How to Update Beacon Firmware Using the React Mobile Hospitality Application

In this article, you will learn how to update the firmware on a beacon.

Users with Admin and Installer roles can update beacons. To change user permissions, refer to the How to Add, Edit and Remove Users article for assistance.

Confirm Firmware Settings in the Customer Portal

1. Navigate to the Customer Portal (https://portal.reactmobile.com) and login as an Admin.
2. Select the “SETTINGS” icon in the top right corner of the screen.
3. If there are any beacons registered to the property (please note: Estimote beacons do not have a firmware type and will not require updating), they will be listed below “Firmware Settings”.
   • Listed in the firmware settings will be a "Hardware Type" (ex. beacons), "Subtype" (ex. type of beacon), and "Target Version".
4. Select the "Target Version" on the beacon row. Ensure your settings are set to “Auto Update to Latest Stable Build”. If it isn’t already, change it and then select “Apply Changes” below the table.

Updating Firmware using the React Mobile Hospitality Application

1. Login to the React Mobile Hospitality application from a smart device as an Admin or Installer.
2. Verify that Bluetooth is enabled on your mobile device settings and enabled on the React Mobile Hospitality Application before continuing.
3. From the home page, navigate to the "BEACONS" tab at the bottom of the screen. By default, you will see the filter for "All Beacons."
   • For clients with React1 or Carfit beacons with firmware older than 2.6, you are required to select the "Unknown Beacon Classification." Refer to the article When to Select Unknown Beacon Classification for assistance.
4. Navigate to where it states "All Beacons" at the bottom of the page and then select "Old Firmware Beacons." The app will now display any nearby beacons with older firmware than the Target Version selected in the property settings.
5. Select the “AUTO - UPDATE” button in the top right of the screen, this will initiate an update for any devices with older firmware that are within Bluetooth range. Auto-update will continue to update older firmware beacons within the range for an hour.
   • If you would like to update only a specific beacon, you can select the beacon and select "UPDATE."
6. After beginning the update, stay in range until all older firmware beacons within Bluetooth range have successfully updated. Once they are updated, the beacon will no longer be listed when viewing the "Old Firmware Beacons" list.

Items to note that may impact the update:

• The updating process takes around a minute per beacon.
• Attempts to update beacons at the edge of Bluetooth range (typically signal >90) may fail.
• Depending on your properties’ building materials and beacon placement locations, you can often update beacons from the hallways outside of rooms. You may even be able to update multiple floors at the same time.
• To expedite the process, stand outside or inside of a room listed in the “Old Firmware Beacons” beacons list.
• If the beacons do not immediately update their information after a firmware update, return within range of the device and attempt to update the firmware again after ~20 minutes.

Confirming Firmware is Updated in the Customer Portal

1. Navigate to the Customer Portal (https://portal.reactmobile.com) and login as an Admin.
2. From the home page, navigate to the "BEACONS" tab on the left side of the screen.
3. If the beacon has checked in following the firmware update, the firmware column will no longer have a red icon and the device should be listed in a "Healthy" health state (see example in the screenshot below).
4. To check which beacons still need their firmware updated, sort the table by either selecting firmware in the sorting option at the top of the screen, or by clicking on “Firmware” at the top of the firmware column.
   • Beacons still requiring a firmware update will report the firmware information in red (see example in the screenshot below).It is important to note that beacon health can be impacted by 3 main categories: firmware version, check in, and battery level.