Aqara Firmware Update Failed? Here's How to Fix It.
Keeping your Aqara hub's firmware updated is vital for the security and stability of your entire smart home network. These updates often contain important patches, new device compatibilities, and performance improvements. However, a failed firmware update can be alarming, potentially causing your hub or connected devices to become unresponsive.
If you've encountered an "Update Failed" error in the Aqara Home app, or if your hub is behaving strangely after an update attempt, don't panic. This guide will walk you through the common causes of firmware update failures and the steps you can take to resolve them.
Common Symptoms of a Failed Aqara Firmware Update
A failed update on your Aqara hub can lead to several noticeable problems. Identifying them is the first step toward a solution.
- "Update Failed" Notification: The Aqara Home app explicitly shows a message that the firmware update was unsuccessful.
- Update Stuck: The progress bar for the update gets stuck at a certain percentage and does not move for a very long time.
- Hub Goes Offline: The hub begins the update process, its status light may change colour (e.g., to flashing purple or blue), but it then goes offline and fails to reconnect to the network.
- Unresponsive Child Devices: After a hub update attempt, some or all of your connected Aqara sensors, switches, or other devices stop responding.
- Hub Not Responding: The hub itself is online, but it does not respond to commands from the app.
- Constant Rebooting: The hub enters a loop where it continuously reboots itself after a failed update.
Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing Aqara Firmware Update Issues
Follow these instructions to troubleshoot and successfully update your Aqara hub.
1. Ensure a Stable Foundation
A successful firmware update is built on stable power and a solid network connection.
- Check Your Internet Connection: The hub needs to download the firmware file from Aqara's servers. Make sure your home internet connection is stable. A quick way to check is to try streaming a video on your phone while connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
- Improve Hub's Connection: If your hub is connected via Wi-Fi, ensure it has a strong signal from your router. If it's far away or separated by thick walls, consider moving it closer to the router, at least for the duration of the update. For hubs that support it, using a wired Ethernet connection is always the most reliable option for firmware updates.
- Reliable Power: Ensure the hub is connected to a reliable power source. A brief power cut during the firmware writing process can corrupt the system.
2. The Reboot Sequence
When an update fails, the first course of action is a systematic reboot of your network hardware.
- Step 1: Reboot Your Router. Unplug your main Wi-Fi router from power. Wait for a full 60 seconds. Plug it back in and wait for it to fully restart and establish an internet connection (this can take 3-5 minutes).
- Step 2: Reboot Your Aqara Hub. Once your internet is back online, unplug your Aqara hub from power. Wait for 30 seconds. Plug it back in.
- Step 3: Wait and Retry. Give the hub a few minutes to boot up and reconnect to your network. Once it shows as "Online" in the Aqara Home app, navigate to the settings and try initiating the firmware update again.
3. Addressing Unresponsive Child Devices
Sometimes the hub updates successfully, but the connection to child devices is lost.
- Check Battery: For the affected device, the first thing to check is its battery. A low battery might have prevented it from correctly re-establishing its connection after the hub's reboot.
- Re-Pair the Device: If the battery is fine, you may need to re-pair the unresponsive device. You do not always need to delete it first. Try putting the hub into pairing mode in the app, and then press and hold the reset button on the device for 5 seconds to put it into pairing mode as well. It may reconnect without losing its settings.
- Delete and Re-add: If re-pairing doesn't work, you will need to delete the device from the Aqara Home app, perform a factory reset on the device itself (by holding the reset button for 10+ seconds), and then add it back to the hub as a new device.
4. Contacting Support
If the hub itself remains unresponsive or stuck in a boot loop after multiple reboot attempts, it may have a more serious issue. At this point, it is best to contact Aqara support with the specific model of your hub and a description of the problem.