This usually happens after you move house or change your Wi-Fi. The lamp still has your old network saved, and it keeps trying to reach that network. To set it up again, you need to put it into pairing mode (both lights flashing blue), then connect it to your new Wi-Fi from the app.

Older lamps can be hard to get into pairing mode, and the red flashes are part of that. The steps below fix it in most cases. You do not need to know which software version your lamp runs.

Why it flashes red

When you touch the QR-code pad under the lid, the lamp shows your next bin. If it has no bin schedule to show, the lights blink red instead. An older lamp that cannot reach its saved Wi-Fi has not downloaded your schedule, so every touch gives a red blink.

Holding the pad for 10 seconds puts the lamp into pairing mode, but the hold has to be unbroken. If the lamp loses your touch partway through, it counts the hold as a short tap, blinks red and starts the 10 seconds again. So if you keep holding the pad and keep seeing red, the lamp is not detecting your hold properly. The most common cause is the power plug.

Older lamps do not switch to pairing mode on their own. Without your help, the lamp keeps looking for the old network.

Step 1: Change the USB charger

The touchpad senses your hand electrically, and some power plugs upset it. Power boards and USB chargers with several outlets cause the most trouble.

  • Use a USB wall charger with a single USB outlet, such as the charger that came with an iPhone.
  • Plug the charger straight into a wall socket, not a power board or extension lead.
  • Avoid chargers with two or more USB outlets, even if only one is in use.
  • If your lamp's cable unplugs from the lamp, try a different cable as well.

Then unplug the lamp for 10 seconds and plug it back in. Leave the pad untouched for about a minute while it starts up. Older lamps calibrate the touchpad when they power on, and a hand on the pad during that time can throw the calibration off.

Step 2: Hold the pad to enter pairing mode

  1. Lift the lid so you can see the QR-code pad.
  2. Lay your palm flat over the pad. Your palm works better than a fingertip because the lamp senses a larger area of contact more reliably.
  3. Keep your hand still and pressed down for about 10 seconds.
  4. When both lights start flashing blue, lift your hand straight away. Holding on much longer can start pairing a second time and confuse the setup.
  5. Leave the pad alone from here on. On older lamps, a tap while the lights are flashing blue restarts the lamp, and it goes back to looking for your old network.

If you see a red blink during the hold, your hand lost contact for a moment. Lift your hand, wait a few seconds and try again with your whole palm. If it blinks red every time, go back to step 1 and try a different charger.

If both lights are solid red

Lamps bought after September 2026, and older lamps that have had the latest update, turn both lights solid red when they cannot reach their saved Wi-Fi. These lamps handle a move much better:

  • After about 10 minutes without Wi-Fi, the lamp switches to flashing blue on its own. You can wait for that.
  • To skip the wait, tap the pad four times within 10 seconds, or hold it for 10 seconds.

Once the lights flash blue, continue with step 3.

Step 3: Connect to your new Wi-Fi

You do not need a factory reset to move house. Setting the lamp up again replaces the old Wi-Fi details.

  1. Install any available update for the Bindicator app on your phone.
  2. Turn on Bluetooth and keep your phone close to the lamp. Allow the app's Bluetooth or Nearby devices permission. On Android, follow any prompt to turn on location services for scanning.
  3. Start setup in the Bindicator app. Use one phone only, and close the app on any other phones nearby.
  4. Check the timezone. The app picks your phone's timezone, which matters if you moved to a different state or country.
  5. Choose your new home Wi-Fi network and enter the password carefully. Capital letters matter.
  6. Keep the app open while the lamp connects. It may restart once during this step, which is normal.

Bindicator needs 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. Most home routers provide it, but some new internet connections come with routers set up differently. If your network does not appear in the app, check your router's settings or ask your internet provider.

Older lamps also have limits on the Wi-Fi name and password. Each needs to be 31 characters or fewer, with no commas. If your new network breaks either rule, the advanced setup guide explains how to connect through a temporary network, update the lamp, then move it to your home Wi-Fi.

If setup fails, exit it in the app and unplug the lamp for 10 seconds before trying again. Older lamps can keep using the first password you typed until they restart. Then repeat step 2 to get back into pairing mode.

After it connects

Update the lamp. When the app offers an update, accept it, or start it from the Connection screen. Keep the lamp plugged in and the app open until it finishes and the lamp reconnects. After the update, the lamp goes into pairing mode on its own if it ever loses its Wi-Fi for good, so your next move will be easier. The older-device guide has the full update steps.

Change your bin schedule. Your schedules come back once the lamp connects, but they are still the ones for your old address. Edit them in the app for your new collection days, or use the app's council lookup to download your new council's schedule. Check the result against your council's website.

If it still flashes red

If you have tried a single-outlet charger plugged into the wall and your palm still cannot get the lights to flash blue, send us a message. Please include:

  • roughly when you bought the lamp
  • the charger you are using
  • a short video of what the lights do when you hold the pad

You do not need to know the lamp's software version, and we do not need your Wi-Fi password.

For other setup problems, see the recovery guides for older devices and devices purchased after September 2026.