Iridium GO! - iPhone/ iPad will not connect to the Iridium GO!

This guide is for users running into problems connecting their iPhone or iPad to the Iridium GO! unit or logging into the Iridium GO! App on those iOS devices.

The guide will cover easy initial troubleshooting, progressing to more advanced troubleshooting steps.

Initial Troubleshooting

1. Remove the battery from the Iridium GO! unit, and set it aside.
2. Next, remove the SIM card (located within the battery compartment, under the battery) and check the contacts are clean and intact. Re-insert and ensure the SIM card is inserted correctly (do not force it!). After 5 minutes, reassemble the unit, power it up and test again.
3. Fully power cycle your mobile device (iPhone/iPad)

Connection issues can be broken down into three categories:

1. 'No Internet' error message on the mobile device when connected to the GO! WIFI
2. Mobile device will not detect or connect to the Iridium GO! WIFI
3. Mobile device connects to the Iridium GO! WIFI but cannot login to the Iridium GO! App

Skip to the category your issue most resembles to below! 

1. 'No Internet' error message on the mobile device when connected to the GO! WIFI

Once you connect to the Iridium GO! WIFI network, the WIFI network should indicate "Iridium - XXXX 'Connected- No internet". This is normal and does not indicate an error. 

The mobile device indicates 'No Internet' as the Iridium GO! does not support high-speed data/internet. It does however support low-speed internet, which is what it uses to communicate with the Iridium satellite network. The data speeds are limited to 2.4kbps max (around 12KB of data per minute). A normal mobile network or high-speed internet is thousands of times that speed.

2. Mobile device will not detect or connect to the Iridium GO! WIFI

If your mobile device is not picking up the Iridium Wi-Fi signal, check to ensure the Wi-Fi is turned on in the Iridium GO! unit. You need to do this from the LCD screen on the Iridium GO!

1. Ensure the Iridium GO! unit is on (antenna raised) and powered up

2. Looking at the LCD screen on the front of the Iridium GO! unit

3. Press the left-hand button until you reach Power. Use the right-hand button to Select Power.

4. If the Wi-Fi is ON, it will say: Set GPS - on-demand / SET Wi-Fi - OFF / Back.

5. If it says SET Wi-Fi - ON > then please change it to say > SET Wi-Fi -OFF

6. On your mobile device, go to that device's settings> Turn Wi-Fi off then on. The Iridium Wi-Fi should be visible.

7. If the Wi-Fi signal keeps disconnecting, another (stronger) WIFI network is possibly causing a conflict. Try taking the Iridium GO! unit to a more remote location where no other Wi-Fi networks are present and test again.

8. If you continue to have issues connecting to the Iridium GO! WiFi, try a factory reset of the Iridium GO! Full instructions on this process can be found here

3. Mobile device connects to the Iridium GO! WIFI but cannot login to the Iridium GO! App

1. Ensure you are connected to the Iridium Wifi, not another Wi-Fi source.

2. The default login for the Iridium GO! is username 'guest', and password 'guest'. By default, this login has administrator privileges and SHOULD NOT BE CHANGED.

3. Bluetooth and cellular connections on a mobile device can interfere with the network connection to the Iridium GO!. Please turn your device into Airplane Mode, then turn on Wi-Fi only. Ensure Bluetooth is turned off. (All cellular and Bluetooth services will become disabled until re-enabled!)

4. Turn off or uninstall any AdBlocker or web protection software such as Norton/ McAfree Apps running on your device.

5. Turn off, but ideally uninstall VPN Apps. To turn off the VPN on your iPhone/ iPad, go to Settings > General > Scroll down to VPN > Ensure it says Not connected. Uninstalling any VPN is preferred, as we have seen VPN Apps override your earlier choice to turn it off in the settings. If you uninstall a VPN, you will need to do a full restart of the device and Iridium GO! before attempting to connect again.

6. Ensure you only have 1 device connected to the Iridium GO!. Multiple devices trying to use the Iridium GO! connection can cause problems.

7. Ensure you have a direct connection to the Iridium GO! Wifi - no other networking devices such as a Wifi or LAN router.

8. On an iPad/iPhone go to your iOS settings > Wifi > Click on Iridium-XXXXX. At the bottom, select HTTP Proxy and click on the "Off" button.

9. On an iPad/ iPhone that has upgraded to iOS14+, ensure 'Local Network' is turned on. Go to your device Settings > Scroll down the page until you see the Iridium GO! App/ Iridium Mail App and Offshore App > Open each App Settings > Turn ON Local Network.

10. On your iPad/ iPhone Offshore App, if you get the error message 'Could not connect to the Iridium GO!, please check the IP address and Wifi connection' Go to your iPad/ iPhone device > Settings > Privacy > Local Network > Iridium GO! App/ Iridium Mail App/ Offshore App> Turn on Local Network for each App.

11. On your phone go to your device Settings > Apple ID > Tap on 'iCloud + Feature Updates' > Ensure Private Relay (Beta) is toggled OFF.

12. If your mobile device keeps trying to switch from the Iridium GO! Wi-Fi to another network, ensure that all your saved network connections have "auto-reconnect" set to not auto-reconnect/ not auto-join. Otherwise, if your device believes there is a "better" network available than your current network, it may decide to switch to it. Go to your mobile device > Settings > Wifi > Choose a network > Ensure Auto -Join is turned Off.  Do not turn off auto-connect for the Iridium GO! WIFI network.