while on WiFi ... you can actually view Live Mode, access the camera's support and firmware settings, etc. So ... it appears you are connected to the camera just fine. WTF can't you make modifications to the settings at this point? Completely stupid design is clearly why.

Fortunately, I actually have the hotspot feature on my phone. I guess I would be S.O.L. if I didn't? Ridiculous. So once the dashcam is connected via hotspot you can access the settings. Only there's no setting to set a password or rename your Thinkware SSID. I guess that means if I have WiFi on and anyone nearby while my car is on can just connect to my camera, turn on a hotspot, and delete my videos/change my settings if they want? Seems super insecure and stupid.

There's also an option via "Support" which is available via both WiFi and Hotspot/Internet that showed Download Firmware. I downloaded it in WiFi mode. It doesn't tell you what the version is or tell you how to apply it. Trying to redownload will just inform you that it's already downloaded and will be installed when you launch the app. Uhh.. ok? It also shows the download as beeing 113,000KB ... which is around 113MB. Given it took like 3 seconds to download over my spotty Verizon connection.. I am going to guess they actually mean 113,000 bytes (or 113KB) and not 113MB.

Paint me extremely disappointed at the interface requiring a hotspot to do anything meaningful. Some of the features work fine over wifi with the old app though.. further proving this hotspot garbage is unnecessary. I'm debating if i want to ditch this thing or not at this point.

 

[djsteve]

So then I realize this is not actually the right app.. even though some stuff works and there's setting you can't get to on the F800 specific app.

Yep, as you figured out the other app is what is used for previous generation cameras, such as the F750 and F770. Being an owner of a F750, I also didn’t realize that a new app was needed for the F800 until after around an hour of hopelessly getting the app I already had to work. Too bad. That app works just fine for the F750 and required no quirky hotspot gymnastics.

Only there's no setting to set a password or rename your Thinkware SSID. I guess that means if I have WiFi on and anyone nearby while my car is on can just connect to my camera, turn on a hotspot, and delete my videos/change my settings if they want? Seems super insecure and stupid.

After the first successful configuration of hotspot connectivity, the WiFi access point mode (allowing a phone to initiate a connection to a SSID) is turned off by default. You need to have physical access to the camera to press the WiFi button to reactivate the feature.

Interestingly, since access point mode was what the earlier cameras exclusively used, the oulder app allowed you to change the SSID and password. I wonder if this still works with the F800? Might be worth a try if you’re still concerned.

 

[rdash]

After the first successful configuration of hotspot connectivity, the WiFi access point mode (allowing a phone to initiate a connection to a SSID) is turned off by default. You need to have physical access to the camera to press the WiFi button to reactivate the feature.

Interestingly, since access point mode was what the earlier cameras exclusively used, the oulder app allowed you to change the SSID and password. I wonder if this still works with the F800? Might be worth a try if you’re still concerned.

Yea so I did have to turn it back on manually. In part because after one attempt it stopped connecting to the hotspot. Then I also had added a bogus Hotspot (fake SSID/password). It actually stores this SSID config under "WiFi Options". I don't see any way to delete it. I clicked on it to see if it brought up config options or the ability to delete it. Nope -- just starts to immediately connect to it. Camera is now configured to try and only connect to the bogus SSID now. Requires you to go through setup again to get the old hotspot back otherwise it keeps trying the bad one (as far as I can tell).

Yea I use the older app to change the SSID. It didn't take/save but did disconnect WiFi like the settings were being updated. Also the default settings seem to indicate the SSID is already password protected with 1234567890 as the password. This does not seem to be the case either.

 

[EL1]

I've had the F800 Pro for just over a week now and I'm thoroughly annoyed by the Wifi (or Hotspot) not automatically connecting with my iPhone X after starting the car. Instead, I have to manually go in and re-connect each time. This wouldn't be a thought if it wasn't for a red blinking LED on the front camera (mine is installed on the driver's side), which I have to bare with until I re-activate the Wifi or Hotspot connection.

 

[Pullar]

Yep, as you figured out the other app is what is used for previous generation cameras, such as the F750 and F770. Being an owner of a F750, I also didn’t realize that a new app was needed for the F800 until after around an hour of hopelessly getting the app I already had to work. Too bad. That app works just fine for the F750 and required no quirky hotspot gymnastics.



After the first successful configuration of hotspot connectivity, the WiFi access point mode (allowing a phone to initiate a connection to a SSID) is turned off by default. You need to have physical access to the camera to press the WiFi button to reactivate the feature.

Interestingly, since access point mode was what the earlier cameras exclusively used, the oulder app allowed you to change the SSID and password. I wonder if this still works with the F800? Might be worth a try if you’re still concerned.

So does this mean if I don't have a data plan on my cell phone that I won't be able to set up the app/camera if I buy the f800 pro?

 

[jokiin]

So does this mean if I don't have a data plan on my cell phone that I won't be able to set up the app/camera if I buy the f800 pro?

doesn't need data access for you to config the camera, just wifi