Troubleshooting
Before anything else: the ? on a notification
When something fails, the app shows a short note at the bottom of the screen. If that note carries a ? next to its close button, tap it. It opens one line on what happened and a step or two to fix it, without leaving the screen you're on.
Not every note has one — only the ones a single line can't settle.
Most of what follows is also in there, at the moment you need it.
The reset button
If the device stops responding, there's a physical reset behind the rear Velcro.
- Peel back the Velcro on the back of the M1.
- You'll find a small hole underneath.
- Press inside it with something thin — a SIM tool, a paperclip.
- The device restarts.
Nothing is erased. Your workspace, patches and settings are all still there. This is a restart, not a reset of your content.
If it happens more than once, write to us and tell us what the device was doing at the time.
Connection and pairing
The app doesn't find my M1
The app scans over Bluetooth. If the device is asleep, out of range, or already connected to another phone, it won't appear.
- Press any button on the M1 to wake it. A sleeping device doesn't advertise itself.
- Check the device screen. It should read BLUETOOTH READY or CONNECT OBM-1 APP. If it shows something else, press MENU to go back.
- Keep the phone within a couple of metres while pairing.
- Make sure the M1 isn't still connected to another phone or tablet. It talks to one at a time.
- Turn Bluetooth off and on in iOS Settings, then scan again.
"Bluetooth is off — turn it on in iOS Settings"
Bluetooth is disabled on the phone, or the app was denied permission.
- iOS Settings → Bluetooth → on.
- iOS Settings → OBM-1 → make sure Bluetooth is allowed.
If you denied the permission when the app first asked, this is the only place to grant it again.
It pairs, then keeps dropping
- Distance and bodies are the usual cause. Bluetooth doesn't like being on the far side of a person or a metal cart.
- Charge the device. A nearly flat battery drops the connection.
- If it only happens with one phone, remove the device in the app (Settings → Reset → Remove device from app) and pair it again.
I have several M1s and the app connected to the wrong one
The app connects to one device at a time. Open the one you want from Device Manager and press Connect if it doesn't switch on its own.
"That device is already paired. Pick a different one."
This M1 is already in the app. Open it from Device Manager instead of adding it a second time.
After a factory reset the app can't reconnect
A factory reset clears the pairing on the device, but iOS still remembers it.
- iOS Settings → Bluetooth.
- Find the M1 in the list, tap the ⓘ, then Forget This Device.
- Pair again from the app.
This step is easy to miss and it's the most common reason a reset device won't reconnect.
Syncing
Changes on my phone aren't on the device
Nothing is sent automatically. The device only changes when you press Send to device. Your phone is a workspace; you decide when it becomes what the device shows.
"Device offline. Reconnect to sync."
The device isn't connected right now. Wake it with a button press, wait for the app to reconnect, then press Sync again.
The sync is taking a long time
Patches are the heavy part of a transfer. A full library of twenty-five takes noticeably longer than a text-only workspace. Two to five seconds is normal without patches.
"Sync didn't finish" / "Move closer to the device and retry"
Two causes, and the second is the one people miss.
- Distance. Move closer and press Sync again.
- Battery. An M1 running low refuses anything that writes to it, and it surfaces here rather than as a battery message. Check the charge before you blame the connection.
Nothing is lost either way. Your workspace is intact on the phone, and the button still reads "Send to device" until the transfer actually lands.
"Device battery is too low to sync. Charge the M1 and try again."
The device refuses writes on low battery. This protects you from a half-written update if it dies mid-transfer.
Charge it and retry. Nothing was changed on the device.
"Synced with device, but some data didn't transfer."
Most of it went through, part of it didn't. Press Sync again — the second pass usually completes it. If it repeats with the same item, tell us which one.
The app asks which side to keep
The app and the device disagree about what should be on screen — usually because you cleaned the workspace, restored a backup, or opened the device on a second phone.
- Sync app data — your phone wins. Your changes go to the M1.
- Download device data — the device wins, and the app takes its content.
Nothing is deleted until you choose.
"This workspace belongs to a different device"
Each M1 has its own workspace. You're looking at another device's content. Open the right device from Device Manager, then sync.
I lost my workspace after switching phones
Workspaces live in the app, per device. On a new phone, pair the M1 and choose Download device data when asked. The device hands back what it's holding.
The screen
* Flashing, ghosting, refresh modes and temperature are covered on The screen. They're characteristics of e-paper, not faults.
The screen is blank or frozen
- Press any button — it may simply be asleep.
- If nothing happens, use the reset button behind the rear Velcro (above).
- If it comes back showing RECOVERY MODE, see below.
Device states you might see
"RECOVERY MODE"
The device booted into a safe state instead of starting normally. On screen, it names the reason:
FILESYSTEM — its storage couldn't be read.
CONFIG JSON — its settings file was damaged.
BOOT LOOP — it restarted repeatedly and stopped to protect itself.
RESET X3 — you pressed reset three times, the manual way in.
MANUAL — you asked for it.
A device that has repaired itself comes back with its settings and content cleared, but fully working. Pair it again and sync your workspace back from the phone.
If it returns to recovery more than once, write to us with the reason shown.
"PREVIEW MODE - PRESS MENU TO EXIT"
You're previewing a screen. Press MENU to leave.
Patches
"Maximum 25 patches reached. Delete one to add another."
Twenty-five is the limit. Delete one you don't need.
I deleted a patch but it's still on the device
Deleting removes it from the app and queues the removal. It leaves the device on the next sync, like everything else.
My patch looks wrong on the device
The screen is one-bit — black or white, no greys. Use Invert and the dither options. High-contrast, simple artwork reproduces far better than photographs.
Lenses and data
A lens I use isn't in the database
Build it with Custom lens, and tell us so we can add it properly in the next update. See Lenses and the database.
I cleaned the workspace and lost my presets
You didn't. Clean workspace empties lenses, crew, notes, project name and patches. Presets, custom lenses and the device's own settings are kept.
Still stuck
Write to support@offbitdevices.com with:
- What the device screen says, word for word.
- The exact message the app showed.
- Your firmware version (Settings → Firmware) and app version.
You can also reach us from the app: Settings → Support → Technical support, which sends a full report so we can dig in.
