Thinkware U1000 WiFi App Guide

Reigning as one of our best dash cams for years, the Thinkware U1000.

Best of all, the U1000 is also built with Wi-Fi, GPS, cloud connectivity and ADAS features on top of the superb video quality.

Every purchase of a Thinkware U1000 dash cam automatically gives you access to a Thinkware mobile app. In this article, we will guide you through its dedicated app and show you how to connect and maximize its settings for your dash cam’s optimal performance.

While this guide is aimed at the Thinkware U1000, the connection process to the Thinkware mobile app and ettings are also fully applicable to the F200 , FA200, F800, F800Pro, Q800PRO, and QA100 ELITE.

The Thinkware U1000 App screen contains several options. The live view option allows you to see what the cameras are viewing. If you intend to employ the ADAS capabilities, there are also recommendations for how the camera should be aligned with the hood's edge.

For optimal performance of your Thinkware U1000, we'll go through the set up procedure in the dash cam settings menu. The app, which is downloadable via iOS and Android, has 5 sub-menus here which we'll go through in order.

Note that while you're going through the camera settings, the dash cam will not record so we recommend doing this while the vehicle is pulled over.

The partition and overwrite functionalities of the Thinkware U1000 are configured using the memory card settings.

If you intend to use parking mode on your U1000, we recommend setting the parking priority to maximize card space for motion detection and parking incidents. You can also disable overwriting in individual folders, but keep in mind that if these folders fill up, you'll need to format the card to clear them.

You may increase the video brightness and rotate the rear camera in the camera settings if you unintentionally placed it upside down. The brightness can be adjusted independently, but this setting affects the brightness both during the day and at night. Aside from the U1000's 4K capabilities, it also boasts a Super Night Vision 2.0 feature that can be enabled in the record settings menu.

In the camera settings, you can adjust the video brightness and rotate the rear camera if you accidentally installed it upside down. The brightness can be adjusted independently but this setting will affect the brightness during day and night situations. The super night vision 2.0 feature can be set up in the record settings menu which will also have an effect on the image quality.

If you intend to use parking mode of the Thinkware U1000, you must enable it here and select either motion detection or time lapse mode. Parking mode is turned off by default.

You may also change the timing and voltage cutoff parameters from here. The "wintertime battery protection" option raises the cutoff voltage by 0.2 volts in colder months, when batteries are weaker. This is only required if you live in a colder climate where temperatures often fall below freezing. Moreover, the 24V cutoff setting is only for commercial vehicle applications and has no effect on standard 12V passenger vehicles.

On the same screen, the Thinkware U1000’s menu also contains your sensitivity options. The G-sensor sensitivity is split into two modes: continuous and parking.

In the default setting, we recommend lowering the continuous mode level because it is too high and may cause a lot of false alarms. Parking mode parameters can be adjusted or decreased to suit your needs. We don’t recommend lowering it too low because tiny parking bumps should be detected as well.

Now let’s move on to road safety! The Thinkware U1000's ADAS functions can be configured in the road safety settings.

Here, you can enable and disable individual functions, as well as control how quickly they activate.

To prevent false alerts while driving around town, we like to configure the lane departure warning so that it only activates at highway speeds. The vehicle type selection pertains to your car's height, with "sedan" being the lowest.

Just like other dash cam settings, the system settings of the Thinkware U1000 are fairly straight forward. One nice addition is the ability to fully mute the device and the ability to turn off the blue LED light on the rear camera.

You can turn your speed display off here and change the speed unit as well. If you are unsure of what time zone you're in, simply look up your city and time zone in a search engine and you should be able to find the correct UTC setting!

Returning to the Thinkware U1000 app's main interface, you may view the video file list. The videos are organized by recording kind, but towards the bottom you'll find downloaded videos, which are those that have been saved to your phone's hard drive.

When you select one of the recording modes, you'll see a list of all the files in that folder in chronological order. You may also sort the clips by front and back to narrow down your results even further.

Here, you can download the video clip to your phone's hard drive by clicking the choice symbol next to it. You can also delete individual video files off the card by clicking the edit option on the upper right. If you are unsure whether the clip in the list is the one you require, you can click it once to stream the video rather than download it.

The Thinkware U1000 dash cam information and Wi-Fi settings are the last two choices on the app's home screen. The version of the dash cam firmware and the safety camera database are listed here. You can see the many hotspot devices that the camera has saved in the Wi-Fi settings.

Now that we have shown you our recommendations for the Thinkware U1000 app settings, we will also show you how to register the Thinkware U1000 dash cam.

