Looking for more information?

Here's where we try to answer all your questions 

Whether you're new to the BusyBox® smart sign family of products or looking to get more out of the product you own, here is where we get into the details.  

Here are the BEST resources for BusyBox help

YouTube.com/@busyboxsign 

We have great videos on YouTube, and you just need to know where to find them.  If you're on YouTube already, just search for "BusyBoxSign" and YouTube will land you in the right place.

Connor hosts most of our YouTube videos and not only does he help with basic setup and features, he does some "Pro Tips" in his videos for those looking to get the most out of their BusyBox gear. 

This blog post

Below are common questions we've had over the past two years and a few pro tips that we like to share.  Have a read and if you're not 100% sure you can always contact us.  We enjoy helping out customers and people interested about our products.  

Support@BusyBoxSign.com

We love helping customers.  Working with our customer team is like that long lost cousin you don't see often but is always generous, helpful and sincere. For anything you don't find here or on YouTube, email us.  We love it!  

 

Here is the worst resource to get BusyBox help ... Social Networks 🤷‍♂️

We love our social networks for checking in on friends, seeing what's trending and learning about what new products our friends are discovering and loving.  But getting "help" from people on social networks can be a bit of a mess. 

While there are many helpful people online, there are way too many people who just guess or make things up. Getting your information from someone who is not working at BusyBox is risking getting misinformed and wasting your time.  Why bother?  Ain't nobody got time for that.  🤜🤛

 

Troubleshooting

 

TOP FIX!  

My BusyBox S or D seems stuck. Now what?

• 99 out of 100 times if a BusyBox is being a troublemaker, it means the computer inside needs a reboot.  Computers have been around 50+ years but, for whatever reason, sometimes they just need a good old fashion reboot even after months of running perfectly. 🤷   Connor explains how to reboot the computer here: https://youtu.be/vK7birHrdPU  

My BusyBox D was interrupted during the upload of a .gif/.png/.jpg/.mov and now the BusyBox D screen is blank and seems stuck. 

• Turn BBD off/on using side buttons & try again or use the reboot technique from above.

My unit won’t charge, now what? 

• You simply need to hit “reset” to let the device know that it’s safe to charge by using the reset button which reboots the computer. Connor explains how to reset the computer here: https://youtu.be/vK7birHrdPU    

• This is usually caused by the battery protection system kicking which is designed to improve the longevity of your battery. 

My BusyBox D’s screen is showing some strange lines, is it broken?

• There is a firmware update that fixes this, but if you don't want to upgrade and it is usually this is due to a “brown out” of power and is fixed with a simple computer reboot. Connor explains how to hit reboot here: https://youtu.be/vK7birHrdPU  

My wall mount is not holding the BusyBox, the BusyBox just keeps falling out.  

• The arrows on the wall mount and the BusyBox should both be pointing UP ⬆️ for the wall mount to work.

My 3M Command Strips won’t connect to the wall.

• We use genuine 3M Command Strips because they are the strongest, highest quality mounts we know of, and because they will not damage your wall/paint when removed properly.  If your wall is not clean, or not fairly smooth, they don’t stick as well.  Please be sure to use the mount on a clean, fairly smooth surface and you’ll have years of secure and safe use.

My wall mount can get a little stuck when I try to slide the BusyBox off for charging; it kind of hooks a little when I take the BusyBox off the wall mount.

• This is by design to make it more secure. The team engineered this feature into the system to make it hard for the unit to come off due to a door slam.  It also allows you to run the unit vertically.  

My BusyBox is not connecting to my WiFi router, what can I do?

• If your 5GHz router doesn't connect, you should try the 2.4GHz version of your router's network IDs.  The BusyBox performs best on the 2.4GHz band.  

My BusyBox is not responding immediately to Zoom when I start a new call, what can I do?

• There can be up to a 5 minute delay with the Zoom servers notifying your BusyBox of a new call (or a call ended).  As you can imagine, the Zoom servers get very, very busy at the start of each hour so if you don't see it come on right away while testing your setup, give it a minute or two (or up to 5) and it will come on.  
• With the Google Calendar integration there can be a similar delay for a new meeting, but meetings scheduled 10 minutes or more in advance turn on (and off) at the exact minute of the meeting. 

I want to mount the BusyBox vertically (portrait), not horizontally (landscape). Is that okay?  

• Yes!  No problem. We recommend that you attach the mounting plate with the arrow pointing toward the hinge.  This maximizes the safety during a wind-induced door slam. Also, you can use our Message Blanks kit to make your own messages. Need help?  Email us and we might be able to make the vertical sign for you! Support@BusyBoxSign.com 

I painted my cover, now it’s getting a bit stuck, how do I fix it?

