Signals: Everything you need to know
Signals is a 4-channel alarm thermometer that works with your smart device AND as a stand-alone unit with physical buttons (so you don’t have to soil your smartphone). Signals comes with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology onboard so you get a continuous signal and real-time alerts whether you’re in a field or across town.
Getting Started with Signals
- From the Menu, choose Devices.
- Click on the + Device button.
- Select Signals from the available devices.
- After scanning, your Signals will appear. Select your Signals.
- After you’ve connected to Bluetooth, enter your 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network’s name and password. (Leave the password field empty if using an open network.)
- Signals is ready to use when you’ve established a network connection.
You may set the alarms on both the hardware and in the ThermoWorks app.
Choose which channel you want to update 
Enter your desired alarm temperature
*We recommend that you always use the power adapter that came with your Signals.
Signals requires a 12-volt power adapter. Make sure you do not use another type of adapter as other voltages can cause damage or provide insufficient power. (You can find the voltage information on the back of each power adapter.)
If you use a power adapter without enough voltage (such as a standard 5-volt USB adapter), Signals will not fully charge–or charge at all.
If you need a replacement charger, you may purchase a Signals Replacement AC Adapter here.
FAQ
1. Plug Signals in with its power adapter to complete the firmware update. It will complete the firmware update the next time you open the ThermoWorks app. Please make sure you use a 12-volt power adapter (preferably the adapter that came with Signals).
2. Signals firmware updates via Bluetooth, so keep your phone or tablet within Bluetooth range of Signals during the update. If your phone or tablet disconnects from Signals, the firmware update will not finish. We recommend leaving your tablet or phone close to Signals until the firmware update has concluded. (The update takes roughly one minute.)
3. Authorize the ThermoWorks app to use your phone or tablet’s location services, data, and file storage. (Found in your phone or tablet’s app manager.) Close and reopen the app and the firmware update will continue.
iPhone/iPad users: iOS13 + includes a new permission requirement for all apps. Go to General Settings> ThermoWorks and verify that Location is set to either While Using or Always.
Android: On most Androids, Location is found under Android Settings > Biometrics and Security.
4. Make sure your phone or tablet’s screen stays active during the firmware update, or the update may fail if your phone or tablet goes to sleep. You can keep your phone or tablet active by occasionally touching the screen.
Note: If the firmware still does not update after following those steps, you may need to reset your Signals.
- Close the ThermoWorks app and unplug Signals from the power source.
- Reset Signals by pressing and holding the power button for about 20 seconds. When you let go of the button, your Signals display will read INPT PWR.
- Plug Signals back into power and restart the ThermoWorks app.
- Next, go to the Devices page in the app. After a few minutes, you will see a pop-up window that reads, “A Firmware Update is available for one or more devices.”
- Click Continue. The firmware process should continue successfully.
The battery icon indicates one of the following statuses:
- The battery is charging
- The battery has an adequate charge level
- The battery needs to be charged. You will receive a push notification alert when the battery’s charge is getting low.
If the battery level is low, the icon will be red with an exclamation mark in it. You will see the alert icon on both the Devices listing and on your Signals page.
To see more information about the battery charge level, go to your Signals’ Settings.
*The battery icon on the Signals hardware is a status indicator only. It flashes when Signals is charging and is solid when it is not charging. Signals battery charge level information is available in the ThermoWorks app.
Signals lasts approximately 13-16 hours on a full charge, depending upon the interval update rate you choose. (You’ll experience shorter battery life on a quicker interval rate.) You have the option of setting the interval rate to 15, 30, or 60 seconds apart. It takes approximately 10-12 hours for Signals to be fully charged if the battery is empty. You can still use Signals while it’s charging.
Signals uses extra power when its alarms are sounding. Placing Signals directly on a hot surface can also decrease battery life. (Signals thermometer hardware should not directly exposed to temperatures above 122°F or the plastic housing may melt.)
Important: Signals will not fully charge (or charge at all) with a standard 5-volt USB adapter. Please ensure you are using the 12-volt adapter that accompanied your Signals. It reads “Use only with Signals” on its back.
A Recommendation
If you are doing an overnight cook with frequent interval updates, you may want to consider either keeping Signals plugged in or using a well-charged Billows® 12V Battery Bank as a backup. This is what our Marketing team does when they are doing long smokes and Signals isn’t close to a power source.
You can find the strength of your Wi-Fi signal in your settings tab. Tap on the gear icon in the bottom right of your screen and scroll down near the bottom. You’ll find a Wi-Fi portion that gives you helpful details. If you see that you have poor signal strength, you can adjust accordingly.
Troubleshooting Signals
Go through the following list and check to see what may help:
- Install/update to the latest version of the ThermoWorks app on your device.
- Enable Bluetooth on your smart device.
- Turn on Location Services (found in your device settings).
- Your phone/tablet is within Bluetooth range of Signals, which is 95 feet or less, depending on obstructions or interference between the two.
- Signals is close enough to your Wi-Fi router to get a reliable connection during the Wi-Fi setup portion of the process.
- You know your secure 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network’s name and password, including the correct letter case and punctuation. You may use Signals with an open network.
- The network password is 39 characters or less, if required.
- The network security type is WPA/WPA2 or open.
- You have powered on Signals.
Try one or more of these troubleshooting steps to fix any Bluetooth issues you may be experiencing.
- Make sure you have location services turned on.
