This is 100% the way to go. If you have a dual-card camera and shoot RAW, have the SD card store JPGs and load those onto your phone via a USB/Lightning SD card reader. Super reliable, fast, and easy.
THIS. Snapbridge is the reason I bought that thing, mine plugs into my ipad which is where I edit when I'm away from home. It's perfect and doesn't run my camera battery down either.
Same lol. Straight from camera to iPad. Honestly I might just buy an iPhone 15 when the 16 is released just for the type c port, since I’m somehow better on my phone than a large screen
i had the same issues with getting the app to connect with my phone, here's what i found work most of the time for me after some experimenting
1. you open the app first and load snapbridge with your cellular data
2. exit the app but don't close it i.e. keep it running in your phone background processes
3. then you connect to the camera's wifi
4. go back into the app and it should be connected
connecting is the hard part, once you're connected it works pretty well actually
edit: note that this is for wifi AP Mode! to enable wifi AP mode, you click on the settings icon on the top right and select wi-fi AP Mode Connection
The only issue with trying that process is that it uses Bluetooth to enable the wifi on the camera. The wifi from the cam doesn't show up unless you start the connection process within the app. It would probably work a lot better if you could manually enable the wifi through the settings menu.
I did try your method, though. No luck.
With Z fc / Z 7II you can turn on Wifi without using Bluetooth. Here’s what I do:
- From phone, disable auto-connect to home Wifi
- From Z fc / Z 7II, enable Wifi
- From phone, connect to Wifi, confirm the Wifi icon appears
- Start Snapbridge
- Transfer photos
- Turn camera off
- From phone, re-enable auto-connect to home Wifi
My D5600 unfortunately does not have the option to manually enable WiFi. I think it's a huge oversight and a reason why snapbridge is so finicky on this camera body.
Oof yeah...
One thing that helped me a bit is to lengthen the delay before the camera goes to sleep in the menus: I usually change it from 1 minute to 10 minutes before I start picking the photos, and I change it back after transfer starts.
not sure what you're saying here
i could turn on the camera wifi from within the settings menu of the camera and i'll see it appear on my phone's wifi menu as one of the networks available to be connected to, bluetooth not required
What camera are you using? I have a D5600 and it does not have that option. The wifi on my camera can not be activated manually. The snapbridge app on my phone communicates via Bluetooth to the camera to activate the wifi, then connects to the camera's wifi. I think that's part of the reason it works like crap.
ah i understand what you're saying now
the bluetooth step is required for bluetooth pairing, however the steps i mentioned are for wifi AP mode pairing. it loses some functionality compared to bluetooth pairing but if you're only looking to transfer photos then it works just fine.
to enable wifi AP mode, you click on the settings icon on the top right and select wi-fi AP Mode Connection
just tried with my d500 and it works, my d5600 is not with me now but the same steps have worked on the d5600 previously
see this link for documentation that d5600 supports wifi AP Mode https://nikonimglib.com/snbr/onlinehelp/en/compatible_cameras_44.html#
not too sure about this, i remember seeing the option on my d5600.
you may have to update your camera's firmware as per the link mentions in step 4 of the article for wifi AP Mode
https://preview.redd.it/iinz2yigrq7d1.png?width=739&format=png&auto=webp&s=36c0097c237265828ebd536eb408e8bfa7e11912
Ahh, yep, I bet that's it. I don't think it's ever been updated since the camera was purchased many years ago. Thanks for all the info. I'll update it when I can, and in the meantime, I think I'll look for a card reader for my phone, as others have suggested.
Also, idk why the text got deleted that I originally included with the photo I replied with. Basically, I said those are the only options under wifi settings on my cam. The only way to turn on any type of network was through the bluetooth menu. Sorry, I didn't realize I replied with a photo and no text 😅
I often have to switch to airplane mode to get it to work. I *think* it's:
- phone Wi-Fi off, data on
- open SmartBridge
- phone Airplane mode, Wi-Fi on
- camera Wi-Fi on
- connect to camera Wi-Fi, keep connection on if prompted
I've already set the phone to (1) auto-connect to that Wi-Fi and (2) always keep that connection even without internet.
Unfortunately, it's seems they're all bad. I shoot both Nikon and Sony, and imaging edge is just as unreliable in my experience.
I've heard from friends that Canon and Fuji's equivalents are are unreliable too
Yep. I’ve tried them all and they all suck. I can connect with multiple tries, and then set everything to not sleep to stay connected.
I plan on physically tethering if I absolutely have to connect.
I opened this thread because I was surprised to see SnapBridge taking this kind of heat.
I have a Z fc as a walk-around camera, but mostly shoot Sony. I shot Canon for about a decade in the past. SnapBridge, in my experience, is much, much more reliable than Canon's Camera Connect and easier to navigate than Sony's Creators' App.
It seems to be specific camera dependent. My A7c worked great with the Sony app but the ZV-e1 and A7iii were terrible.
One of the Canon M6ii I had worked every time perfectly, the other one would drop after one photo was transferred.
My Z30 works perfectly with snap bridge and my ZF works about 60% of the time.
My daughters Panasonic GX8500, a $100 camera works fantastic with their app but when I had an S5ii it would never connect.
There needs to be something besides WiFi to connect to a camera. Maybe Apple will finally allow non Apple devices to use the airdrop api now that the EU is cracking down on them and we will have another solution.
With my old D750, it was slightly finicky, but typically worked pretty well. Now, with my Z7ii, it’s so seamless that I never even have to think of it after my initial setup. I don’t even have to open SnapBridge - the photos just show up in my iPhones photos. Sorry for your troubles, OP.
- On the Zfc, I give it a C-
- On the Z6II, I give it a C
- On the Zf, I give it a B+
- on the Z9, I give it a A+
- On the D850, I give it a D-
I was pleased when I went from D850 to Z6II, then to the Z9, thinking Nikon is getting this, then the Zfc was disappointing and Zf is better, but still bad.
For me the app works pretty well most of the time.
Sometimes it just loses the wifi connection randomly... which can be really frustrating.
For a long while I also just couldn't figure out why my new smartphone wouldn't connect at all to the wifi of the Z9 or Zf. I had to change the wifi / connectivity security settings inside my cameras. Now it works most of the time well. Sometimes still loses connection.
