Set Up the Square Reader
Before setting up your Square Reader, make sure you have a compatible device with the latest version of the Square app.
For a full overview on setting up your reader, watch this video or keep reading below:
1. Check the Battery of Your Square Reader
For an accurate battery reading, unplug your reader from any power source.
Firmly press and release the button on the reader. Green lights indicate that you’re charged and ready to go. If you see a single red light, charge up immediately. Once your reader is on, you don’t need to worry about turning it off. It’ll automatically go into sleep mode after 2 hours of inactivity. To wake it up from sleep mode, firmly press and release the button on the side of the reader.
2. Charge Your Square Reader
Connect one end of the accompanying USB cable to your reader and the other end to a USB port like a wall socket, portable battery, laptop/desktop computer, or car charger.
It will take approximately two hours for a reader with low battery to charge completely.
Note: You can also use the Dock for Square Reader to charge and accept payments.
3. Wirelessly Connect Your Square Reader
The reader connects wirelessly with Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE). Be sure you have the latest version of the Square app for your device - only the latest version supports the Square Reader.
To connect your reader:
Press and release the button on your reader to turn it on.
Go to your device settings and make sure Bluetooth is turned on.
Open the Square app and tap the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner to navigate to the menu.
Tap Settings > Hardware > Square Reader > Connect a Reader.
Put your reader into pairing mode by pressing the reader’s button for 3-5 seconds. Remove your finger as soon as you see orange flashing lights. If you see red flashing lights, you’ve held the button too long and you’ll need to try again.
When connected, the reader will be listed as Reader Ready in-app.
Any necessary firmware updates will be automatically installed once the reader has been connected.
Now that you’re set up, learn more about accepting chip card and contactless payments.
Note: The wireless connection can be lost if the reader and device are more than three metres apart.
If your reader was previously paired to a different device: Keep in mind, if you are reconnecting a reader that was previously paired to a different device, you may need to forget your reader from the device it was previously paired with. For more information on reconnecting a reader, check out our troubleshooting article.
What do the lights mean?
Connecting your reader
| Lights | Pairing Status |
|---|---|
| Four orange lights flashing | Reader is in pairing mode |
| Four green lights | Reader has successfully paired |
| Four red lights | Reader failed to pair |
Accepting a payment
| Lights | Payment Status |
|---|---|
| One green light | Reader is ready to take a payment |
| Moving green lights | Reader is processing a payment |
| Four green lights | Payment was accepted |
| Four red lights | Payment was declined |
Checking your battery
| Lights | Charge |
|---|---|
| Four green lights | Battery is 100% charged |
| Three green lights | Battery is 75% charged |
| Two green lights | Battery is 50% charged |
| One solid red light | Battery is 25% charged |
| One blinking red light | Battery is low — charge immediately |
Square Stand and the Square Reader
If you’re using a Square Stand with the reader, set up is simple. Place the reader into the supplied Dock for Square Reader and connect the USB cable from the dock into the USB hardware hub on the Square Stand.
You can also connect your reader wirelessly via Bluetooth Low Energy using the steps above if there are no free USB ports on your Stand’s USB accessory hub.
Watch this video to learn how to connect the Square Stand and reader:
Find answers to frequently asked questions and review these reader troubleshooting tips if you run into any issues.