Help & Troubleshooting

Hotspot Didn't Appear After Boot

Try unplugging and plugging the device back in. Wait 1–2 minutes and check your Wi-Fi settings for BoneDaddy Setup. If you see the green and blue lights but the hotspot still doesn't appear, email us at info@nextfriend.ai and we'll get in touch.

Connected to Hotspot But Device Not in Dashboard

The device didn't complete registration correctly. We'll need to manually register it to your account. Email info@nextfriend.ai and we'll take care of it.

Device Lost Wi-Fi or Was Moved

If your device loses its connection — after a router reboot, password change, or moving to a new location — the BoneDaddy Setup network will reappear in your Wi-Fi settings. Reconnect to it and run through the setup process again starting at http://192.168.42.1.

Full Wi-Fi setup guide →

⚠ Note Wi-Fi Network Requirements

Your network must be password protected. The device cannot connect to open Wi-Fi networks with no security password.

Standard networks only. The device cannot connect to networks that require a browser-based login page — such as hotel Wi-Fi, venue guest networks, or any network that asks you to enter a room number, accept terms, or verify your identity before connecting. A standard password-protected home or business network is required.

No Sound at All

Check that the speaker wires are properly seated in the screw terminals. Unscrew each terminal fully, reseat the wire, and tighten back down. A loose terminal is the most common cause of no audio.

Distorted or Low Audio

Check the volume setting in your dashboard and verify the speaker wires are fully inserted and all terminals are tight.

Jaw / Mouth Not Moving

The jaw is controlled by LIG2, the speech-synchronized output. Check that the jaw motor wires are fully seated in the LIG2 terminals — unscrew fully, reseat, and tighten. See the Hardware & Terminal Guide for wiring details.

Eyes or Lights Not Coming On

Accent lighting and LED eyes are controlled by LIG1, the constant output. Check the LIG1 terminal connections the same way — unscrew, reseat, and tighten.

Motion Sensor Not Triggering

The motion sensor is optional hardware that is currently in development. Full activation is coming in a future update.

⚠ Warning Character Triggers by Itself

Mic sensitivity is too high. The device is picking up background noise or music and mistaking it for the wake word "Awaken." Lower the mic sensitivity in your dashboard settings.

⚠ Warning Character Talks to Itself / Feedback Loop

This happens when mic sensitivity is high and volume is near 100% — the device picks up its own speaker output and responds to itself. Lower mic sensitivity or volume to break the loop. More detail here.

Microphone Not Responding at All

Check that all connections are secure. If the mic is still unresponsive after checking all connections, contact us at info@nextfriend.ai and we'll help you get sorted.

Using a Third-Party USB or Bluetooth Microphone

The device is compatible with external USB and Bluetooth microphones. However, we are only able to provide support for the microphone included with your device. Third-party microphones are used at the customer's own discretion. If a third-party mic isn't working, we recommend testing with the original included mic first to rule out other issues.

Responses Are Slow

Response speed is tied directly to your Wi-Fi connection quality. If responses feel slow or delayed, check that your device has a strong signal. Moving closer to your router or switching to a wired ethernet connection will usually resolve this.

Character Gives Very Long Responses

Add the following line to your character prompt in the dashboard: "Keep all replies to 2 sentences or less." This keeps interactions snappy and saves credits. Guide to writing your prompt.

Character Went Off Topic or Behaved Unexpectedly

Review and update the prompt in your dashboard. The more specific your prompt, the more consistently your character stays in character.

Character Voice Sounds Different or Changed

A voice or personality setting may have been changed in your dashboard. Open the device settings, select your preferred voice, and save.

Device Was Working, Now Showing Offline

Most likely a Wi-Fi issue. See the Wi-Fi troubleshooting section above.

Subscription Lapsed

If your subscription expired, the device will still power on but will play the trombone sound instead of responding. Renew at dashboard.nextfriend.ai or visit the Credits page.

Forgot Password or Can't Log In

Go to dashboard.nextfriend.ai, click Forgot Password, and follow the prompts.

Multiple Devices on One Account

Yes — you can have any number of devices registered under one account. Your subscription is per account, not per device. Credits are shared across all active devices on the account.

Dashboard Not Loading or Showing Errors

The dashboard works on all major browsers. Try opening it in an incognito or private window first. If that works, clear your browser cache and try again in your normal browser.