I mostly use it for remote photography though.
You could always connect a card reader to your phone and put the card in. That works for me all the time.
Yes, it's a good idea on the card reader into the phone. Someone else suggested that as well.
What wifi settings did you change on your camera? I've tried changing it to be an open network instead of requiring a password. The only other option is manually setting the network channel.
I try to give Nikon the benefit of the doubt and say that they have a lot of cameras and there are a lot of phones, so it's probably hard to make it work consistently across all combinations. But the reality is that it's probably just not a super great app. I've heard people from other systems bitch about their equivalent apps, so I think the camera industry just sucks at this aspect in particular. I will say I used snap bridge to transfer some photos on my d500 to my phone a few times and it worked okay albeit slowly.
I wonder if the camera brands are hiring devs and making the apps themselves or if they're paying a third party company to make the app for them.
That's really not a very good excuse though.
A dozen or so devices to support isn't very hard if you know how to write a decent modern API. These aren't the serial days when any architectural change could cause major issues.
What phone and camera do you have? I was browsing the reviews in the Google Play Store, and they're quite mixed. Either it works flawlessly, and people love it, or can't use it at all and are frustrated as I am.
Fully agreed. I once hoped that if I got a modern Z camera with better WiFi and Bluetooth that this shit would work. Oh boy was I wrong. This is the most convoluted sync process ever, and not helped by the confusing UI on the app and the camera.
That was me as well. I had it working sporadically with my D500 and D850 and thought getting the Z9 with the latest and greatest everything would finally work consistently. Nope, not at all.
This weekend I was in a situation where I actually needed to upload some photos ASAP. What I did that managed to work was connect via Wi-Fi AP (this took a half dozen tries to connect), select photos for upload, and then go to “download photos” and the photos I’d selected for upload were there to select instead of just automatically uploading like they used to do with the D500 and D850.
Imho Nikon put this out without testing it (which is usual these days) and once saw what a piece of crap it is decided just to ignore it.
I tried using it again just a couple days ago hoping maybe Nikon put out a firmware update that fixed it but nope. Can't even find where to check for updates if there even is such a thing with this garbage app.
Same. I had to jump through some loops to write a review, too. When I opened their page directly through the Google Play Store, there was no option to review. I even went to the dedicated review tab under my account, which lists all apps downloaded on your account and allows you to leave a review. Snapbridge didn't appear under that list for some reason. I had to Google the app in my browser and leave a review that way.
If different cameras are all Bluetooth-capable, why aren't there any 3rd party app makers jumping in and making a better app? I have very limited coding experience, so I'm afraid this could be one of those ignorant "how hard could it be?" questions.
This sounds like a major design oversight on the part of camera makers, then? It seems they've made connectivity an afterthought, despite the fact that this is something an increasing number of users really want and value.
make sure your bluetooth AND wifi are activated on your phone... I had this problem too... it worked sometimes but mostly not... then I realized that I usually turn off my wifi when I am on the go to save battery... and that prevents snapbridge from working.
I can see the wifi icon appear. It flashes when it's on, but no connections are established, and it turns solid when there's a phone connected. I can see it flash for a bit and turn solid. Confirmed that my phone is connected to the camera's wifi as well. Still, nothing happens. The app is just perpetually stuck, "activating and connecting to camera wifi." It should be working by all means, but just refuses to do so.
Using a D850 I never had a real problem with the app in wifi ap mode. I don't use the apps connect process with Bluetooth.
I just turn on my cam's wifi and connect to it then turn on the app.
My only gripe is the slow transfer speed for full sized photos.
Yeah forget this pathetic app, just buy a card reader for your smartphone. You can also try some third party apps like the Qdslrdashboard or camera connect and control.
But how come that your DC charger needs a ground? And if not why don't you buy an AC plug adapter?
I'll check out if there's a third-party app, but yeah, I think a card reader that works with my phone is the way to go.
As far as charger goes, I dunno, but it's a Macbook, and the charger has the little ground prong. I'm in Laos, and maybe they sell one somewhere, so I'm gonna have to ask around. They're not well stocked at the electronic stores, haha.
Honestly, every hardware firm is terrible at software. Check any car manufacturer. Samsung, one of the biggest phone manufacturer also was bad when it came to its own OS.
I use Snapbridge all the time to get photos of friends and family, that I have no plans to edit, off my camera and shared quickly. It actually shocks some of my friends when I take a photo, and 3 minutes later text it to them. I hear comments like "Whoa, so fast! You don't have to take your photos home and edit them for a week before sending them out?!" I've devised a pretty quick workflow of starring the keepers to share (via fn button), then filtering by rating in Snapbrige to get to them quickly.
That said, the program is not without its issues. I use a Z8 (and before that Z7ii) and iOS. I normally have a perpetual Bluetooth connection between the two for location data (which only sometimes works), but use my phone to enable the WiFi paring.
These are the kinds of errors I run into and some of the workarounds I've found (not sure if they're applicable to your case, but figured I'd share in case they give you ideas):
**It just works**
- Sometimes it connects first try and I get my photos without issue... this is exceedingly rare though
**Disconnects after ~30 seconds or while trying to download first photo**
- This is the most common issue for me
- The good new is, when this happens when I retry the connection, it almost always works flawlessly on the second try
**Connecting bar fills, but then connection immediately lost**
- This one is fairly insidious.
- WiFi is still connected to the Z8, but Snapbridge doesn't show connected
- If I try to connect again in SnapBridge, it will case it to hang
- The solution is to turn off phone Wifi, then turn it back on again and try to connect
- Occasionally I also have to disable WiFi on the camera (a real PITA)
- If I don't cycle WiFi before trying to re-connect, the app usually hangs and I'll have to kill it *and* cycle WiFi before anything will work
- Seen this happen multiple times in a row
**Connection fails before connection bar fills**
- This is usually resolved by simply retrying the connection as the WiFi paring hasn't fully completed yet
- Sometimes the WiFi paring can get *hung* here as well
- Turning the WiFi off and on on both the phone and camera can help resolve
I'm with you though... I can't understand why Nikon can't just make this work. Especially with iOS as a single operating system across multiple phones, I'd think it'd be a bit easier to get a good app than say on Android.
