Getting a Hikvision DVR, NVR or intercom onto Hik-Connect takes about ten minutes if you follow the sequence in order: scan the QR code, enter the device serial number, then verify. Most "device offline" problems afterwards trace back to a missed verification code or a mistyped serial number.
This guide walks UK buyers and installers through the process on both iPhone and Android, from app download through to troubleshooting a stubborn offline device. We use two worked examples throughout:
- DVR-8CH-HYL2MP — an 8-channel hybrid DVR supporting up to 2MP (1080p) recording over HD-TVI, AHD, CVI, CVBS analogue and IP inputs, with H.265/H.264 compression for storage and bandwidth efficiency.
- DS-KH8520-WTE1 — a 10.1" IP video intercom indoor monitor with a 1024 × 600 TFT touchscreen, which registers to Hik-Connect the same way as an NVR or DVR for remote call answering and door release.
Hik-Connect Setup on iPhone and Android: Step-by-Step Guide
Hik-Connect setup takes four steps: download the app, create an account, add your device by QR scan or serial number, then enter the verification code printed on the device label. The process is identical on iPhone and Android, since both pull the app from their respective stores rather than a Hikvision-specific installer.
Step 1: Download and create an account
Get the Hik-Connect app from the App Store on iPhone or Google Play on Android. Hikvision also lists the official download route via appstore.hikvision.com in its own device documentation, useful if you want to confirm you're installing the genuine app rather than a clone.
On the App Store alone, the "Hik-Connect - for End user" listing carries around 172,000 ratings at a 4.7 average, so it's a widely used app rather than a niche tool. Register with an email address and set a password; this account is what ties all your devices together for remote viewing.
Step 2: Add your device — QR scan or serial number
Adding a device takes seconds: tap the add-device icon, then either scan the QR code printed on the device label or type the serial number manually if the label's worn or out of reach. This step works the same whether you're adding a standalone camera, an NVR, or a DVR:
- QR scan — point the camera at the label sticker; the app auto-fills the serial number.
- Manual entry — type the serial number exactly as printed if the QR code is scratched, faded or out of reach.
- Verification code — enter the short alphanumeric string from the same label to confirm ownership.
An example is our DVR-8CH-HYL2MP 8-channel hybrid DVR, which supports up to 2MP (1080p) recording across HD-TVI, AHD, CVI, CVBS analogue and IP cameras, uses H.265/H.
What is Hik-Connect and do I need it?
Hik-Connect is Hikvision's free mobile app and cloud P2P service for viewing a DVR, NVR, camera or video intercom remotely, without opening ports on your router. The device registers itself with Hikvision's cloud, so your phone connects out to that cloud rather than exposing your local network to the internet. You only need it for remote viewing when you're away from your home or site Wi-Fi.
On-site, most Hikvision recorders and cameras can still be viewed over the local network without touching Hik-Connect — via a web browser on a PC, or the local network mode in a viewing app. Hik-Connect only comes into play for two situations:
- Remote viewing off-site — checking cameras from your phone over mobile data or another Wi-Fi network.
- Video intercom answer-anywhere — receiving door calls and unlocking remotely when you're not home.
Take an 8-channel hybrid recorder such as the DVR-8CH-HYL2MP: it supports HD-TVI, AHD, CVI, CVBS and IP cameras with H.265 compression, and it still exposes a local web interface and local monitor output whether or not Hik-Connect is enabled. The cloud service is purely the bridge for off-site access.
Video intercoms are the one category where Hik-Connect is close to essential. A 10.1-inch indoor monitor like the DS-KH8520-WTE1 (1024 × 600 resolution) relies on the app to push call notifications, let you answer the door, and unlock it remotely when you're not at home.
iPhone vs Android
The app is available for both platforms from the same Hikvision account. Per Hikvision's own user manual for its DS-2CD1343G2-LIUF/SL camera, it can be installed either from appstore.hikvision.com or from your phone's own app store.
Screens and menu wording are near-identical between iOS and Android.
How do I download and install the Hik-Connect app?
Download Hik-Connect free from the Apple App Store on iPhone or Google Play on Android, searching "Hik-Connect" and checking the publisher shown is Hikvision before installing. This matches the install steps in Hikvision's own DS-2CD1343G2-LIUF/SL user manual, which directs users to the official Hikvision app portal for the correct build. There's no purchase step in the app itself — adding a camera, DVR or NVR doesn't need any in-app payment.
