Starting up BackpAQ.

First startup

When you first power on your BackpAQ, it may not yet know your local WiFi networks or hotspots. BackpAQ will open its own access point so you can connect directly from your phone and get things set up. Follow these steps:

1. 1

   Charge your BackpAQ if you haven't already.

   • Green charge light — fully charged and ready
   • Red charge light — still charging, please wait
2. 2

   Place your BackpAQ monitor and smartphone side by side.

3. 3

   On your phone, go to Settings and activate the Personal Hotspot. This gives BackpAQ an internet connection while you get it configured.

4. 4

   Turn on your BackpAQ using the toggle switch at the rear. Watch for the fast-blinking LED — this means BackpAQ is searching for a network.

5. 5

   Watch the LED as BackpAQ warms up and connects.

   • aThe LED will change from fast-blink to a slow "breathe" pattern — this confirms it has synced with your hotspot and connected to the cloud.
   • bIf the LED continues to fast-blink, the hotspot may not be active or there may be a connection issue. Power cycle both devices and try again.
6. 6

   Check the OLED display on your BackpAQ. When ready, you should see live air quality readings appearing on the small screen.

7. 7

   Open the Blynk IoT app on your phone. You may need to scroll to find it. You should be pre-logged in and the app should start automatically, showing a list of BackpAQ devices.

8. 8

   Select your assigned BackpAQ from the list and tap to open it.

9. 9

   Confirm data is flowing. You should see air quality readings updating in real time in both the Blynk app and on the BackpAQ OLED display. You're ready to go!

   ✓ All good — you'll now also see your data appear in the BackpAQ AIView dashboard as you start recording tracks.

Resetting WiFi credentials

Need to connect BackpAQ to a different WiFi network or smartphone hotspot? Here's how to reconfigure your WiFi settings.

1. 1

   Turn on your BackpAQ. The LED should flash quickly for approximately 30 seconds during startup.

2. 2

   Trigger reconfiguration mode. Once the LED is showing a slow light-blue "breathe" (normal operation), press and hold the red reconfigure button at the back of the unit (next to the power switch) for 10 seconds. The LED should return to fast-blink, indicating reconfiguration mode is active.

   💡 The reconfigure button is the small red button on the rear panel, adjacent to the power toggle switch.
3. 3

   BackpAQ will now act as a WiFi Access Point (AP). It will broadcast its own temporary WiFi network with an SSID similar to Blynk Device-1234.

4. 4

   In the BackpAQ app on your phone:

   • aClick on your BackpAQ icon (e.g., "9A42D")
   • bTap the three horizontal bars (menu) in the top right corner
   • cTap Reconfigure at the bottom of the menu
   • dChoose Connect to WiFi
   • eConfirm the device is ready (LED blinking) and tap Ready
   • fIf BackpAQ doesn't appear, tap Connect Manually and join the temporary network in your phone's WiFi settings
5. 5

   The app will scan for your BackpAQ and show device details. When prompted, select Join, then choose your WiFi network (SSID) and enter the password.

6. 6

   Complete the setup. The new credentials are sent to BackpAQ and stored. When prompted, tap Apply → Done → Exit to App. Your BackpAQ will restart and connect to the new network automatically.

   ✓ The LED will return to the slow light-blue "breathe" pattern once successfully connected to the new network.

LED status guide

During operation, the LED indicator on your BackpAQ flashes and changes color to communicate its current state. Use this table to understand what your BackpAQ is doing at any moment.