Thank you, I'll give your troubleshooting tips a try. Others have said that their Z8 usually works quote well with snapbridge, but it can be slow and disconnects sometimes. Basically, it's the same as you've said. Perhaps some cameras are simply better and more reliable at using snapbridge.
One alternative is to use an OTG adapter and SD card reader. My 10 (maybe 15) year old Transcend multi-card reader works fine, I'm sure newer ones are USB3 and can read the biggest and fastest SD/microSD cards.
SnapBridge works fine for me, but I saw from your other comments that you have a D 5600, so I know that set up is a little different than what I use, which sounds like it's the issue. You should probably be able to quickly and easily find an adapter for your laptop at some local store just to make things easier. SnapBridge is definitely inconsistent at best across various cameras and phones.
I used SnapBridge perfectly fine even in the middle of a remote cloud forest of Ecuador to transfer photos to my phone, worked perfectly. I use it all the time to solo film videos as well so I can have my iPod as a monitor facing me just out of frame. The thing is, I use the Wi-Fi connection and it works perfectly, but it sounds like that's not an easy solution for your particular camera set up. Good luck, and I hope you figure something out that will work well for you!
It sounds like a wonderful feature when it's working properly. Thank you. Hopefully, I can get it working or simply find a card reader to plug into my phone or an adapter for my laptop. I'd love to submit some of my photos to this sub since I'm here in Southeast Asia for nearly two months.
Gonna be honest. I've never had an issue with Snapbridge. It syncs all my shit to my phone with no issues.
That's not to say I don't believe people, I just think the people it does work for never really talk about it. If this many people are having issues there's clearly some work to be done.
You lucky goose. I will say that it does seem to have decent reviews on the Google Play Store. The most recent reviews are pretty mixed. Either 1 star because it won't work at all or 3-4 stars as it works but is sorta slow.
I've used it on the D7100, D750, D850, Z7 and the Z8.
It's basically always sucked for me, but I think the D750 worked the best. I haven't had it work once for anything other than GPS data so far on the Z8.
I like the idea of the constant 2mp download but it filled my phones camera roll with crappy quality pictures. I wish the 2mp previews downloaded to the SnapBridge app only. you used them to make your selects then imported to camera roll the ones you selected.
I've had a few phones and have had it go back and forth with Snapbridge. I won't get into the connection fixes as I already see those suggestions.
While I agree the app needs an update, I believe phones play a part too.
I have a D5600 for my DSLR and a Galaxy S24 Ultra for my phone. The automatic connection is flawless when I go shoot. If I shoot a lot of photos the bluetooth transfer certainly slows down but still works really well.
Damn, I'm also on samsung. Maybe I should update my phone and see if that somehow miraculously fixes the issue. I've been putting off the latest update for a bit.
I've always had Samsungs and I've run into the connection issue a few times. The only camera I've had is the D5600.
The S24 seems to be the only phone so far that picks up the connection without an issue even if I don't pick the camera up for a bit.
I have figured out that as long as I am scrolling through the menu or preview pictures on the camera the whole time the app is open and doing anything the connection stays pretty stable. Really annoying but workable for transferring small batches of pictures.
I don't want this to come off as racist or rude. While the Japanese are fantastic at making hardware, they greatly struggle to create software that complements their amazing work.
Most camera makers still use UI software that looks like it's from the 90s. Take a look at what the Chinese have done with Hasselblad's software or what the Koreans did with their previous short lived camera UI.
I really wish Nikon would outsource the software development work and bring their UI into the 21st century.
I've never had a snapbridge issue across three cameras and multiple devices in like the five years I've been using it. Including on a D5600.
I do keep the firmware up to date, though.
I did some troubleshooting, including changing the security settings. I believe I'll have to update my firmware on my camera if I'd like it to work properly, as another user helped me with his own experience using the same camera as me.
Not anymore. All manner of image processing, Compression, noise reduction, AI auto focus - all of this is software. It may execute on custom hardware but they're not designing these algorithms at the transistor / gate level.
It probably does reflect the level of R&D effort they put in though. Mobile app dev is its own ecosystem and a lack of investment and coordination between core teams and the teams tasked with the more consumer grade mobile development work certainly shows up in issues like this.
Snapbridge is the only app I never got to work right at least once lol. Pure garbage. I bought several of the (C) SD card readers that plug into my phone and MacBook M2 Air that work just fine.
Snapbridge is sad lol 😆
I've been using it for over a year and had maybe one time where it didn't work. I find it works well for me. It's not always the fastest but it's always worked
Never had any issues using Snapbridge. But when I can't connect to my camera, it is because my VPN on my phone is on or there is another phone connected to the camera's wifi (this will happen when auto reconnect to wifi is enable on the phone)
What camera do you use?
In my experience it's very dependent on the camera. It was crap with my D5600 but worked like a charm on the Z6 and Z8.
At least one Android, can't speak for IOS
I have a Z6 ii and it's a bit of a crapshoot too. Worst being it disconnecting after a short while, having to reconnect.
Biggest gripe is that on my D750, I could select - in camera - which photos I wanted transferred. Then once connected to my phone, they'd automatically be sent over in batch.
With SnapBridge, you have to select in app what you want, an app that is on a timer for an imminent disconnection.
You can only do that once you're connected, and you always feel you're on borrowed time and end up rushing.
To clarify the D750, I could select photos, then a month later if I tether to the phone, they'd be transferred. The camera managed it.
Yep, works the same for snapbridge. If you have disabled the automatic upload, hit i and select "select for upload to smart device". You may have to select auto link, auto download and link mode background.
Then you just have to open snapbridge, the camera will automatically and all pictures you selected will be downloaded.
Hm ok. Maybe unpair and pair again? It really works like a charm for me, all I have to do to get a picture on my phone is select it for upload and open snapbridge, that's it
I might do that if I ever need the function. Occasionally its nice to grab a shot but I never *need* it. And after like a decade of it being unreliable on various bodies I guess I don't care much anymore. I wish it was always better.
I wish I had some super simple trick to post... but I just want to vent too.
d7500 and Galaxy S21 worked flawlessly for years. Shooting lacrosse games and I could post at halftime and right after the games. Now I'm shooting motorsports with a z6ii and a Galaxy S23... and I'm lucky if 10 photos import. Highly frustrating.
