My contactless chip reader's yellow lights do not come on any more

[Tim10]

My contactless chip reader's yellow lights do not come on anymore and thus it will not connect to my iPad Mini (even though the reader is fully charged).  If I hold the connecting button down long enough the red lights come on, but the yellow ones never come on anymore.  Do I need a new contactless chip reader or could it be some other problem?   

[Tom]

Hey @Tim10, thanks for surfacing this — sorry to hear about the trouble!

You should be able to see the yellow/orange lights after holding down the power button for 3-10 seconds.

If that doesn't help clear things up, check the following:

• Make sure Bluetooth is turned on in your device settings. 
• Ensure that your reader is fully charged.

Hope this helps get you in the right direction. Please let us know if you have any further questions!

[Gstocky]

I'm having the same issue. My Bluetooth is on, my reader is fully charged... what's up????

[EJ_]

@Gstocky If you're seeing the red lights, that indicates you've held the button down for a bit too long and caused it to reset. 

Try holding the button down for a shorter time frame and see if that helps. It should connect for you once you get those orange lights to appear. 

[Cosakster]

I have the same problem. I can not get the orange lights on no matter what I do. I have tried everything suggested. And I can not get any answers from anyone. I have several events coming up and I am so worried I won't be able to take credit cards.. Do I need a new reader?

[Helen]

I'm sorry for the frustration @Cosakster! If you haven't already I recommend running through these troubleshooting steps for the contactless and chip card reader.

It's also a good idea to make sure your device is compatible with the reader (if you're using a new device since you ordered it!). 

I also recommend checking that the software on your phone is up to date, and that you're using the latest version of the Point of Sale app. 

[Mavchoco]

I have the same problem. The troubleshooting does not help. It is not a new device nor new reader. It just stopped. It is fully charged. Connected to a square stand. No amber lights. Four green lights then when holding the button nothing, until four reds. 

[EJ_]

Hi @Mavchoco

I'm a bit confused with what you're trying to do. 

How was your reader connected to your Square Stand?

You should only see the flashing amber lights when you put the reader into bluetooth pairing mode. 

Four red lights indicate you've performed a hard reset. Can you clarify your exact setup? 

[Mavchoco]

The reader was installed in the square stand but would not connect. I removed the reader and tried connecting it with another iPad mini 4 (not in a square stand). The pairing would not happen. Many attempts to get the amber lights failed. I tried again today and now the amber will flash but it would not pair. This reader is about a month old and was purchased along with the square stand as a package. 

[EJ_]

We might need to have you walk through what you're doing when attempting to pair your reader. 

Check out this existing thread if you haven't been walked through the pairing process already:

Instructions for Square Contactless + Chip reader.

If that doesn't help, or if you've already done all of this, give our Support Team a call and they can help out further. 

[cbirdacu]

I am having the same issue - I get green lights and red lights, but the orange no longer lights up. I did all the trouble shooting suggestions, restarted my phone, disconnected the reader and then tried to re-pair it, but without the orange lights coming on, nothing seems to happen. It seems like maybe that just means the reader is dead, but it was fully functional yesterday and I haven't done any software updates since.

So I guess same problem, no solution. 😕

[puka]

Hey @cbirdacu - Sorry to hear the troubleshooting steps didn't work out for you 😕 Let's get you in touch with our Support team and they can help you investigate this further or advise on any next steps.

[BANDIWear]

I am having the same trouble with my reader not getting any orange lights everything is perfectly fine about it I have a second reader that pairs perfectly with my iPad mini but the one just stopped working it’s fully charged with four green lights but I can’t get the orange lights to light up so therefore it will not pair please advise

[Chad]

Hello @BANDIWear, I'm sorry to hear about the trouble you've been having with your reader. Have you tried doing a hard reset? You can do this by holding down the same button for 20 seconds and then releasing. Wait 10 seconds and then try pairing your reader again. 

[PioneerMarket]

Holding down for 20 seconds helped with my issue.  Hold down for 20 seconds (the flashing red will stop).  Wait 10-15 seconds and do the pairing again.  It worked.  Thanks!

[Skipper922]

My Square started this issue today.  None of threads answer this question.  Do I need to purchase a new reader because at this point, I have to key them in, which cost me more money.  

What is the solution.  yes, my square is up to date and I have been using the same phone with it for 2 years.

[BANDIWear]

I agree there was no one able to give an answer. Can you use the swipes instead of keying the numbers in?  I would just set it aside. Wait a few days and hopefully it will start to work again. Mine started to work again. This was a while ago so I don’t recall the specifics but my advise is just give it a few days and try again :/. Good luck

[Chad]

I'm sorry to hear about this @Skipper922 & @BANDIWear.

Typically doing a hard reset on the reader resolves this issue. If you've gone through the hard reset steps I mentioned above and you're still having trouble I recommend reaching out to our Customer Success Team so they can take a closer look at your reader. 

[BadWolf · Accepted solution]

This has happened to me and I wanted to post how it was fixed, as I had tried everything suggested (I thought) I updated the app, and re checked volumes and microphones were ok. The amber lights just wouldn't appear - very frustrating.

The answer for me was the hard reset, so once the red lights appear KEEP holding, while they flash away a bit longer.

Release when they stop and wait 10 seconds before turning on, if you get your green lights, try to pair again now and Voila!

I am sure you have resolved this Tim10 ages ago - but I found this thread in my distress, so others may do the same.

🙂 

[puka]

Hey @BadWolf - Thank you so much for taking the time to share your solution with the rest of the Community! This will definitely come in handy for other Sellers who experience a similar situation.

[Mavchoco]

I’m glad worked for you. I tried that near the beginning of the troubleshooting but with no effect. The problem was only solved with a Square update after an IOS update. So it was an issue between Square and Apple. There was nothing that I could do on my end except to feel stupid because none of the troubleshooting tips were successful