Although we recommend limiting access to your Firewalla box for security, there are a number of valid reasons why you may need to use another device to manage your Firewalla. For example, you might need to grant administrative access to your spouse or business partner, or you might be upgrading your phone.
Sharing access to your Firewalla box is simple and only depends on whether you have access to the currently paired phone.
- I have access to the paired phone.
- I don't have access to the paired phone.
- I am replacing my phone and have multiple Firewalla Boxes to re-pair. (iOS Only)
If you have access to the paired phone:
This pairing method can be used to remotely pair a phone to your Firewalla unit.
Step 1. Allow Additional Pairing
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On the phone that's already paired with Firewalla, launch the Firewalla app, and tap on the unit you want to share access to.
- In the top right corner, tap on the gear icon to bring up Settings.
- Tap on the Advanced option.
- Go to the "Allow Additional Pairing" option, and turn on Additional Pairing.
Step 2. QR Code Pairing
- Tap the [-] scan icon in the top left corner of the app's main page to scan the QR code generated in Step 1.
- If you are on your Firewalla box's main page and don't see the scan icon, tap the Home button in the top left corner to return to the app's main page.
- Follow the instructions to finish pairing.
- You can also email the QR code so the phone can be paired remotely. Note that for security reasons, there is a strict time window after which the QR code will expire.
If you're having issues pairing a new phone, please wait at least 15 minutes between each try. This will help the system flush out the MDNS entries used to check if your phone is on the same network as Firewalla.
If you don't have access to the paired phone anymore:
- If you are using Firewalla Gold, make sure the Red Security Dongle is securely plugged into the USB port on your box.
- Get close to the box. Pull the power plug from the Firewalla Box, then reconnect it.
- Wait 6-8 min (don't wait too long, or the pairing process may shut down).
- Launch the Firewalla app on your phone. (Make sure your phone has Bluetooth turned on)
- Tap the plus "+" icon and follow the initial pairing process to pair your phone with Firewalla.
If you're replacing your phone and have multiple Firewalla Boxes to re-pair
(iOS only and requires App 1.67)
If you have access to your old phone and have multiple Firewalla Boxes to pair, you can migrate your unique App Key to transfer multiple Box Pairings at once. This may be useful if:
- You've lost your phone; you can use this to restore access to all your Firewalla units.
- You've migrated to a new phone, and migration from iCloud failed; you can use this to restore access to all your Firewalla units.
WARNING:
- After this migration (restoring the keys), you should delete the app from the old phone.
- This migration does NOT migrate the box configuration; this may be a future enhancement.
To back up:
- Go to App Settings → App Migration → Export App Data.
- Set a Secure Code to protect the file, export it, and store it somewhere safe.
To restore:
- Go to App Settings → App Migration → Import App Data.
- Choose the file, and enter the same Secure Code that was set during the export.
- Restart the app, and all your box pairings will come back instantly.
Note:
- After importing, both apps stay in sync. If you add or remove a box on one phone, the changes also appear on the other. We highly recommend that you do not reset the app data, and to delete the Firewalla app on the old phone.
- This feature is currently available on iOS only, but it’s built to work with Android as well. Cross-platform migration is coming soon.
If you want to prevent others from pairing with your Firewalla, please see this article: https://help.firewalla.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500010488942
Comments
6 comments
Is there a way to add manually? Since the device was flashed, it is not allowing me to produce a QR code. Actually I think the box has the slider to lock additional pairing so I can't turn it on.
Hi team,
What if you have a phone that is not capable of reading the QR code? The camera is scratched or something and I would like if there is another way, if not, I'm doomed.
Thanks.
Nothing seems to be working for me. Tried my iPad after my iPhone failed to connect and still no connection. I think this one is broken or the blue tooth device inside is either off or broken. I think I'm going to return mine. I had such high hopes for the Gold Plus and this just dashed everything to pieces.
I'm sorry but it was a really dumb idea to make scanning the QR code the sole way of adding the device in the app and I tried the instructions for transferring it from an older phone. But the problem is the newer device on the older phone can't be addressed for some reason. So the rest of the instructions are worthless. Making this QR code. The sole path to controlling the device is especially dumb since it's on the bottom of the device that you slide on to a bracket and half the time if there's any dirt or chunk of debris down there, it's going to scratch the QR code sticker to where you can't read it. You should have allowed somebody to manually enter in the license number if they can't do a QR code. It's pretty damn simple
@rymond, the QR code is a way to prevent people from getting into your box without physical access to it.
I just created a ticket for you so we can follow up to understand your issue more.
I was successfully able to pair my firewalla with a new iphone. Can I just delete my old phone in the paired phones list?
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