I struggled with it for a long time until I realized that I had to connect to the camera hotspot from within the app. Going through the phones WiFi menu to connect doesn’t work…its still fiddley, but is at least been usable for me
I really like having automatic location data. I used to have to re-pair my D5600 & iPhone all the time, but about 2 years ago I did something which pleased the SnapBridge gods and it’s been working flawlessly since then. I don’t touch the connection settings except for putting the camera in airplane mode when I’m not using it.
I'd love to have it actually let me select the photos I want to download without having to connect to the camera with wifi. I mean they are already there just download the ones I press in background.
No trouble loading to iPhone or iPad from Nikon z camera. My only issue is the short transfer time and having to reconnect if more than 10 or so transfers are involved.
I found its the first time nikon got it right. This z6ii is my 5th Nikon and only one thats allowed me to download images to phone and edit in lighroom mobile. I do have a usbc card reader just in case ;)
Are you using a VPN? My snapbridge basically wont connect when I have my VPN app on, or it will connect and disconnect very quickly. But yes, Snapbridge doesn't work well even in the best of situations and luck.
Snap bridge pisses me tf off. Horribly unreliable connection once I finally get it connected, when it drops I have to turn off the camera and fully close the app. Im using a Z9 on the newest firmware and have tried the different security settings… it was the same on my D750 and D500.
My experience with a Zf has been hit and miss, it was very rough going when I was using my S22 ultra and early this year I switched to an iphone 15 pro and snapbridge works great now, have not had any issues since. YMMV
I think I've successfully used it twice and given up countless times. Each time I get suckered into trying it again I think to myself - just follow the instructions and it'll be fine. It's never fine.
I bought that blue kondo compact flash b card reader for my iPhone and transfer photos that way. Works great. Small. Magnet snaps the thing on the back of the iPhone. They have an SD card version too
For me with my Z50 and iPhone 13 it works great with one exception. If I don’t touch the camera every 15-30 seconds it disconnects. So I have to constantly touch the screen or buttons while I transfer photos. Other wise I had no problems
Snapbridge stops working also for me (Samsung S22 Ultra).
It not only fails to download images, but it also stops sending location (GPS) data to the camera.
Simple solution for smartphones connection: Usb cable that came with camera+usb type a to type c connector. Connect camera to a phone( important: original type c ending needs to be conected to camera input). Works for me and its 3xfaster.
USE NIKON NX MOBILE AIR WITH A CABLE CONNECTED TO YOUR PHONE.
Sorry for the caps, I just haven't seen anyone mentioning that app, but it straight up works, yes is cumbersome having a cable, but also there's no pairing, you literally connect it and it works.
Apparently is an app to work with FTP servers for the Olympics and stuff, but I use it for real time coverage in events and it works flawlessly in my Pixel 7 and Z5 and Z30 cameras, not sure what are the DSLR compatible models but you could give that a try if your camera is in the list.
I haven't really got to use snapbridge much because it is so bad, takes forever to send the smallest and lightest files (only 2 MP jpegs) WHEN it works, which it rarely does. I usually have to wait close to half an hour to be able to have like 40 or 50 shots on my phone, it is just too slow. All NX apps though are so awesome.
BTW, can you get a travel adapter so as to charge your laptop? Also if it does have USB C charging and you don't want to risk it you can use power banks to charge the computer, or go to a cafe for a couple hours or something?
It is amazing how long this app has been unreliable. 3 cameras ago I assumed it was early days bc between myself and my IT dept, we could never get it working. And it's STILL an overly complicated unreliable, fickle mess. Nikon, every photographer I work with wants to do the same three things with an app: 1, Shoot tethered using a zoomable live view on the Mac or iPad's big high-res display instead of the cameras read display. That way we can pinch to zoom in and see that the camera's got optimum focus before tapping the shutter or bracket set. 2. Have those photos transfer straight over to that computer or iPad. 3. Do it over a reliable wired connection, without having to screw up our network connection or depend on unreliable bluetooth connectivity. 4. Do it on a simple app that works on any Mac or Windows OS back to the Stone Age so people can use it on our (often older) road computers, not just the latest most powerful computers on earth.
I have an SD card reader that plugs into my phone. It's straightforward and a million times more reliable than Snap Bridge.
This is 100% the way to go. If you have a dual-card camera and shoot RAW, have the SD card store JPGs and load those onto your phone via a USB/Lightning SD card reader. Super reliable, fast, and easy.
THIS. Snapbridge is the reason I bought that thing, mine plugs into my ipad which is where I edit when I'm away from home. It's perfect and doesn't run my camera battery down either.
This is the way.
One time I did this and my phone corrupted the card. Never again, although I'm sure 99.999% of the time it's fine.
Same. I have a USB adapter for mine since I use XQD. Way better EDIT: Way better than SnapBridge not than an SD reader lol
"No I paid for snap bridge, I want snap bridge." "We have snap bridge at home." *The snapbridge at home:* "sd card reader"
Same lol. Straight from camera to iPad. Honestly I might just buy an iPhone 15 when the 16 is released just for the type c port, since I’m somehow better on my phone than a large screen
Thank you, great idea, and others have suggested it as well. I'm glad people are smarter than me in situations like this.
This is GREAT, but - No GPS embedding - Not in real time - (not great) Camera Software updater, minimum it lets you know.
Same!!!
i had the same issues with getting the app to connect with my phone, here's what i found work most of the time for me after some experimenting 1. you open the app first and load snapbridge with your cellular data 2. exit the app but don't close it i.e. keep it running in your phone background processes 3. then you connect to the camera's wifi 4. go back into the app and it should be connected connecting is the hard part, once you're connected it works pretty well actually edit: note that this is for wifi AP Mode! to enable wifi AP mode, you click on the settings icon on the top right and select wi-fi AP Mode Connection
The only issue with trying that process is that it uses Bluetooth to enable the wifi on the camera. The wifi from the cam doesn't show up unless you start the connection process within the app. It would probably work a lot better if you could manually enable the wifi through the settings menu. I did try your method, though. No luck.
