Getting Started
Quick Start Guide
From the box to your first reading in about eight small steps. Charge it, connect it, and settle the probe into the soil — PlantSense takes it from there.
Before You Start
- Your PlantSense probe and its USB-C charging cable
- The free PlantSense Connect app (coming soon to the App Store) or web dashboard
- A 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network and its password
- A few minutes
Step by Step
Setup, Start to Finish
Charge over USB-C
Connect the USB-C cable and give the sensor a full charge before you begin. A single charge lasts weeks, so this is the last time you'll think about it for a while.
Power on
Press the power button. The LED pulses green — that's the sensor awake and ready to pair. If nothing happens, let it charge a little longer and try again.
Create your account
Open PlantSense Connect — coming soon to the App Store — or the web dashboard at app.myplantsense.com, and sign up with your email, or continue with Apple or Google. Free, with no subscription. (Android is on the way.)
Pair over Bluetooth
The app scans for nearby sensors over Bluetooth. Pick yours from the list to connect. Keep your phone close and make sure Bluetooth is switched on.
Join your Wi-Fi
Choose your Wi-Fi network and enter the password. PlantSense uses 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, not 5 GHz — if your router broadcasts both, pick the 2.4 GHz one. The LED turns solid green once the sensor connects.
Pro Tip: Bluetooth is only needed for this first-time setup. From here on, the sensor reports over Wi-Fi on its own.
Place the probe
Push the probe into the soil near your plant's root zone. The electronics are sealed and water-safe, so you can water as usual with the probe in place.
Pro Tip: In small pots, angle the probe as you insert it so the sensing section stays down in the root zone as the soil settles.
Identify your plant
Take a photo and PlantSense identifies the species using PlantNet, then loads that plant's ideal care ranges — the healthy bands your dials and alerts will use.
Watch it come to life
Your first readings appear in the app, then refresh about every 90 minutes. When a reading drifts outside a plant's range, PlantSense sends you an alert so you can step in early.
Pro Tip: The sensor sleeps between readings to save battery, so the very first one can take a little while to arrive. That's normal.
Quick Reference
What the LED Is Telling You
Pulsing green
Awake and ready to pair over Bluetooth.
Solid green
Connected to Wi-Fi and reporting readings.
No light
Needs charging — connect the USB-C cable.
That's It
Your PlantSense sensor is now watching over your plant and will let you know when it needs attention. That leaves you free to enjoy your greenery instead of guessing at it.
Explore the App GuideHelp
Troubleshooting
The LED won't pulse green
- The battery is likely flat. Connect the USB-C cable and give it time to charge, then press the power button again.
The app can't find my sensor
- Make sure Bluetooth is switched on for your phone.
- Check that the sensor's LED is pulsing green — that's pairing mode.
- Keep your phone close to the sensor while it scans.
It won't join my Wi-Fi
- PlantSense uses 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, not 5 GHz. If your router broadcasts both bands, select the 2.4 GHz network.
- Double-check the Wi-Fi password.
- The LED turns solid green once the connection succeeds.
No readings yet
- The sensor reports about every 90 minutes to conserve battery, so the first reading can take a little while to appear.
- A solid green LED confirms the sensor is connected and sending data.