Quick checklist before you install:
- Confirm the publisher shown in the app store listing is Hikvision, not a third party.
- Check your device OS meets current App Store/Google Play minimums (both platforms flag this automatically if not).
- Have your device's serial number or QR code to hand — you'll need it for the add-device step later.
- Know your Wi-Fi password, if the camera or recorder will connect wirelessly rather than over PoE and voltage drop calculator.
iPhone
Search "Hik-Connect – for End User" in the App Store, tap Get, and open it once installed. This listing currently shows around 172,000 ratings at a 4.7 average, though ratings and review counts move over time and aren't a fixed spec.
Android
This is the hik connect setup android route: open Google Play, search "Hik-Connect – for End User", tap Install, then open. The Android and iOS apps share the same account system, so a device added from one phone shows up when you sign into the other.
First launch: account and verification
On first launch, create an account with an email address and password, or sign in if you already have one from a previous system. This helps if you're taking over an existing Hik-Connect setup from a previous occupant or installer.
Hik-Connect then emails a verification code, and you cannot add a device, DVR or NVR to the account until that code is entered.
How do I add my DVR or NVR to Hik-Connect?
Adding a recorder to Hik-Connect takes two steps: switch on the Hik-Connect platform in the DVR/NVR's own menu, then add that device in the app using its serial number and verification code. Skip step one and a QR scan or serial-number entry simply won't find anything — it's the most common reason people get stuck.
On the recorder's local menu or web interface, go to Configuration → Network → Advanced Settings → Platform Access, select Hik-Connect as the Platform Access Mode, and tick Enable. This is per the steps in the Hikvision datasheet for the DS-2CD1343G2-LIUF/SL camera, which shares the same platform-access flow used across Hikvision recorders and cameras.
You'll need to click through and accept the "Terms of Service" before the recorder registers itself with the cloud service. The same menu path applies to hybrid units too — the DVR-8CH-HYL2MP, for example, is an 8-channel recorder that mixes HD-TVI, AHD, CVI, CVBS and IP inputs on one board, with recording up to 2MP (1080p) and H.265/H.264 compression, and it still uses this same Platform Access screen.
Step 2: Note the serial number and verification code
Once enabled, the recorder displays its own device serial number and asks for (or already has) a verification code. This is a short alphanumeric string, sometimes printed on a label on the unit, sometimes set by you during first setup. Both are required in the app, so write them down or photograph the label before you walk away from the recorder.
Step 3: Add the device in the Hik-Connect app
In the Hik-Connect app, tap + (Add Device), then either scan the QR code shown on the recorder's platform access screen or enter the serial number manually, followed by the verification code when prompted.
Yes — standalone PoE cameras and intercom monitors go into Hik-Connect the same way a recorder does: enable the platform on the device itself, then scan its QR code or key in the serial number from inside the app. There's no recorder in the chain, so the camera or monitor talks to the cloud directly.
That's the setup used for a single entrance camera or a door station on a small flat, rather than a full multi-channel system.
Adding a PoE camera
Install Hik-Connect first, from the official app store link at appstore.hikvision.com, then log into the camera's own web interface or local menu. On a network camera such as the DS-2CD1343G2-LIUF/SL 4MP PoE turret, the platform toggle sits under Configuration → Network → Advanced Settings → Platform Access.
The pairing steps run in this order, per the Hikvision datasheet for that camera:
- Select Hik-Connect as the Platform Access Mode.
- Tick Enable.
- Read and accept the Terms of Service.
- Scan the device QR code, or type in the serial number, from inside the app.
- Verify the device shows online in Hik-Connect before closing the local menu.
If the camera's already wired into an existing NVR — such as the DVR-8CH-HYL2MP 8-channel hybrid DVR, which supports up to 2MP recording over H.265/H.264 and takes HD-TVI, AHD, CVI, CVBS or IP inputs — you'd normally add it via the recorder instead, rather than double-registering it standalone.
The Hikvision DS-KH8520-WTE1 is added from its own Platform Access settings menu in the same way. It's a 10.1" IP video intercom indoor monitor with a 1024×600 touchscreen, priced at £276.
This article was researched and written by itmaster.uk.