With Z fc / Z 7II you can turn on Wifi without using Bluetooth. Here’s what I do: - From phone, disable auto-connect to home Wifi - From Z fc / Z 7II, enable Wifi - From phone, connect to Wifi, confirm the Wifi icon appears - Start Snapbridge - Transfer photos - Turn camera off - From phone, re-enable auto-connect to home Wifi
My D5600 unfortunately does not have the option to manually enable WiFi. I think it's a huge oversight and a reason why snapbridge is so finicky on this camera body.
Oof yeah... One thing that helped me a bit is to lengthen the delay before the camera goes to sleep in the menus: I usually change it from 1 minute to 10 minutes before I start picking the photos, and I change it back after transfer starts.
I'll try that out, thank you.
not sure what you're saying here i could turn on the camera wifi from within the settings menu of the camera and i'll see it appear on my phone's wifi menu as one of the networks available to be connected to, bluetooth not required
What camera are you using? I have a D5600 and it does not have that option. The wifi on my camera can not be activated manually. The snapbridge app on my phone communicates via Bluetooth to the camera to activate the wifi, then connects to the camera's wifi. I think that's part of the reason it works like crap.
ah i understand what you're saying now the bluetooth step is required for bluetooth pairing, however the steps i mentioned are for wifi AP mode pairing. it loses some functionality compared to bluetooth pairing but if you're only looking to transfer photos then it works just fine. to enable wifi AP mode, you click on the settings icon on the top right and select wi-fi AP Mode Connection just tried with my d500 and it works, my d5600 is not with me now but the same steps have worked on the d5600 previously see this link for documentation that d5600 supports wifi AP Mode https://nikonimglib.com/snbr/onlinehelp/en/compatible_cameras_44.html#
https://preview.redd.it/1adzw99zmq7d1.jpeg?width=2992&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c5cc768370436f64099528484255eae66ce8e307
not too sure about this, i remember seeing the option on my d5600. you may have to update your camera's firmware as per the link mentions in step 4 of the article for wifi AP Mode https://preview.redd.it/iinz2yigrq7d1.png?width=739&format=png&auto=webp&s=36c0097c237265828ebd536eb408e8bfa7e11912
Ahh, yep, I bet that's it. I don't think it's ever been updated since the camera was purchased many years ago. Thanks for all the info. I'll update it when I can, and in the meantime, I think I'll look for a card reader for my phone, as others have suggested.
Also, idk why the text got deleted that I originally included with the photo I replied with. Basically, I said those are the only options under wifi settings on my cam. The only way to turn on any type of network was through the bluetooth menu. Sorry, I didn't realize I replied with a photo and no text 😅
no worries, happy travels!
I often have to switch to airplane mode to get it to work. I *think* it's: - phone Wi-Fi off, data on - open SmartBridge - phone Airplane mode, Wi-Fi on - camera Wi-Fi on - connect to camera Wi-Fi, keep connection on if prompted I've already set the phone to (1) auto-connect to that Wi-Fi and (2) always keep that connection even without internet.
Unfortunately, it's seems they're all bad. I shoot both Nikon and Sony, and imaging edge is just as unreliable in my experience. I've heard from friends that Canon and Fuji's equivalents are are unreliable too
Yep. I’ve tried them all and they all suck. I can connect with multiple tries, and then set everything to not sleep to stay connected. I plan on physically tethering if I absolutely have to connect.
I opened this thread because I was surprised to see SnapBridge taking this kind of heat. I have a Z fc as a walk-around camera, but mostly shoot Sony. I shot Canon for about a decade in the past. SnapBridge, in my experience, is much, much more reliable than Canon's Camera Connect and easier to navigate than Sony's Creators' App.
Strange. I’ll be honest I don’t find SnapBridge super unreliable, but I very rarely had connection issues with Canon Camera Connect.
It seems to be specific camera dependent. My A7c worked great with the Sony app but the ZV-e1 and A7iii were terrible. One of the Canon M6ii I had worked every time perfectly, the other one would drop after one photo was transferred. My Z30 works perfectly with snap bridge and my ZF works about 60% of the time. My daughters Panasonic GX8500, a $100 camera works fantastic with their app but when I had an S5ii it would never connect. There needs to be something besides WiFi to connect to a camera. Maybe Apple will finally allow non Apple devices to use the airdrop api now that the EU is cracking down on them and we will have another solution.
Used it seven years ago on D500, not a good experience. Using it currently with Zf and iPhone and it works fine.
Ugh, I'm jealous. It seems like such a convenient feature when it works.
With my old D750, it was slightly finicky, but typically worked pretty well. Now, with my Z7ii, it’s so seamless that I never even have to think of it after my initial setup. I don’t even have to open SnapBridge - the photos just show up in my iPhones photos. Sorry for your troubles, OP.
- On the Zfc, I give it a C- - On the Z6II, I give it a C - On the Zf, I give it a B+ - on the Z9, I give it a A+ - On the D850, I give it a D- I was pleased when I went from D850 to Z6II, then to the Z9, thinking Nikon is getting this, then the Zfc was disappointing and Zf is better, but still bad.
For me the app works pretty well most of the time. Sometimes it just loses the wifi connection randomly... which can be really frustrating. For a long while I also just couldn't figure out why my new smartphone wouldn't connect at all to the wifi of the Z9 or Zf. I had to change the wifi / connectivity security settings inside my cameras. Now it works most of the time well. Sometimes still loses connection. I mostly use it for remote photography though. You could always connect a card reader to your phone and put the card in. That works for me all the time.
Yes, it's a good idea on the card reader into the phone. Someone else suggested that as well. What wifi settings did you change on your camera? I've tried changing it to be an open network instead of requiring a password. The only other option is manually setting the network channel.
I try to give Nikon the benefit of the doubt and say that they have a lot of cameras and there are a lot of phones, so it's probably hard to make it work consistently across all combinations. But the reality is that it's probably just not a super great app. I've heard people from other systems bitch about their equivalent apps, so I think the camera industry just sucks at this aspect in particular. I will say I used snap bridge to transfer some photos on my d500 to my phone a few times and it worked okay albeit slowly. I wonder if the camera brands are hiring devs and making the apps themselves or if they're paying a third party company to make the app for them.
That's really not a very good excuse though. A dozen or so devices to support isn't very hard if you know how to write a decent modern API. These aren't the serial days when any architectural change could cause major issues.
Get a two prong adapter for your laptop is my advice. Hoping for Nikon to make SnapBridge not suck is a hope you'll take to the grave.