• We recommend using a spray can to paint the cover and masking off the magnets. If you brushed it and got some paint on the magnets, simply use a razor or small knife to scrape off the excess paint.  

The battery is taking a long time to charge?  What am I doing wrong?

• The MOST important thing when it comes to charging the battery is to use a 10W or larger charging unit.  If you use a small charger, it can only send a small amount of charge.  If you use a big charger, it will fill the battery as fast as the battery will allow. 
• We use the PD standard (Power Delivery) so if you buy a PD compliant charging unit, you'll get the best possible charge time and battery health.
• The BusyBox battery has a very sophisticated system for charging, so you’ll never over charge it, but you can definitely undercharge it by not sending it enough electricity.  

The battery doesn't look like it's charging or the battery doens't look like it will finish charging, is there something wrong?

• The battery will, at times, trickle charge to maintain the best possible health.  Sometimes it trickle charges when you first plug it in, sometimes it's at the end of a charge cycle. Just leave it plugged in and it'll get out of trickle charge mode after a while. 

I see others are getting really long battery life, what can I do to charge less? 

• The most power hungry part of the BusyBox is the lights for the S and the display for the D.  If you run full brightness, you will use the most power.  We always check to see how low a brightness we can use to make sure that the message can be seen, but it’s not over doing it. 
• It’s pretty easy to get 10 eight-hour-days with the BusyBox S.  Most of our team gets two weeks between charges with the S.  The D will make it two 8-hour days, but the screen is a big power hog (like your phone and tablet) so charging everynight is a good habit to get into.
• PRO TIP: Blink Mode is the most effective mode.  Not only is the unit using ~50% less power in blink mode a blinking signs is far better at being seen.  As humans we tend to really focus on dynamic/changing signals.

I want to leave the unit plugged in all the time.  Is that going to cause any problems?

• No, not at all.  The unit is made to run both ways. In fact, we made the Modern Cover with you in mind.  It has 3 different side doors, two of which are made for “always plugged in” applications like yours; one door is for the BusyBox S, the other is for the BusyBox D. The third access door is solid so it hides the USB-C charging port for when you don’t want to be plugged in, and don’t want to see the opening. 

What do the LEDs on the side do and can I turn them off?

• The side LEDs tell you the status of the battery so you can see it when you walk buy the sign.  The colors mean; Green = 25% to 100% battery level.  Yellow = 10% to 25% battery level. Red = 0% to 10% battery level.
  
• If you want to control them, you can turn them off using the app. There are two modes there as well.  Battery level - pulse every 10 seconds and show me the battery level using the red, yellow, green scale (see above). Turning these off if handy if you don't want to see the light flash and will use the app for recharging queues, or you just recharge every day and don't need the lights. Charge status - show the LED status when charging. Turning these off is handy if you leave the unit plugged in 24x7 and don't need to know the battery status. 

I accidentally broke my BusyBox smart sign and it’s damaged.  How do I fix it?

• While BusyBoxes are made to withstand many falls, sometimes weird things happen and the BusyBox is damaged.  Contact us for a wide array of options from replacement parts, to repairs to swapping out a unit.  You'll find we can be very generous when it comes to repair costs. 😉

The Button works well up close, but not great far away.  What can I do?

• Bluetooth is a great technology, but it has its limitations.  Swapping power consumption for range is one.  It’s designed to be “low energy” and so for some applications items in your home or office will block the Bluetooth signal and make the Button work poorly. 
• Moving the Button closer or over a little can make a big difference; sometimes moving the Button just a few inches makes all the difference.  
• Look for metal objects that might block the Bluetooth signal.  Bluetooth can go through wood doors, glass and many other materials, but a metal door is often too much of a blocker.

FAQs

ADDITIONAL FAQs

I want to charge the BBD faster and safely, what is the rapid charge protocol you’re using for the BBD?   

• We use both the Power Delivery and the Quick Charge protocol and you can pick up Power Delivery (PD) devices very affordably at many retailers both online or in stores. 

Can the Button control more than one BusyBox? 

• Yes, in the setup software you tell the Button which BusyBox (or BusyBoxes) to command with a click.  So one click can turn on several BusyBoxes. 

Can a BusyBox be controlled by more than one Button? 

• Yes, multiple Buttons can control the same BusyBox.  Also, you can assign a preset to a command so you can have each trigger a different message.  So Sam’s button and Sally’s button can both control the office’s “ON A CALL” BusyBox smart sign.
• They can also be set to work without interfering in the space.  For example,  Sam’s button won't turn on Sally's BusyBox and vice versa. It's ideal for any open office work space.

Can I run a BusyBox in “Portrait” orientation? 

