When you first set up Circle Home Plus in your Circle Parental Controls account, you are asked to scan the QR code on the device. The QR code on your device tells the Circle app if you have a subscription bundled with the device or not.
The Circle Home Plus QR code is one-time use and applied to a Circle account. A subsequent scan on another account will report the QR code in the app as "Invalid". This article will help you determine why that error is occurring.
Why am I getting an error when scanning the QR code?
To use the Circle app, you must start a Circle subscription. You can start your subscription by scanning the QR code on your new Circle Home Plus device or by starting a free trial subscription in-app.
If you scan the QR code on your Circle Home Plus and get an error saying it is invalid, it's possible the QR code was scanned previously by someone in your home or by yourself on another account, the device was used, or there is an issue with the QR code.
You may have created another account
If you're setting up Circle on another device or reinstalling the app, you are asked to log into your account. If you create a new account with a different email (even an email that is capitalized differently), instead of logging into your original account, you will be asked to scan the Circle Home Plus QR code. Doing so again will result in an error saying the QR code is invalid.
What can I do to solve this?
Log into the original account that scanned your QR code. To sign into another account: uninstall the Circle Parental Control app, then reinstall the app. Open the app then login with the original account you scanned the QR code on. You may need to try logging into other accounts you made, or try capitalizing the first letter of the account.
The QR code was scanned on another account
If another adult in your home has scanned that QR code it will be applied to the account they made. Scanning the QR code again won't work on a new account.
What can I do to solve this?
Talk with other folks in your home to determine if they scanned the QR code on the device. If so, log in to the original account that scanned the QR code. To sign into another account: uninstall the Circle Parental Control app, then reinstall the app. Open the app then login with the original account you scanned the QR code on. You may need to try logging into other accounts you made, or try capitalizing the first letter of the account.
The Circle device was sold or gifted to you after use
The Circle Home Plus QR code is one-time use and applied to a Circle account. A subsequent scan on another account will report the QR code in the app as "Invalid". You might be told the QR code is invalid in the case the Circle was previously used and set up. This might be the case if you purchased Circle Home Plus off a used-electronics site, on a social market, or from another retailer than Meetcircle.com - Should you buy a device that was returned to a retailer, without proper refurbishment, the QR code will not work again to scan.
What can I do to solve this?
If this is the first account you've made and the Circle was bought with a condition other than new (like refurbished, renewed, or used), the QR code may have been scanned already and is no longer valid for use on another account.
To use the device you'll need an in-app subscription and to add the used device later. If you expected the device to be new, we would encourage you to return the Circle to your original retailer.
There is an issue with the QR code
After verifying you're logged into the correct account, and the device was not previously scanned by someone else, you can try the following to resolve other issues with the QR code:
- Try scanning that code again on your account (Remove your current Circle Home Plus device under Menu >> Settings to try again on scanning)
- Try entering the code manually by tapping "Other Options". Keep in mind that all QR codes start with the numbers 1, 3, or 5. The code will be using 1's and 0's (numbers) over I's and O' (letters).
- Uninstall the app, reinstall, login to the correct account and try again to scan if prompted
- Try scanning the below QR code as a last resort
There is no QR code on my Circle device
Trying to set up Circle and not seeing a QR code or sticker on the bottom of your device? If the device is a Circle with Disney, (aka Circle Home), there will not be a QR code for this device.
To set up your device, you will just need to create an account in the Circle 1st generation app, then pair your new Circle device: Setting Up Circle 1st generation and Circle Home.
Once you've installed the 1st generation app, make sure that your Circle is turned on and next to your router before moving forward with setup in the app. Installing the correct app will allow you to get your Circle setup and managed!