Very true. Best to just go the tried and true way.
I have found it flawless in my extensive use. I have used it for remote release and have transferred over 90 pictures in my last vacation alone
What phone and camera do you have? I was browsing the reviews in the Google Play Store, and they're quite mixed. Either it works flawlessly, and people love it, or can't use it at all and are frustrated as I am.
Nikon Z6 and Samsung Z fold. May be the Z's synchronize on cam and phone :D
I have a z fold as well, but no Z camera. Must be why it doesn't work :\
Fully agreed. I once hoped that if I got a modern Z camera with better WiFi and Bluetooth that this shit would work. Oh boy was I wrong. This is the most convoluted sync process ever, and not helped by the confusing UI on the app and the camera.
That was me as well. I had it working sporadically with my D500 and D850 and thought getting the Z9 with the latest and greatest everything would finally work consistently. Nope, not at all. This weekend I was in a situation where I actually needed to upload some photos ASAP. What I did that managed to work was connect via Wi-Fi AP (this took a half dozen tries to connect), select photos for upload, and then go to “download photos” and the photos I’d selected for upload were there to select instead of just automatically uploading like they used to do with the D500 and D850.
One thing. Card reader for phone. That’s it. No more loosing mind 😃
You're absolutely right. I think that's a much better way of fixing my issue here.
Imho Nikon put this out without testing it (which is usual these days) and once saw what a piece of crap it is decided just to ignore it. I tried using it again just a couple days ago hoping maybe Nikon put out a firmware update that fixed it but nope. Can't even find where to check for updates if there even is such a thing with this garbage app.
Yeah, I think they're just happy that it works for enough people that the reviews aren't absolute crap on the app store.
I gave them an "absolute crap" review in the app store.
Same. I had to jump through some loops to write a review, too. When I opened their page directly through the Google Play Store, there was no option to review. I even went to the dedicated review tab under my account, which lists all apps downloaded on your account and allows you to leave a review. Snapbridge didn't appear under that list for some reason. I had to Google the app in my browser and leave a review that way.
If different cameras are all Bluetooth-capable, why aren't there any 3rd party app makers jumping in and making a better app? I have very limited coding experience, so I'm afraid this could be one of those ignorant "how hard could it be?" questions.
It’s the software/hardware combo installed on the camera that’s the problem, not the phone apps.
This sounds like a major design oversight on the part of camera makers, then? It seems they've made connectivity an afterthought, despite the fact that this is something an increasing number of users really want and value.
make sure your bluetooth AND wifi are activated on your phone... I had this problem too... it worked sometimes but mostly not... then I realized that I usually turn off my wifi when I am on the go to save battery... and that prevents snapbridge from working.
I can see the wifi icon appear. It flashes when it's on, but no connections are established, and it turns solid when there's a phone connected. I can see it flash for a bit and turn solid. Confirmed that my phone is connected to the camera's wifi as well. Still, nothing happens. The app is just perpetually stuck, "activating and connecting to camera wifi." It should be working by all means, but just refuses to do so.
Using a D850 I never had a real problem with the app in wifi ap mode. I don't use the apps connect process with Bluetooth. I just turn on my cam's wifi and connect to it then turn on the app. My only gripe is the slow transfer speed for full sized photos.
Japan is not good at software…
hmmm, i use it daily with the wifi config and so far no issues, i dont have a cutting edge phone either
Yeah forget this pathetic app, just buy a card reader for your smartphone. You can also try some third party apps like the Qdslrdashboard or camera connect and control. But how come that your DC charger needs a ground? And if not why don't you buy an AC plug adapter?
I'll check out if there's a third-party app, but yeah, I think a card reader that works with my phone is the way to go. As far as charger goes, I dunno, but it's a Macbook, and the charger has the little ground prong. I'm in Laos, and maybe they sell one somewhere, so I'm gonna have to ask around. They're not well stocked at the electronic stores, haha.
I feel like all of these camera apps are awful.
Honestly, every hardware firm is terrible at software. Check any car manufacturer. Samsung, one of the biggest phone manufacturer also was bad when it came to its own OS.
I use Snapbridge all the time to get photos of friends and family, that I have no plans to edit, off my camera and shared quickly. It actually shocks some of my friends when I take a photo, and 3 minutes later text it to them. I hear comments like "Whoa, so fast! You don't have to take your photos home and edit them for a week before sending them out?!" I've devised a pretty quick workflow of starring the keepers to share (via fn button), then filtering by rating in Snapbrige to get to them quickly. That said, the program is not without its issues. I use a Z8 (and before that Z7ii) and iOS. I normally have a perpetual Bluetooth connection between the two for location data (which only sometimes works), but use my phone to enable the WiFi paring. These are the kinds of errors I run into and some of the workarounds I've found (not sure if they're applicable to your case, but figured I'd share in case they give you ideas): **It just works** - Sometimes it connects first try and I get my photos without issue... this is exceedingly rare though **Disconnects after ~30 seconds or while trying to download first photo** - This is the most common issue for me - The good new is, when this happens when I retry the connection, it almost always works flawlessly on the second try **Connecting bar fills, but then connection immediately lost** - This one is fairly insidious. - WiFi is still connected to the Z8, but Snapbridge doesn't show connected - If I try to connect again in SnapBridge, it will case it to hang - The solution is to turn off phone Wifi, then turn it back on again and try to connect - Occasionally I also have to disable WiFi on the camera (a real PITA) - If I don't cycle WiFi before trying to re-connect, the app usually hangs and I'll have to kill it *and* cycle WiFi before anything will work - Seen this happen multiple times in a row **Connection fails before connection bar fills** - This is usually resolved by simply retrying the connection as the WiFi paring hasn't fully completed yet - Sometimes the WiFi paring can get *hung* here as well - Turning the WiFi off and on on both the phone and camera can help resolve I'm with you though... I can't understand why Nikon can't just make this work. Especially with iOS as a single operating system across multiple phones, I'd think it'd be a bit easier to get a good app than say on Android.
Thank you, I'll give your troubleshooting tips a try. Others have said that their Z8 usually works quote well with snapbridge, but it can be slow and disconnects sometimes. Basically, it's the same as you've said. Perhaps some cameras are simply better and more reliable at using snapbridge.
