Phone app setup
How to view your Hikvision cameras on your phone
Hikvision recorders reach your phone through the Hik-Connect cloud service. Turn it on at the recorder, scan the serial QR code, and you're done.
VuePoint
The app is Hik-Connect - for End user, published by Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology on the App Store and Google Play. It works with Hikvision DVRs, NVRs and IP cameras that support the Hik-Connect cloud P2P service. Ignore Hik-Partner Pro (that is the installer's tool) and HikCentral Mobile (only for sites running the HikCentral platform).
What you need before you start
- The recorder connected to the internet, with a valid gateway and DNS server in its network settings.
- The recorder's admin password, set when the device was first activated.
- Hik-Connect enabled on the recorder, plus the verification code chosen when it was enabled. The app asks for this code to decrypt video.
- The 9-digit serial number or its QR code. It is on the recorder label and, on most firmware, displayed on the Platform Access screen.
- A Hik-Connect account, created in the app with your email or phone number.
Add your Hikvision recorder by QR code or serial number
- 1
Turn on Hik-Connect at the recorder
On the recorder's local menu, go to the network settings and open Platform Access (on some firmware the tab is labeled Hik-Connect). Tick Enable, accept the terms, and set a verification code. In the web interface the same setting usually sits under Configuration > Network > Advanced Settings > Platform Access.
- 2
Wait for Online
The status should change to Online within a minute or two. If it stays offline, fix that first; the app will not find the device.
- 3
Add the device in the app
Open Hik-Connect, sign in, tap + and choose Scan QR Code. Scan the label or the QR shown on the Platform Access screen. If you can't scan, choose manual adding and type the 9-digit serial number.
- 4
Enter the verification code
When prompted, enter the verification code from step 1. Without it you'll see the device but not the video.
- 5
Confirm video
Open a camera to check live view, then try playback from the recorder's drive.
The alternative: IP address or DDNS
Hik-Connect can also add a device by IP address or domain, but reaching it from outside the building then requires forwarding the recorder's ports on your router. That puts the recorder directly on the internet. If you must do it, follow how to set up port forwarding for a camera recorder and never forward the web port without a strong reason. The cloud route avoids open ports entirely.
Troubleshooting
- Device offline in the app. Check that Platform Access shows Online. If it doesn't, confirm the recorder's gateway and DNS settings (a wrong DNS server is a common cause) and that the router allows outbound internet.
- Locked out after wrong passwords. Hikvision devices lock the account after repeated failed logins. Stop trying; the lock clears after a waiting period or a reboot. Recovering a forgotten password requires Hikvision's reset process.
- Hik-Connect disabled. If someone unticked Enable, the device drops off the app. Re-enable it at the recorder.
- Firmware too old. Older firmware may not support the current Hik-Connect service. Update from Hikvision's download portal for your exact model.
- Device already added to another account. A device can only be bound to one Hik-Connect account. The current owner must delete or share it first.
If you want live monitoring on top of self-viewing, VuePoint Secure can connect to the same Hikvision cameras through an on-site edge device, with no port forwarding.
Common questions
- What is the Hik-Connect verification code?
- A code you set when enabling Platform Access. It encrypts the video stream; the app asks for it once when you add the device. It is not the admin password.
- Can my installer manage the system while I view it?
- Yes. Installers use Hik-Partner Pro and can be granted access separately. You keep the device on your own Hik-Connect account.
- Are Hikvision devices still legal to use?
- Existing installed equipment can generally keep operating; the restrictions are on new authorizations and sales. See our FCC rules explainer for detail.
Stuck getting your Hikvision system online?
Tell us the recorder model and what the app is showing. We'll tell you what we'd check next.