In this article:
- Supported Hardware
- Connecting to the Camera's Network
- Enable Access Point (AP) Mode / Disable Client Mode
Supported Hardware
- THETA X
- THETA Z1
- THETA V
- THETA SC
- THETA SC2
- THETA S
Connecting to the Camera's Network
Ricoh THETA cameras provide their own WiFi network, which is how your phone talks to the camera. In order to take 360° photos you must be connected to the Ricoh THETA's WiFi network. You will see a warning in Encircle if you attempt to capture a 360° photo without being connected to your camera.
First Time Connection
You will need to join the camera's WiFi in the same way you would join any WiFi network. Power the camera on and follow these steps:
- Open your phone's WiFi settings.
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Select your camera from the list of available networks. The network name will match the camera’s serial number which can be found on the bottom of the device.
- Enter the network password. The password will be the digits from the serial number/network name.
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After a few moments your phone will be connected to the camera's network.
Subsequent Connections
Once you have connected for the first time, your phone will remember the THETA's network and you can easily switch to it when using the camera with Encircle.
Allowing Access to Local Networks
The first time you attempt to take a 360° photo, you should be prompted to allow Encircle to access local WiFi networks. Make sure you allow this; otherwise your phone will not connect to your THETA camera.
If you miss this step or deny the permission, you can go into the Apps settings on your phone and enable the permissions for Encircle there.
Enable Access Point (AP) Mode / Disable Client Mode
Ricoh cameras have two wireless modes: Access Point Mode (AP) and Client Mode (CL).
- Access Point Mode (AP): the camera acts as the wireless access point for your phone or device. This mode allows a smartphone to connect to the camera via wireless LAN. In other words, it makes the camera discoverable on your phone's WiFi network.
- Client Mode (CL): allows your camera to connect to a local Wi-Fi router or access point rather than serving as the access point itself. This mode is used for updating the camera's firmware and performing other advanced functionalities.
To work with Encircle, the camera must be in Access Point Mode (AP). It is the default wireless mode for THETA cameras, so your device should typically boot up in Access Point Mode—and most of the time you should not need to manually enable it.
There should be a visual indication on the camera's screen as to which wireless mode it's in. However you can find instructions on this for Ricoh's various camera models here.
*If you're unable to find your THETA camera in your phone's available WiFi networks, or if Encircle is telling you that it can't connect to your camera, check the camera to confirm it's in Access Point Mode and/or disable Client Mode.
To disable Client Mode, follow the instructions below (for applicable camera models) or find instructions for your camera model on Ricoh's help site.
- Swipe down from the top of the camera's screen to open the camera settings.
- Select Client Mode.
- Toggle it off.
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