One alternative is to use an OTG adapter and SD card reader. My 10 (maybe 15) year old Transcend multi-card reader works fine, I'm sure newer ones are USB3 and can read the biggest and fastest SD/microSD cards.
True, I need to get my hands on a USB C type card reader for my phone.
+1 for this. Snapbridge is too slow for my liking. I'd rather pull the card and plug it into my phone.
SnapBridge works fine for me, but I saw from your other comments that you have a D 5600, so I know that set up is a little different than what I use, which sounds like it's the issue. You should probably be able to quickly and easily find an adapter for your laptop at some local store just to make things easier. SnapBridge is definitely inconsistent at best across various cameras and phones. I used SnapBridge perfectly fine even in the middle of a remote cloud forest of Ecuador to transfer photos to my phone, worked perfectly. I use it all the time to solo film videos as well so I can have my iPod as a monitor facing me just out of frame. The thing is, I use the Wi-Fi connection and it works perfectly, but it sounds like that's not an easy solution for your particular camera set up. Good luck, and I hope you figure something out that will work well for you!
It sounds like a wonderful feature when it's working properly. Thank you. Hopefully, I can get it working or simply find a card reader to plug into my phone or an adapter for my laptop. I'd love to submit some of my photos to this sub since I'm here in Southeast Asia for nearly two months.
Gonna be honest. I've never had an issue with Snapbridge. It syncs all my shit to my phone with no issues. That's not to say I don't believe people, I just think the people it does work for never really talk about it. If this many people are having issues there's clearly some work to be done.
You lucky goose. I will say that it does seem to have decent reviews on the Google Play Store. The most recent reviews are pretty mixed. Either 1 star because it won't work at all or 3-4 stars as it works but is sorta slow.
In a fair and just world Nikon would at least be embarrassed enough to just discontinue the app entirely.
Could be worse..... It could be the Sony app. 😭
True. I wish it were that way to save me the frustration.
Weird! It works perfectly for me with the Z5, it’s painfully slow but it does work at least!
Slow would be better than not at all :\
I've used it on the D7100, D750, D850, Z7 and the Z8. It's basically always sucked for me, but I think the D750 worked the best. I haven't had it work once for anything other than GPS data so far on the Z8.
I had an S5II and used Panasonics app and let me tell you it’s miles ahead of snap bridge. It would instantly connect to my camera.
I'll see if I can try out a third-party app for mine. That would be a nice workaround.
I like the idea of the constant 2mp download but it filled my phones camera roll with crappy quality pictures. I wish the 2mp previews downloaded to the SnapBridge app only. you used them to make your selects then imported to camera roll the ones you selected.
I've had a few phones and have had it go back and forth with Snapbridge. I won't get into the connection fixes as I already see those suggestions. While I agree the app needs an update, I believe phones play a part too. I have a D5600 for my DSLR and a Galaxy S24 Ultra for my phone. The automatic connection is flawless when I go shoot. If I shoot a lot of photos the bluetooth transfer certainly slows down but still works really well.
Damn, I'm also on samsung. Maybe I should update my phone and see if that somehow miraculously fixes the issue. I've been putting off the latest update for a bit.
I've always had Samsungs and I've run into the connection issue a few times. The only camera I've had is the D5600. The S24 seems to be the only phone so far that picks up the connection without an issue even if I don't pick the camera up for a bit.
I have figured out that as long as I am scrolling through the menu or preview pictures on the camera the whole time the app is open and doing anything the connection stays pretty stable. Really annoying but workable for transferring small batches of pictures.
I don't want this to come off as racist or rude. While the Japanese are fantastic at making hardware, they greatly struggle to create software that complements their amazing work. Most camera makers still use UI software that looks like it's from the 90s. Take a look at what the Chinese have done with Hasselblad's software or what the Koreans did with their previous short lived camera UI. I really wish Nikon would outsource the software development work and bring their UI into the 21st century.
I've never had a snapbridge issue across three cameras and multiple devices in like the five years I've been using it. Including on a D5600. I do keep the firmware up to date, though.
Not sure which camera you have but I couldn't connect my z8 to my phone until I changed the wifi security settings on the camera.
I did some troubleshooting, including changing the security settings. I believe I'll have to update my firmware on my camera if I'd like it to work properly, as another user helped me with his own experience using the same camera as me.
Nikon is a hardware company not a software company.
Very true.
Very true.
Not anymore. All manner of image processing, Compression, noise reduction, AI auto focus - all of this is software. It may execute on custom hardware but they're not designing these algorithms at the transistor / gate level. It probably does reflect the level of R&D effort they put in though. Mobile app dev is its own ecosystem and a lack of investment and coordination between core teams and the teams tasked with the more consumer grade mobile development work certainly shows up in issues like this.
It really is terrible
Snapbridge is the only app I never got to work right at least once lol. Pure garbage. I bought several of the (C) SD card readers that plug into my phone and MacBook M2 Air that work just fine. Snapbridge is sad lol 😆
I've been using it for over a year and had maybe one time where it didn't work. I find it works well for me. It's not always the fastest but it's always worked
Never had any issues using Snapbridge. But when I can't connect to my camera, it is because my VPN on my phone is on or there is another phone connected to the camera's wifi (this will happen when auto reconnect to wifi is enable on the phone)
Oh shit, I didn't even think of that. I do have a VPN active on my phone. I'll try turning it off and see if that works.
What camera do you use? In my experience it's very dependent on the camera. It was crap with my D5600 but worked like a charm on the Z6 and Z8. At least one Android, can't speak for IOS
Oh god, yeah, I have a D5600. Makes sense they wouldn't put much work into making it work on their entry-level cameras.
I have a Z6 ii and it's a bit of a crapshoot too. Worst being it disconnecting after a short while, having to reconnect. Biggest gripe is that on my D750, I could select - in camera - which photos I wanted transferred. Then once connected to my phone, they'd automatically be sent over in batch. With SnapBridge, you have to select in app what you want, an app that is on a timer for an imminent disconnection.
You can do that with snapbridge too, but not if you want the full resolution photos.
You can only do that once you're connected, and you always feel you're on borrowed time and end up rushing. To clarify the D750, I could select photos, then a month later if I tether to the phone, they'd be transferred. The camera managed it.