- Turn Signals and your phone/tablet off and back on again.
- Switch off your phone/tablet’s Bluetooth, wait for 10 seconds, and switch it on again.
- Are both devices fully charged? Bluetooth is notorious for affecting battery life and full batteries increase the odds of success.
- Turn off other Bluetooth devices from the area or disable their Bluetooth functionality.
- Check if another phone in the area is creating interference. Try temporarily disabling the phone’s Bluetooth signal (in the phone’s settings), taking the phone out of your Signals range, or turning the phone off while you use Signals.
- Try removing other Bluetooth connections from your phone/tablet, such as speakers.
- Are your devices compatible? Make sure you are running the most recent version of your phone or tablet’s operating system.
- Look at the obstacles that create interference. (Direct line-of-sight is the biggest factor in Bluetooth device performance.) Apple rates the following obstacles according to their level of interference:
- Low interference potential: wood, glass, and many synthetic materials
- Medium interference potential: water, bricks, marble
- High interference potential: plaster, concrete, bulletproof glass
- Very high interference potential: metal
- Remove potential sources of interference. Interference can come from a variety of devices, some of which don’t transmit anything. Common sources of interference include a high concentration of Wi-Fi signals, USB 3.0 ports, laptops, microwaves, wireless video cameras, cordless phones, microwave ovens, fluorescent lights, power cables, Direct Satellite Service (DSS), baby monitors, electrical equipment emitting strong RFs (power lines, power stations, and electrical railroad tracks), and other devices that use 2.4 GHz or Bluetooth technology.
The Wi-Fi icon in the top-left corner of the screen, next to the battery icon, lets you know you’re connected. If it has not been set up with Wi-Fi yet, your Signals may be relying on its Bluetooth connection, which has a limited range.
2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz – ThermoWorks products only connect to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. We don’t connect to 5GHz as it has a more difficult time going through obstructions, and we don’t need the extra speed that it can provide as we are sending minimal information. Connecting to 2.4 GHz provides a longer range and a better experience.
Here is a list of other troubleshooting steps you can try if you’re having difficulties with connecting with Wi-Fi:
- Entering your network name is case-sensitive. Use the exact upper case, lower case, and spaces that your Wi-Fi network name shows on your phone.
- Avoid copying and pasting your network name or password into the login form, as it may add extra spaces at the beginning or end. Check for these spaces.
- Check your app store to update to the latest version of the ThermoWorks app.
- Your phone or tablet must be connected to Wi-Fi to set up your Signals to W-Fi.
- Location services must be enabled on your phone or tablet, and that the ThermoWorks app is authorized to use location services. (You will find location services in your phone or tablet’s settings.)
- Try connecting your phone to your 2.4 GHz network prior to setting up your Signals. The ThermoWorks app auto-fills the network name to match whatever your phone is connected to, so you can avoid manually entering the network name.
- Rename your 2.4 GHz and 5GHz channels differently so you can more easily tell them apart. (Example: mynetwork2.4 and mynetwork5)
- VPNs (Virtual Private Network) can cause issues with setting up your Signals. Try turning this off during setup.
- Restarting your phone or tablet may help with setup.
- Some people have issues connecting to a mesh network when there are multiple router devices in a mesh topology. Unplug all your routers except one. Turn your other routers back on once Signals is connected.
- Try connecting Signals to another network (such as a friend’s or at work) to determine if the issue is Signals or possibly, your network.
- If you are using an ad blocker app, try disabling the app during the Wi-Fi setup process. You can re-enable your add blockers after the initial setup.
Please remember that it can take up to a minute for the probe’s temperature readings to update and appear in the ThermoWorks app after the Wi-Fi connection is established.
The dashes on the screen indicate that the firmware update did not complete or the update process was interrupted. Here’s what to do:
- Close the ThermoWorks app and remove the power adapter power from your Signals.
- Once your Signals reads INPT PWR, plug it back into power and restart the ThermoWorks app.
- Go to the Devices page, followed by your Signals page. You will receive a message that firmware is available. Choose to accept it and continue.
- The firmware update process will begin again.
If you feel that the firmware update is stuck in a loop…
- Toggle your phone’s Wi-Fi connection off and back on again.
- Follow the process above to continue the firmware update.
It sounds like at least one Low Alarm is set too high. The High Alarm sounds when the temperature of the food or environment you’re measuring rises to the high alarm set-point. The Low Alarm sounds when the temperature of the food or environment you’re measuring falls to the low alarm set-point. This feature is especially helpful when you want to make sure that the temperature of the food you’re chilling doesn’t fall too far.
Here’s another example of how the Low Alarm feature can be used:
If you want to make sure that your smoker or oven temperature stays within a temperature zone (say, between 325° and 350°), set the High Alarm to 350°, put the probe within the pre-heated environment (the temperature must already be between 325° and 350°) and set the Low Alarm to 325°. When the temperature of your smoker or oven falls below 325°, the Low Alarm will sound.
If you’d prefer, you can set the Low Alarm while the probe is still at room temperature. When setting it this way, remember to disable the alarm until the food or environment measures above the low set-point. Otherwise, the alarm will immediately start to sound.
You may consider resetting your Signals if you continue to experience difficulty using your Signals. Press and hold down the power button on the back of the thermometer for approximately 20 seconds. When you let go of the button, the screen will go blank for a second and come back on.
We are available by phone, email, and chat if you require more assistance or have any questions.