Hik-Connect Not possible to find Hik-Connect on Android

[Skolim]

I have to phones, on Samsung Galaxy I managed to download Hik-Connect from Galaxy Store and it works okay. However, on the second phone (Android too) which does not have Galaxy Store installed I can't install Hik-Connect in any way that is known to me. Official https://appstore.hikvision.com/ does not work – I have 'Android' clicked and every 'download' button for any app gives me a QR-code that leads to the iOS App Store. There is no official Hik-Connect on Google Play, nor in Huawei AppGallery. I don't want to download .apk package from some non-official sources. How can I get Hik-Connect for Android then?

 

[Dan]

Hi @Skolim

You can download the Android version of the Hik-Connect app from the Hikvision App Store

There is no version available on the Android or iOS app stores, the only up-to-date version can be downloaded from the official Hikvision App Store, are you trying to download from a browser on the Android device? The QR-Code should only come up when accessing the app store with a desktop device and on a mobile, it should just download the .apk install file.

 

[codlord]

@Skolim - if you don't want to install apps from an alternative store, I think iVMS-4500 is available on the Android store which is what I use on my Android phone nowadays. Not sure on the differences in features/options between the apps but it is adequate for my needs anyway.

 

[Photon]

Dan, when will the Hik-Connect app be available via the approved / security checked Google Play Store. I have tried to use iVMS-4500 but it will not successfully scan the QR code that my DS-7608NI-I2/8P generates, nor have I worked out whether I can add the NVR to the app manually. Please can you advise a way for me to see and received alarms from my cameras connected to the NVR ? Cheers.

 

[Dan]

Hi @Photon

The simple answer is no time soon.

When the app first disappeared from both app stores it was rumoured by several sources (but never confirmed) that the apps had been taken down because both Google & Apple as American companies had introduced stronger rules/limitations on apps developed in China. This limited the functionality & features that Hikvision could add to their app and so they decided to go the route of making the app available directly from their website.

We can understand some peoples security concerns, but the app has been available this way for over a year now and, as was proven with the recent discovery of a Hikvision software vulnerability, their products (software & hardware) are constantly being tested by 3rd-parties and if there were any security issues they would have been reported by now.

If this is still too much of a security risk for yourselves then unfortunately I can only recommend that you either try 3rd-party apps that are available from the app stores, try running the Hikvision devices in a VMS like VAST2 or Luxriot that have better app solutions, or most drastically you can swap your entire system for a different brand.

 

[Photon]

Hi @Photon

The simple answer is no time soon.

When the app first disappeared from both app stores it was rumoured by several sources (but never confirmed) that the apps had been taken down because both Google & Apple as American companies had introduced stronger rules/limitations on apps developed in China. This limited the functionality & features that Hikvision could add to their app and so they decided to go the route of making the app available directly from their website.

We can understand some peoples security concerns, but the app has been available this way for over a year now and, as was proven with the recent discovery of a Hikvision software vulnerability, their products (software & hardware) are constantly being tested by 3rd-parties and if there were any security issues they would have been reported by now.

If this is still too much of a security risk for yourselves then unfortunately I can only recommend that you either try 3rd-party apps that are available from the app stores, try running the Hikvision devices in a VMS like VAST2 or Luxriot that have better app solutions, or most drastically you can swap your entire system for a different brand.

Thanks very much for such a comprehensive answer Dan, so removal is not due to HikVision going onto the US Entity List. Before I bought my 7608 i series NVR from yours truely, I'd been running two EZVIZ WiFi cams via EZVIZ app. I've successfully added the NVR to that app too and can now see the non WiFi cams (three) via the app. However I don't get any alerts from the NVR cams, is there something obvious I need to check to get that working or maybe it's not possible via the EZVIZ app ? Thanks again for your excellent service.

 

[Dan]

Thanks @Photon

The app store removal did happen around the same time as the Entity List happened, but I don't believe both were directly linked as the Entity List law only banned Hikvision & Dahua products from critical infrastructure (e.g. Schools, Hospital, Government buildings, and Military projects). Hikvision would still be available to the private sector and so the app would still be necessary for those users.

In regards to EZVIZ and the EZVIZ app, our knowledge of both is limited as we only sold EZVIZ for a brief period several years ago. Have you made sure to tick the "Notify Surveillance Centre" option in the event settings on the NVR? You may also need to open configuration for the NVR in the app (in Hik-Connect it is a small cog-like symbol next to each added device), in there you should see an option for enabling/disabling event notifications.

 

[Photon]

Thanks @Photon

The app store removal did happen around the same time as the Entity List happened, but I don't believe both were directly linked as the Entity List law only banned Hikvision & Dahua products from critical infrastructure (e.g. Schools, Hospital, Government buildings, and Military projects). Hikvision would still be available to the private sector and so the app would still be necessary for those users.

In regards to EZVIZ and the EZVIZ app, our knowledge of both is limited as we only sold EZVIZ for a brief period several years ago. Have you made sure to tick the "Notify Surveillance Centre" option in the event settings on the NVR? You may also need to open configuration for the NVR in the app (in Hik-Connect it is a small cog-like symbol next to each added device), in there you should see an option for enabling/disabling event notifications.

Brilliant, I hadn't, so will. Thanks again Dan.