Troubleshoot network connection on Square Handheld
When Square Handheld is properly connected to the internet, you’ll see a network status indicator at the top right corner of the status bar. If your Square Handheld is not accepting online payments or connecting to hardware accessories, you may be experiencing network connectivity issues.
Network connection issues may be related to out of date Square Handheld software or incorrect set up. Learn how to set up Square Handheld and Update software on Square Handheld.
This article provides troubleshooting for your Square Handheld to address Wi-Fi or Ethernet network connection issues.
Before you begin troubleshooting
When to troubleshoot
Network connectivity troubleshooting involves steps that include checking your network connection, testing a separate device, and rebooting your hardware. If at all possible, try to troubleshoot your Square Handheld after hours. If you must troubleshoot during the workday, try to avoid peak busy hours so your customers will experience few delays.
Troubleshooting requirements
To troubleshoot your Wi-Fi connection, you may need the following:
Your Square account login information (email address and password or device code)
Wi-Fi network name and password
Separate mobile device that can connect to Wi-Fi
To troubleshoot your Ethernet connection, you may need the following:
Your Square account login information (email address and password or device code)
An Ethernet cable
Hub for Square Terminal to connect Square Handheld to Ethernet (sold separately)
Separate mobile device that has an Ethernet port
Square hardware networking requirements
In most cases, Square hardware is easy to connect to the internet and use straight out of the box. However, if your business has a more complex networking setup, you may want to check Square’s networking requirements to optimize the performance of your Square hardware. Learn how to set up network requirements for Square hardware.
Option 1: Troubleshoot your Wi-Fi connection
- Sign in to the Square POS app on your Square Handheld. You can also check your connection from Square Handheld if you are signed out.
- Tap ≡ More > Settings > Hardware > Network. If you are signed out, tap Change Settings > Network.
- Make sure you see the Wi-Fi status indicator on the top right corner of the status bar and a checkmark next to the network you are trying to connect to. If the network listed is not correct, tap the correct network from the list and enter your Wi-Fi password.
- Toggle Wi-Fi OFF and then back ON.
- Wait a minute or two to see if a checkmark appears next to the network.
If this did not resolve the issue, check the Wi-Fi connection of other devices that are connected to the same network as Square Handheld.
- Make sure your separate device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Square Handheld, and that its cellular service is disabled.
- Bring the device near the Square Handheld and check the Wi-Fi status of the device.
- If your separate device has a strong Wi-Fi signal, but your Square Handheld does not, then you will need to troubleshoot the Square Handheld. Move onto Step 1: Restart your Square Handheld below.
- If your separate device does not have a strong signal, consider contacting your internet service provider or network professional. To troubleshoot your network connection yourself, proceed to Run a connectivity test on Square Handheld.
A connectivity test will check the status of your internet connection, local network access, and access to Square services. This quick test can help you diagnose the connection problem and determine the source of the issue.
- On your Square Handheld, tap ≡ More > Settings > Hardware.
- Tap Test connectivity to run the test. It may take a minute to display the results.
- Review the results of the connectivity report.
Internet connection, Network connection, and Square systems should all say “Connected”.
- If Square systems are not connected, that means you are unable to connect to Square’s servers. To obtain detailed status for Square services, visit https://issquareup.com.
- Your current WiFi signal strength is located under the Connection strength section. This will not appear if your Wi-Fi is disabled or not connected.
Follow your internet service provider’s guidance for resetting your Wi-Fi router. Some internet service providers offer an all-in-one device that contains both the modem and router, which can be reset at the same time.
- If you have an Ethernet connection available, switch to Ethernet by connecting your Square Handheld to the Hub for Square Terminal (sold separately).
- Plug the Ethernet cable into the port on your Hub for Square Terminal.
- If the connection is successful, you will see an Ethernet network status indicator in the top right corner of the Square Handheld status bar.
If troubleshooting your Wi-Fi connection does not resolve your issue, proceed to Step 1: Restart your Square Handheld.
Option 2: Troubleshoot your Ethernet connection
- Make sure you can see the Ethernet network status indicator on the top right corner of the status bar.
- If you don’t see the Ethernet network status indicator, try unplugging and plugging in the cable from the Ethernet port on the Hub and from the router or modem.
- Grab a separate device that has an Ethernet port, like a laptop.
- Plug the device into your router or network switch and check if it connects to the internet.
- Many network switches and routers will have activity lights when the ethernet cable is plugged in. Check that these light up, if not, try a new cable.
- If your device connects to the internet, unplug the Ethernet cable and plug it back into your Hub for Square Terminal.
Follow your internet service provider’s guidance for resetting your modem and router. Some internet service providers offer an all-in-one device that contains both the modem and router, which can be reset at the same time.
- If you have a Wi-Fi network available, unplug the Ethernet cable from your Hub for Square Handheld and switch to Wi-Fi. Square Handheld will default to using Ethernet connection over Wi-Fi if both are available.
- Sign in to the Square POS app on your Square Handheld. You can also connect to Wi-Fi from Square Handheld if you are signed out.
- Tap ≡ More > Settings > Hardware > Network. If you are signed out, tap Change Settings > Network.
- Toggle Wi-Fi ON.
- Select your Wi-Fi network from the list and sign in with your Wi-Fi password.
If troubleshooting your Ethernet connection does not resolve your issue, proceed to Step 1: Restart your Square Handheld.
Step 1: Restart your Square Handheld
Restarting your Square Handheld does not erase important account settings like items, transaction histories, customer lists, modes, or team permissions. It will all be there when you sign back in. There are three ways to restart the Square Handheld:
Swipe down on the screen to open the quick menu. Tap the power icon in the top right corner and then tap Restart.
Or
Press and hold the circular power button on the right side of the Square Handheld and release as soon as you see the restart option. Tap Restart.
Or
Press and hold the circular power button until the screen turns off. Wait a moment, and then press and hold the power button again. Release the power button as soon as the Square logo appears on the screen.
Try to reconnect to your network before moving on to the steps below to send a diagnostic report and factory reset your Square Handheld.
Step 2: Send a diagnostic report
Diagnostic reports help Square further investigate your issue if you cannot resolve it on your own. To send a diagnostic report, you will need an internet connection. You should attempt to send a diagnostic report if you are able to temporarily connect your Square Handheld to the internet during troubleshooting.
Sign in to the Square POS app on your Square Handheld.
Tap ≡ More > Support > Troubleshooting.
Tap Upload Support Ledger.
Tap Send Diagnostic Report.
Diagnostic reports can take between 2-7 minutes to upload. A blue loading circle will appear next to Sending Diagnostic Report as the report is uploaded to Square servers. Do not attempt any other troubleshooting steps until the circle disappears and the Send Diagnostic Report text turns blue.
Step 3: Factory reset your Square Handheld
The final troubleshooting step is to perform a factory reset on your Square Handheld. A factory reset, unlike a normal reset, will restore your hardware to its original state when it was first purchased.
Factory resetting your device should only be done after all other troubleshooting steps have been attempted.
Before you factory reset your device, you must:
Attempt to send a diagnostic report (Step 2)
Performing a factory reset on your device will reset your general settings (date, time, language, etc.), remove any assigned modes or printer profiles, delete all pending offline payments, and remove previous software updates.
Once you have read and understood the risks of factory resetting your device, you may proceed to perform a factory reset on your Square hardware. After the factory reset is complete, you will need to set up Square Handheld.