Completing a Hotspot Connection on any of our Cloud-based Dash Cams completes registration for the Thinkware Cloud Features. Note that you must connect via Hotspot to your Dash Cam to activate the Cloud functions.

To complete this registration, you must use a Smartphones Hotspot first, afterwards, you will then be able to connect to a Hotspot Device/In-Vehicle WiFi. This process must be done exactly, otherwise, you will need to restart from step 1.

1. Write Down your smartphone's SSID (username) and Password for your Hotspot. Ensure Hotspot has been turned OFF.

2. Open the Thinkware Cloud App and press the "Not Connected" Bar on the Main Screen. (May also say "Dash Cam Connection is required".

3. Select Connect with another Device, then select your Dash Cam model.

4. Select Connect via Hotspot

5. Select Yes, to register the Hotspot.

6. First, activate the Dash Cams WiFi by pressing the WiFi Button on the Dash Cam itself and connect to the Thinkware WiFi Network.

7. Once your smartphone is connected to the Thinkware WiFi, press Next and enter your phone's hotspots SSID and Password. **This must be entered exactly. The Dash Cam is case sensitive.

8. Select, Next. The Dash Cam will now disconnect from WiFi and begin looking for a Hotspot.

9. Now Turn on your Phone’s Hotspot and DO NOT LEAVE the Hotspot Setting Screen. If you re-enter the Thinkware Cloud App before the Hotspot Connects you will need to restart from step 1.

10. Once you hear the Dash Cam say "Connected to the Internet" you can then open the Thinkware Cloud App.

Now, let’s talk about connecting your U1000 to a hotspot device.

First, ensure you are currently connected to the Dash Cam via Smartphone Hotspot. If the process below is not followed in order, the connection may fail. If the connection has failed you will need to reconnect the Dash Cam to your smartphone's hotspot to restart.

Follow the process below to connect to your In-Vehicle WiFi Hotspot or Hotspot Device.

1. Open the Connection Settings in the Thinkware Cloud Application.

2. Select Hotspot Settings, and select the + Symbol in the top right.

3. Input your hotspot device's SSID and Password. *Ensure this is exactly the same as the Dash Cam’s as it is case sensitive.

4. After the Input has been completed, and you have been returned to the Hotspot Settings Screen, simply tap the Network you have just added to connect.

5. The Dash Cam will disconnect from the Phone's Hotspot and begin searching for the Cars Hotspot.

6. Turn off your smartphone's Hotspot.

7. Once you hear "Connected to the Internet" the Dash Cam has been connected to the Cars Hotspot.

Whether you are looking to monitor your vehicle for personal security or fleet management, the Thinkware Cloud features can provide critical information on the status and whereabouts of your vehicle directly to your iOS/Android smartphone.

If a severe impact such as a crash is detected, a notification is immediately sent to your smartphone by the Thinkware Cloud mobile app and a 20-second clip of the footage (10 seconds prior and 10 seconds after) will be uploaded to the Thinkware Cloud server. This feature is to aid the driver to notify others in an emergency situation.

Through this feature, you will receive an alert when a strong impact is detected during Parking Surveillance mode, and check remotely the 20 second incident video file via cloud using the app. The dash cam must have Parking Surveillance mode enabled and be connected to a mobile hotspot.

Here, you can watch what is happening in real-time and remotely monitor your vehicle on your mobile device. Remote Live View can be used for up to 300 minutes per month and will reset on the 1st day of each month. THINKWARE CLOUD uses your smartphone’s data connection to send and receive notifications.

You can also locate vehicles that will help drivers, parents, or fleet managers to find a vehicle’s current location using the THINKWARE CLOUD mobile app. Captured by your Thinkware Dash Cam's built-in GPS antenna, the vehicle's location, speed, and direction of travel is shown in the mobile app on a Google Maps display. Note that GPS data refreshes every 10 seconds on the app.

Best for fleet managers, the Geo Fencing feature provides the vehicles’ comings and goings. Your Thinkware Cloud-connected Dash Cam will send a push notification through the THINKWARE CLOUD mobile app if a vehicle enters or exits a pre-selected geographic zone.

The radius of the zone can be set easily by simply tapping on the Google Maps display and selecting the desired radius, from 60ft all the way up to 375 mi. Moreover, users can set up to 20 different geo-fences.

The Thinkware Cloud App of the Thinkware U1000 keeps you informed about your vehicles and allows you to receive notifications directly on your compatible iOS or Android smartphone via Wi-Fi or Hotspot. Want to enjoy the features of this 4K dash cam? Shop your Thinkware U1000 now only here at BlackboxMyCar!