Advice please: iPhone app can't see connection between MPW and iPhone

I’ve searched like crazy and can’t find an answer to this. I just purchased an MPW and successfully launched the dashboard on my Mac running Mavericks. Successfully transferred photo files from an SD card. My next hurdle was installing and launching the iPhone “My Cloud” app which in theory would allow me to verify the contents of the SD transfer folders. I installed the app on my iPhone 6 running iOS 8.1.2. I launched the app and was instructed to make sure the iPhone was connected to the MyPassport wifi network, which I verified. The instructions said something to the effect of “make sure you’re connected to  ‘MyPassport’ and then return to the app.” I did so and was then put into the same loop, never getting past that message. Now here’s the interesting thing: the web-based MWP dashboard says that the drive is indeed connected to my iPhone. However, the iPhone app doesn’t acknowledge that. The drive shows up in the iPhone app’s list of devices (under “add manually”) but tapping on the MPW in that list simply brings me back to the instructions “to add your My Passport Wireless drive, go to your mobile device’s wi-fi settings…” et cetera. Any advice is very much appreciated! Thanks.

Hello and welcome to the WD Community.

Have you tried disconnecting the Iphone from the passport wi-fi and connecting that again?

If stills the same, try reinstalling the application.

I assumed that I wouldn’t be able to get phone support on a weekend but I was wrong. Spent about 45 minutes with a very helpful and friendly customer service person. Unfortunately he could not resolve the problem but promised to escalate it to the next level and follow up with a phone call during the week.

prymsnap wrote:

Now here’s the interesting thing: the web-based MWP dashboard says that the drive is indeed connected to my iPhone. However, the iPhone app doesn’t acknowledge that. . . . . Any advice is very much appreciated! Thanks.

Hmm. Is the drive connecting to the iPhone which is acting as a hotspot? Like this:

MPW ==> iPhone ==> internet via mobile broadband

Because it should be the other way around. The iPhone should be connecting to the MPW acting as a hotspot, and the MPW can then be connected to your wireless home network, which can then be connected to the internet. Like this:

iPhone ==> MPW ==> Wireless Home Network ==> Internet

The iPhone ==> MPW connection is made using the iPhone Wi-Fi settings page, in iOS.

The MPW ==> Wireless Home Network coonection is made using the MPW Web Dashboard wireless settings (or the MyCloud App, but use the Dashboard for now.)

I know you have un/reinstalled the MyCloud App often, but if you can get the above network connection working first, then check if the MyCloud App correctly sees the MPW. If it doesn’t, but you have access to the internet on your iPhone, then you are connected correctly. At that point I would delete the App once more and install it using the above configuration to access the Apple Store. It shouldn’t make a difference to the App, but worth one last try.

Roderick, thaks so much for your thoughtful response and suggestions. Alas, no success yet.

prymsnap wrote:

Roderick, thaks so much for your thoughtful response and suggestions. Alas, no success yet.

It may be an  iPhone 6 or iOS 8.1.2 issue then. Maybe someone who uses the same phone could speak up. Otherwise I guess you will have to wait for WD Support to escalate and get back to you.

Just for reference, this is what the Dashbaord looks like when my iPhone 4 is connected to the MPW, which is then connected to my Wireless Home Network.

This is what the MyCloud App looks like when my iPhone 4 is connected to the MPW, which is then connected to my Wireless Home Network.

Thanks, all. WD Support advised me to re0download and manually re-install the firmware update. That did the trick.

Interesting that a manual firmware update made a difference. I think I will be doing all future updates that way.

Actually, that is what I did for the lastest version anyway.

Good to heat your MPW is all fixed and you can use it now. :smiley:

Thanks! The customer service experience was pretty darn good. That means a lot in this day and age.

Spme comments about installing firmware:

1)  I am not surprised about this – I imagine the firmware has something to do with the MPW wireless signal function; nevertheless, an  interesting fix.

2)  I have always downloaded the new firmware to a file and used the SD card method to manually install it.  Has worked every time.

3)  It is possible to cause the current firmware to be deleted by improper resetting to MPW defaults and cause a double red LED flashing experience.  I did!  :flushed:  Once I got out of that mess, the firmware shown in Dashboard was very likely an early one hard-coded into the MPW.  I had to reinstall the current firmware again.