ZOSI Smart App for PC, Mac and Phone: Which Screen Does What

Is there a ZOSI Smart app for PC? Yes, but the computer version has a different name. On a phone or tablet you use ZOSI Smart. On a Windows PC or a Mac you use AVSS, which ZOSI describes as bringing the ZOSI Smart app to your desktop. The good part is that one account works on both, so you set the system up once and then add screens.

The table below compares the three, and the sections after it walk through each one. Everything here comes from ZOSI's help center articles and quick start guide. ZOSI updates both apps from time to time, so screen labels can shift a little between versions.

Phone, Windows or Mac at a glance

Swipe sideways to see the whole table →

Two limits apply whichever screen you use. ZOSI says you can add as many ZOSI cameras and recorders to the app as you need, but live view tops out at 16 cameras at once. And one system can be viewed from up to five phones at the same time, though ZOSI advises against piling on viewers because the stream can slow or stop.

Before any screen: get the recorder online

None of the apps can reach a recorder that isn't on the internet. ZOSI's setup steps start here:

• Plug an active Ethernet cable into the back of the NVR.
• On the NVR, go to Network, then Network, and run the connection test. You want an "OK".
• Then open Main Menu, Information, System. That screen shows the Device ID and its QR code.

The Device ID, also called the UID, is a 20-character code that usually ends in "111A". ZOSI lists five places to find it: the sticker on the recorder, the setup wizard after a reboot, the System information screen, the device info page in ZOSI Smart, and the device management page in AVSS. If you bought a kit, the cameras don't have their own UID. You add the recorder, and its cameras come with it.

On your phone: ZOSI Smart

1. Install ZOSI Smart and register an account with your email. ZOSI warns against Local Login, which doesn't save your devices and is meant for testing.
2. Tap the + in the top right corner.
3. Choose the device type. For a PoE recorder, that's POE NVR.
4. Scan the Device ID QR code on the recorder's front panel or on the System information screen. ZOSI says the NVR beeps once the code is read.
5. If the app says the QR code has expired or won't scan, tap the pencil icon and type the Device ID by hand. It's case sensitive.
6. Name the system, then tap it and pick the cameras you want to watch.

One field trips people up. The password the app asks for when you add the recorder is the recorder's password, not your app account password. If you see "password error", that's the first thing to check.

For viewing on mobile data, ZOSI says to allow all the app's permissions, including Background App Refresh on an iPhone. On Android, check Settings, Data Usage, Data Saver.

On Windows or Mac: AVSS

ZOSI publishes AVSS for both Windows and Mac. Its help center links the current downloads.

1. Install AVSS and open it.
2. Log in with the same username and password you use in ZOSI Smart. If you don't have an account yet, choose Sign Up. ZOSI still recommends creating the account in the phone app first, because the phone can scan the recorder's QR code.
3. Choose Add Device. You can add the recorder by its Device ID, or with LAN add if the computer is on the same network as the NVR.
4. Open Manage to see the device list, then expand the recorder to show its cameras.
5. Click a box in the video grid, then double-click a camera in the list to play it there. Repeat for the other boxes.
6. To see more than four cameras, pick a different layout from the layout icons.

A stream can take several seconds to load, and ZOSI notes that each extra camera you open at once adds to that. For recorded footage, the quick start guide's route is Playback, then device, channel, date and time.

If AVSS on a Mac only shows a quarter of the picture, ZOSI's fix is to download the latest version.

Sharing with the rest of the household

You don't need to hand out your login. In ZOSI Smart, open the recorder's Device Settings page and tap Share to get a sharing QR code. ZOSI says you can still find this code even when the recorder can't connect. Others scan it in ZOSI Smart on their own phones. Keep the five-phone limit in mind.

When the picture stalls or won't connect

Work down this list before you contact support:

• Internet speed. ZOSI's AVSS guide asks for more than 4M/s for non-4K systems and 6M/s or more for 4K systems.
• Too many streams. Close cameras you aren't watching, or switch to a smaller grid.
• Too many viewers. More than five phones at once is beyond what ZOSI supports.
• Stuck at 85%. If the phone app stalls at 85% and reports a failed connection, ZOSI asks for a photo of the recorder's Network page and its test result when you contact support.

Which ZOSI systems this applies to

ZOSI matches apps to models, and its PoE NVRs use ZOSI Smart on phones and AVSS on computers. ZOSI's PoE kits name both. The C220 16CH 4K NVR, 10×4MP Domes, 4TB lists remote access through ZOSI Smart or the AVSS client without a mandatory subscription fee. The 8CH 4K PoE, 4×5MP, 2TB lists ZOSI Smart for phones and AVSS Client for tablets and computers, with no additional fees.

WiFi cameras are added on their own. The C298 4MP Dual-Lens PT WiFi works through ZOSI Smart and can share access with family members, and it can record to a memory card, a ZOSI NVR or cloud storage.

If you're still choosing a system, ZOSI NVR Security Kits and ZOSI PoE Camera Kits list them by channel count and camera type, and NVR vs DVR: Which Recorder Do You Need helps you size one. Our ZOSI review puts the whole range on one page.

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