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X3 Support

X Series: How to Connect the Camera to the Insta360 App on a Phone/Tablet

X Series: How to Connect the Camera to the Insta360 App on a Phone/Tablet

Applicable Models: ONE X, X2, X3, X4, X4 Air, X5, and X6

By connecting to the Insta360 app, you can remotely control the camera and edit/manage your media. Below you will find the connection steps to help you quickly establish a connection.

How to connect the camera to the Insta360 app

Via Wi-Fi
  1. Turn on the "Wi-Fi" feature on your camera.
    • X6, X5, X4 Air, X4, and X3: Swipe down from the top of the camera screen to open the “Shortcut” menu > tap "Settings" (Gear icon ⚙) > tap “Wi-Fi Settings” > turn on Wi-Fi.
    • X2: When the camera is turned on, Wi-Fi is enabled by default.
    • ONE X: Press and hold the power button to turn on the camera. Press the power button once to go to the Settings page. Press the shutter button to go to Wi-Fi Settings. Press the power button to cycle through the options. You can select either “ON” or “Auto” mode. Once Wi-Fi is enabled, press the shutter button to enter the submenu. Tap “Wi-Fi Password” to view the camera’s Wi-Fi name and password.

Please note:

  • For the X4 and X3 cameras, you can select either “Auto” or “Always On” under “Wi-Fi Mode”. If you select “Auto”, when turned on, the camera will automatically disconnect from Wi-Fi after about 2 minutes of inactivity if it is not connected to the Insta360 app.
  • For ONE X cameras, in the Auto mode of Wi-Fi, the camera's Wi-Fi cannot be detected, but it can reconnect to a phone that has previously connected to the camera; at this time, the Wi-Fi toggle on the main screen shows as OFF.

  1. Enable both "Wi-Fi" and "Bluetooth" on your phone.
  2. Open the Insta360 app, tap the camera icon at the bottom, connect your camera, and follow the on-screen prompts.
  3. For the first connection, you need to tap "Confirm" on the camera screen (or press the shutter button) to authorize the connection.

If the connection fails within the app, please directly open "Wi-Fi Settings" on your phone, find the camera's Wi-Fi, tap it, and manually enter the password to connect. After a successful connection, you can turn off your phone's Bluetooth if no further use is required.

Via wired connection

iOS devices (For X6, X5, X4 Air, and X4 only)

For iPhone 15 and later models and iPad models with a Type-C port, follow these steps:

  1. Connect the camera to your iPhone/iPad using the original Type-C cable. On the mode selection page that appears on the camera, tap "Switch USB Mode", select "File Transfer", and tap "Confirm".
  2. Open the Insta360 app. In the automatically displayed guide window, tap "Choose directory".
  3. In the pop-up file management page, double-tap the "Browse" button in the lower right corner > select the folder named "Untitled" or your camera's name > "DCIM", and tap "Open" in the upper right corner. You can then browse camera files on the "Album" page of the Insta360 app.

Please note:

  • For subsequent connections, simply select "U-Disk Mode" on the camera to directly view files in the Insta360 app — no need to repeat the "Choose directory" step described above.
  • If you are using an X4 camera and need to transfer files via an iPhone, please update the camera firmware to v1.5.3 or later.
  • X Series cameras do not support wired connections to devices with a Lightning port; they cannot be connected or used even with an adapter cable.
  • We recommend using the original USD cable supplied by Insta360 or a Type-C 3.0 or higher cable to connect the camera to your device.

Android devices (For X6, X5, X4 Air, X4, X3, and X2 only)

For models running Android 10 or later, follow these steps:

  1. Connect the camera to your phone using the original USB cable. On the mode selection page that appears on the camera, tap "Switch USB Mode", then select the appropriate mode based on your camera model:
  • X6, X5, X4 Air, and X4: Select the “Control with Android” mode.
  • X3 and X2: Select the “Android” mode.
  1. Open the Insta360 app, and in the window that pops up automatically, navigate to the root directory.
  2. Select “Insta360” > tap “Use this Folder” at the bottom, and then you can browse your camera files on the “Album” page in the app.

Please note:

  • If your phone does not recognize the camera after connecting it, we recommend enabling "OTG Mode" in your phone's settings.
  • You can control the camera using the Insta360 app via a wired connection.

How to switch between USB modes (For X5, X4 Air, and X4 only)

  • Default setting: When the camera is connected to a mobile device via a USB cable for the first time, it automatically enters the “File Transfer” mode. You can tap “Switch USB Mode” to access the mode selection page and change the mode.
  • Mode memory: The device will retain the mode you last used (such as File Transfer, Control with Android control, or Webcam Mode) and automatically use the same mode the next time you connect a device. If you previously selected “Reverse Charging” mode, the USB mode selection page will appear when you reconnect a device.

