Why does the contactless chip reader disconnect

[Wi]

I have read that many people have had trouble with the contactless reader. I too have had trouble and replaced the reader and dock. Still having an issue. Going to replace again. The reader will just disconnect after an hour or so. No the ipad does not go to sleep. I have also replaced the dock twice! If it was a cable then the printer would have problems connecting but does not.  The support person has told me that they had a bad batch of readers. I think not becuase I'm still having problems your equipment. I can't recommend your equipment to anyone, until you can address the faulty equipment. 

[RemedyMassage]

I'm having the same issue.. It's so embarrassing when I'm trying to check out clients and I have to constantly reconnect the reader.  I'll have to switch payment processors soon. 

[pbiogal]

Wow! I didn't realise so many other people have this issue. I have had my reader for about a year and always issues. If there is a 10 minute gap of zero activity it asks to reconnect, usually I have to power cycle my phone. Mostly I like Square but there is enough of an issue that when people ask I say ... ehhh.... no. But yes when it works?

[Mjribic]

Same issue here! This is so lame. I have a business to run and time is money!

[isabelle]

Hey @Mjribic!

Really sorry to hear that your reader is disconnecting frequently.

If you've exhausted all the troubleshooting within this help article, I would encourage you to give us a call. 

I've had the best luck with doing a hard reset on the reader. It usually resolves most malfunctions. Please let me know if there's anything else we can help you out with. 

[Jordan3]

So this issue has been recurring since 2016?!? are there any plans for Square to resolve this? it's becoming a big problem in our store having to constantly reconnect the square reader for every customer that comes in.

[ashc]

Hi @Jordan3,

Most of our sellers were able to get their readers up and running again by doing some troubleshooting.

I'd recommend checking out Tom's answer above for steps on troubleshooting and also making sure the device you're using with it is compatible. 

[MadMomMom69]

Our Square readers constantly disconnect. We’ve bought new readers, used different devices, updated the app, and every time the Square is exited (not closed but put in the background) the reader disconnects. 

We then need to go into settings, forget the reader, hold the button down button and pair the reader again. It’s beyond frustrating and it happens every time. It just started happening about 6 months ago. 

We’ve tried resetting the reader, it’s always in range, tried turning off WiFi and making sure there’s no other interference but it happens again and again. 

None of the solutions I’ve seen on here work. Help. Mom-Mom is mad. 

[Laurie_]

Hi @MadMomMom69 thanks for reaching out and sorry to hear you've been having issues using your Square Reader.

The reader will need to be paired to your app each day, however, you should find when your device has Bluetooth enabled that it begins to automatically pair whenever the app is open. If this isn't happening for you, or the app is closing on it's own, we recommend trying these troubleshooting steps that have resolved this same issue for others. 

Firstly, we recommend ensuring your device is compatible with Square: https://squareup.com/us/en/compatibility
 

Once you've confirmed your device is compatible, follow the below steps.

1. Check if the app needs to be updated (if updates are needed, install and then reopen the app, if not close the app for now).

2. Check for software updates on your device and install them.

3. Reset your reader by pressing and holding the button on the side until you see four red lights flashing, then release the button. Set it aside.

4. Forget the reader from your Bluetooth devices list.

5. Open your Square app and navigate to More > Settings > Hardware > Card Readers.

6. If you see a reader listed on this page already, select it, and then select Forget This Reader. If you don't see a reader, continue to the next step.

7. Select Connect a Reader and follow the prompts on the screen. 

8. If you still can't connect, try toggling your internet and Bluetooth off and then on again, and try again.

Let us know how you go after trying the above! Hopefully, this resolves the issue moving forward. If the issue persists we encourage you to reach out to our Support Team so that they may help determine whether this issue is hardware or software related. 

If you'd like to speak with our Support Team by phone, you can give us a call at 855-700-6000 between 6 am - 6 pm Pacific Time Monday - Friday. If you call outside of these hours, you will be required to enter your Customer Code to validate your account.

You can also get in touch with our Messaging and Email Support Teams here: squ.re/contactsqsupport