Updated Sidekick - with set up Wizard

We've released a new version of Sidekick that fixes some bugs and includes a Wizard to help take you through the steps for the first time. It also includes online help which means you shouldn't have to read the manual.

This new version, 3.6, will be available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store in the coming days (update 19 Aug 2024: this is now available on both stores).

Set up Wizard

Setting up our camera for the first time can be a bit of a faff. You have to create a group on our portal, connect your phone to the camera, optionally connect your camera to WiFi, check that the modem is working, assign your camera to a group, update the location and optionally take a picture and a test recording.

The new Sidekick wizard holds your hands through these steps. To access this, click the Find Device button at the bottom, choose the type of camera you have, and then follow the on-screen instructions.

Once you have your camera set up for the first time, it's generally easier going forward.

Help

We've added some help to Sidekick to explain the different methods of connecting to the cameras and how to interpret the light. The help can be accessed on the bottom menu.

APN

We've made it easier to set your APN. You can now do this on the network page. Click on the cog icon and fill in your APN. This is needed for some SIM cards. Normally it is set to either internet or m2m. If the camera has good signal strength, has a SIM and no connectivity it will prompt to you set an APN.

Bugs

We've also fixed a number of bugs of various significance. The app should work with a larger range of Android phones, including those running Android 14.

Coming soon

We're currently testing the bird monitor functionality on the DOC AI Cam. The next version of Sidekick will include the ability to configure this and download audio files when the camera is in offline mode.