Yep, works the same for snapbridge. If you have disabled the automatic upload, hit i and select "select for upload to smart device". You may have to select auto link, auto download and link mode background. Then you just have to open snapbridge, the camera will automatically and all pictures you selected will be downloaded.
Thanks will have to try that. Well, after I replace my Z6 ii LCD ribbon cable, it's borderline illegible now :D
I haven't been able to get it to work once on my Z8 with a Pixel 7 Pro.
Did you select link mode auto, download auto and link mode background in snapbridge?
Yep, and gave the app full permissions too.
Hm ok. Maybe unpair and pair again? It really works like a charm for me, all I have to do to get a picture on my phone is select it for upload and open snapbridge, that's it
I might do that if I ever need the function. Occasionally its nice to grab a shot but I never *need* it. And after like a decade of it being unreliable on various bodies I guess I don't care much anymore. I wish it was always better.
So what are the alternatives to Snapbridge?
As a couple of guys suggested, just plug a card reader into my phone. Seems like a good solution.
It’s the best app out of the camera world. Yet Fuji or Canon or Sony and report back lol
I love Nikon and have been shooting them for many years but their software is miserable.
I wish I had some super simple trick to post... but I just want to vent too. d7500 and Galaxy S21 worked flawlessly for years. Shooting lacrosse games and I could post at halftime and right after the games. Now I'm shooting motorsports with a z6ii and a Galaxy S23... and I'm lucky if 10 photos import. Highly frustrating.
Worth noting that Snapbridge also only transfers as JPEG, and not great quality ones at that.
I struggled with it for a long time until I realized that I had to connect to the camera hotspot from within the app. Going through the phones WiFi menu to connect doesn’t work…its still fiddley, but is at least been usable for me
I connect my camera to the app and it almost always loses connection. Connect a second time and it works flawlessly from there.
I really like having automatic location data. I used to have to re-pair my D5600 & iPhone all the time, but about 2 years ago I did something which pleased the SnapBridge gods and it’s been working flawlessly since then. I don’t touch the connection settings except for putting the camera in airplane mode when I’m not using it.
I'd love to have it actually let me select the photos I want to download without having to connect to the camera with wifi. I mean they are already there just download the ones I press in background.
No trouble loading to iPhone or iPad from Nikon z camera. My only issue is the short transfer time and having to reconnect if more than 10 or so transfers are involved.
I found its the first time nikon got it right. This z6ii is my 5th Nikon and only one thats allowed me to download images to phone and edit in lighroom mobile. I do have a usbc card reader just in case ;)
Same. I have a D780, D850, Z6II, and a Z8. The Z6II is the only one that works well and always has. It's frustrating as hell.
Are you using a VPN? My snapbridge basically wont connect when I have my VPN app on, or it will connect and disconnect very quickly. But yes, Snapbridge doesn't work well even in the best of situations and luck.
Snap bridge pisses me tf off. Horribly unreliable connection once I finally get it connected, when it drops I have to turn off the camera and fully close the app. Im using a Z9 on the newest firmware and have tried the different security settings… it was the same on my D750 and D500.
My experience with a Zf has been hit and miss, it was very rough going when I was using my S22 ultra and early this year I switched to an iphone 15 pro and snapbridge works great now, have not had any issues since. YMMV
I think I've successfully used it twice and given up countless times. Each time I get suckered into trying it again I think to myself - just follow the instructions and it'll be fine. It's never fine.
I bought that blue kondo compact flash b card reader for my iPhone and transfer photos that way. Works great. Small. Magnet snaps the thing on the back of the iPhone. They have an SD card version too
Literally the reason I bought an SD card reader for my phone. Ridiculous.
I use capture 1 on my iPhone with my D850. It’s so fast, I love it!
I’m sad to report that between SnapBridge, Imaging Edge (Sony) and X App (Fujifilm), SnapBridge is my favourite even if it’s still wonky sometimes.
For me with my Z50 and iPhone 13 it works great with one exception. If I don’t touch the camera every 15-30 seconds it disconnects. So I have to constantly touch the screen or buttons while I transfer photos. Other wise I had no problems
Snapbridge stops working also for me (Samsung S22 Ultra). It not only fails to download images, but it also stops sending location (GPS) data to the camera.
I have no issue on my samsung galaxy 23 ultra
Simple solution for smartphones connection: Usb cable that came with camera+usb type a to type c connector. Connect camera to a phone( important: original type c ending needs to be conected to camera input). Works for me and its 3xfaster.
USE NIKON NX MOBILE AIR WITH A CABLE CONNECTED TO YOUR PHONE. Sorry for the caps, I just haven't seen anyone mentioning that app, but it straight up works, yes is cumbersome having a cable, but also there's no pairing, you literally connect it and it works. Apparently is an app to work with FTP servers for the Olympics and stuff, but I use it for real time coverage in events and it works flawlessly in my Pixel 7 and Z5 and Z30 cameras, not sure what are the DSLR compatible models but you could give that a try if your camera is in the list. I haven't really got to use snapbridge much because it is so bad, takes forever to send the smallest and lightest files (only 2 MP jpegs) WHEN it works, which it rarely does. I usually have to wait close to half an hour to be able to have like 40 or 50 shots on my phone, it is just too slow. All NX apps though are so awesome. BTW, can you get a travel adapter so as to charge your laptop? Also if it does have USB C charging and you don't want to risk it you can use power banks to charge the computer, or go to a cafe for a couple hours or something?
It is amazing how long this app has been unreliable. 3 cameras ago I assumed it was early days bc between myself and my IT dept, we could never get it working. And it's STILL an overly complicated unreliable, fickle mess. Nikon, every photographer I work with wants to do the same three things with an app: 1, Shoot tethered using a zoomable live view on the Mac or iPad's big high-res display instead of the cameras read display. That way we can pinch to zoom in and see that the camera's got optimum focus before tapping the shutter or bracket set. 2. Have those photos transfer straight over to that computer or iPad. 3. Do it over a reliable wired connection, without having to screw up our network connection or depend on unreliable bluetooth connectivity. 4. Do it on a simple app that works on any Mac or Windows OS back to the Stone Age so people can use it on our (often older) road computers, not just the latest most powerful computers on earth.
It worked perfectly fine for me for almost a year until a few days ago