Issue Description: Unleashed N2 (2021) on Nikon D610 – Connection Problems After Camera Power-Off

[thomric]

I’m using an Unleashed N2, purchased in 2021, together with a Nikon D610 and the latest iOS app. Since a firmware update (most likely released last year), I’ve been experiencing the following issue:

Problem:
When I turn off the camera for a longer period (e.g., several minutes), the Unleashed does not reconnect properly to the iOS app upon powering the camera back on. As a result, the following problems occur:

• The camera menu becomes inaccessible.

• Previously taken photos can no longer be reviewed on the camera.

• The issue occurs regardless of whether the USB cable is connected or not.

The issue can be temporarily resolved by unplugging and reattaching the Unleashed. Everything then works normally again—until the camera is turned off for a while.

Important Notes:

• If I power the camera off only briefly (a few seconds), the issue does not occur.

• I’ve tested the setup with and without the USB cable – same behavior in both cases.

Questions for the community:

• Has anyone experienced this issue?

• Is there a known solution or workaround?

• Is there a firmware update available that might fix this behavior?

[PapaBear]

To thomric,

I doubt openly there will be a quick solution to this. You may hope so, but I have a hard head in this.

I hope I am wrong about this, but Foolography had already too much "benefits of the doubt" in the past.
A lot of feedback from users, positive, negative, constructive, destructive, no matter what... it didn't produce the end result we wanted: a working device, firmware and app.

PapaBear out.

[thomric]

After some further testing, I was able to narrow down the cause of the issue I previously described. It appears to be related to the Bluetooth connection between the Unleashed and the iOS app.

Observations:
• As long as the iOS app is running in the foreground and the iPhone display is on, everything works flawlessly.
• I can even power the camera off and on again, and the connection remains stable.

However:
• If I send the app to the background (without force-quitting) or turn off the iPhone screen while the app is still running in the foreground, the LED on the Unleashed starts blinking slowly — which, according to the documentation, indicates a lost Bluetooth connection.
• Once I bring the iOS app back to the foreground, the blinking stops, and the connection is reestablished.

The real problem occurs when:
• I turn on the camera while the iOS app is not active in the foreground. In that case, the Unleashed enters some blocked state where:
• I can no longer access the camera menu, and
• I cannot view recorded images on the camera screen.
• Only when the iOS app becomes active in the foreground again and reestablishes the Bluetooth connection, does the camera become fully functional again.

Conclusion:
This seems to point to a problem with the iOS app suspending the Bluetooth connection when in the background, which used to work fine in the past.

My questions:
• Has anyone else experienced this issue?
• Is there a way to ensure the iOS app maintains the Bluetooth connection even when in the background or when the screen is off?
• Could this be related to recent iOS updates or changes to the app’s background permissions?

Any insights or workarounds would be greatly appreciated!

[PapaBear]

To thomric,

Keep on dreaming. Your product is no longer useful.
Did you get support? Did you get a reaction? Did you receive a solution? Did you get an firmware update?
No, of course not.

Deception, that is what it is.

PapaBear out.