How to view or modify the camera's Wi-Fi name and password

To view the camera's Wi-Fi password
  • X6, X5, X4 Air, X4, and X3: The password is randomly generated. Swipe down from the top of the camera screen to access the "Shortcut" menu > select "Settings" (Gear icon ⚙) > tap "Wi-Fi Settings" to check the password.
  • X2: The default Wi-Fi password is 88888888.
  • ONE X: Swipe down from the top of the camera screen to access Settings (Gear icon ⚙), press the large button to navigate to the Wi-Fi option. Use the small button to navigate to the second row and find the "Wi-Fi password" option. Tap it to check your Wi-Fi password. Please note that the password is case-sensitive.

To modify the camera's Wi-Fi password (For X3, X4, X4 Air, and X5)

Connect your phone to the camera's Wi-Fi. Tap "Me" at the bottom right corner of the Insta360 app > tap "Other Settings" > tap "Set Camera Wi-Fi Password", and complete the authorization as prompted to modify the password.

Please note:

  • Changing the Wi-Fi name is not supported.
  • Currently, the Wi-Fi password cannot be modified in settings on your camera; it can only be done through the Insta360 app.
  • ONE X and X2 currently do not support modifying the Wi-Fi password.

FAQ

1. Can I connect an X6, X5, X4 Air, or X4 camera to a phone via a wired connection to control it or read files using the Insta360 app? What are the differences between "Control with Android" and "File Transfer"?

Some features are supported, and the differences are shown in the table below:

Wired Connection Mode

File Transfer

Control with Android

Supported Devices

  • iPhone (iPhone 15 and later with a Type-C port)
  • Android phones (Android 10 and later)
  • iPad (with a Type-C port)

Android phones only (Android 10 and later)

Camera Firmware Requirement

  • X6, X5, and X4 Air: No restrictions
  • X4: v1.5.3 or later

No restrictions

Camera Control via App

Not supported (File reading only)

Supported (File reading and camera control)

Transferring Files

Supported (Accessing SD card files within the Insta360 app)

Supported (Accessing files stored in SD card within the Insta360 app)

USB Cable Requirements

Type-C 3.0 or later recommended

Type-C 3.0 or later recommended

2. Does the camera support Bluetooth Wakeup for connection via the Insta360 app when powered off?

Currently, this feature is only supported for iOS devices. Before using Bluetooth Wakeup for connection via the Insta360 app, you must enable the "Bluetooth Wakeup" feature on your camera: Swipe down from the top of the camera screen to access the "Shortcut" menu > tap "Settings" (Gear icon ⚙) > select "General" > find "Bluetooth Wakeup", and select "On" to enable it.

Please note: If the Setting page does not have a "General" option, simply locate Bluetooth Wakeup directly in the settings list and enable it.

3. After the camera is connected to the Insta360 app on one phone, do I need to unbind it to connect to another phone? Does it support simultaneous connection to multiple phones?
  • Unbinding not required: There is no binding relationship between the camera and an Insta360 account or phone. After connecting to one phone, you can connect to another phone directly without unbinding.
  • Simultaneous connection not supported: The camera cannot connect to two phones at the same time, nor can it connect to a phone and a computer simultaneously. To connect to a new phone, ensure the connection to the current phone is disconnected first, then reconnect via the new phone.

4. Can the camera connect to the Internet? Will Internet access be detected when the camera is connected to a computer via a data cable?

The Wi-Fi function of X Series cameras is used only for file transfer between the camera and other devices; it does not support an Internet connection.

When the camera is connected to a computer via a data cable, only local data transmission occurs between the two devices—there is no network connection involved. Normal use will not trigger Internet access detection, so you can use the camera with confidence.

5. Can the camera be connected to a 4K TV via a USB-C cable to play videos?

No, this is not currently supported.

6. Why doesn't the USB mode selection page pop up when I connect the camera to iPhone 15 Pro Max using a Type-C cable?

Please unlock your phone's screen first, then reconnect it. On some mobile operating systems, to ensure security, the USB mode selection or data transfer authorization options will not appear until you unlock the screen.

7. Why does the wired connection page for X4 cameras look different from that of other cameras?

The wired connection page of X4 cameras has been optimized in firmware v1.5.3. We recommend that you update the camera firmware to the latest version to access the new page.

8. Which is faster: transferring data from the camera to a phone via a wired connection, or using the Quick Reader to connect to the phone?

Both connections use the same USB transfer protocol, and their actual transfer rates are essentially the same, with no noticeable difference.

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