• Yes!  We recommend putting the mounting plate on so that the arrow is pointing toward the hinge so if the door accidentally flies open the BusyBox stays securely in place.

Does the BusyBox come with a power supply?  

• No.  We are complying with the European Law that certain classes of devices NOT supply a power supply in order to minimize the waste generated by all the old/unused power supplies.

I have a feature idea!!  How do I submit it?

• We have a very long product roadmap with a lot of ideas, so if you want to get paid for your idea, please don't send it in.  We don't want you to think we "stole" it when it was already on our minds. Send you feature ideas to support@BusyBoxSign.com.  But if you just want to help improve the BusyBox community and features send it in, hopefully you’ve thought of something we have not.  

How do I use the 3M Command Strips the best way, so I know the unit won’t fall off my wall/door.

• The most important part of mounting the product with the genuine 3M Command strips is to make sure the surface is **clean** and having a smooth surface means it’ll stick better.  Also, make sure you push the two Command Strips together.  If you install the 3M Command Strips properly, they will hold your BusyBox smart sign through the strongest of wind-induced door slams.  We know, we’ve tested them … a lot. If not installed well, gravity will pull and your BusyBox smart sign will fall … gravity always wins.  But when installed properly, the device will stay mounted for as long as you want.

Can I make the ring keep glowing and show me the color of the sign?

• No.  But we are considering this feature.  But it comes at a cost. Battery life will drop significantly if the Button ring is left on while the BusyBox is on.  Our rough estimate is that it would go from about a year to about a month. 

In the meantime, this is how we use the Button and for most customers, this way as a great compromise between knowing the status and not having to change coin cell batteries all the time.

Setup the Button this way:

• Single click - On
• Double click - Off
• Long press - (you choose)

My BusyBox D won’t fully charge when I plug it in and leave it on.  What can I do?  

• This means the charger you’re using can supply enough power to the BusyBox D to charge with the screen on.  Your options are to a) charge the device with the screen off or b) get a more powerful charger.  We recommend a 10W or greater charger with “Power Delivery” technology, for the fastest, safest charging.  

What are the operational modes of the BusyBox?

• The BusyBox has three modes of operation, 1) On, 2) Hibernate, 3) Shut Down
• On: This is just what you'd think, the unit is on and illuminated.
• Hibernate: This is the state when the lights are off, but the unit is waiting for an app, integration or manual command to turn on.
• Shut Down: In shut down mode, the unit will no longer respond to app or integration commands.  To turn it back on to Hibernate mode you must touch one of the side buttons.  To put the device in "shutdown" mode, turn on a preset then hold one of the side buttons for a few seconds until the device stops illuminating.

 

PRO TIPS

Use a Power Delivery (PD) capable power supply.

• A PD compliant power supply will not only charge your device at the maximum safe rate, it will help keep the battery well cared for so it lasts a long time.  We usually get a 3-pack (for $15) on Amazon.  

Want to maximize battery run time of your BusyBox S or S MAX?

• If you want to maximize your time between charges the optimal solution is two fold. 
• First set it to blink mode.  In blink mode the lights are off 50% of the time so you save a LOT of energy.
• Next set the brightness as low as you can and have it still readable.  For most indoor applications that's at about 20~25% brightness.
• Pick a power efficient color.  Red, Green and Blue are the best since they only use one of the RGB elements in the LEDs.  White is the worst since it uses all 3 colors at the same time. 

 Use side swipe to change presets.

• If you're on preset one and you put your finger on the big BusyBox in the app, and swipe right to left, you'll advance presets.  Cool right? 

Leave your BusyBox on all day and have it turn off automatically at night using Google Calendar.

• If you leave your BusyBox on all day and want it to shut down at night you can use Google Calendar and the "Power Off" command integrations actions list to make it automatic.
• Create a Google calendar for the BusyBox (or add it to your calendar) and create an event that runs 6PM to 8AM and have it trigger "Power Off"
• Turn on the BusyBox preset you want. 
• Now, when the new event starts at 6PM starts unit will turn off.  Then at the end of the event (8AM the next day) the BusyBox will go back to it's prior state before the command which is "on" so now it's turned back on automatically.  You can do this for the weekend too. 

Making your own images for the BusyBox D for noobs (this is how our CEO does it).

• Figma is free and 1280 x 480 with a border for the cover you have making all kinds of fun images.
• You can also use PowerPoint or Keynote to make images (size the canvas to 1280 x 480) and you can even use Animations in the PowerPoint/Keynote app to add motion, export the file as a .gif and upload it to your BusyBox D.

 Can the BusyBox R be run where one remote controls many signs?

• Yes! Use the gear icon to toggle between individual and group control.  Click the LOCK button 5 times in a row to allow the remote to control multiple devices.