How to connect the VanMoof app to your S3, X3, S5 or A5 and fix pairing problems
The VanMoof app talks to the bike over Bluetooth Low Energy and downloads the bike's encryption key from VanMoof's servers on first login. Pairing fails mostly because of that first step, not the Bluetooth link.
Step by step
- Install the VanMoof app, log in with the account the bike is registered to, and give it Bluetooth (and on Android, Location) permission.
- Wake the bike: press the power button on the top tube (S3/X3) or the handlebar button (S5/A5) so the display or Halo Ring lights up.
- Stand within one metre of the top tube. The bike icon in the app turns from grey to solid when connected.
- If it stays grey: force-close the app, toggle Bluetooth off/on, and reopen. Do not 'forget' the bike in the phone's Bluetooth settings; VanMoof does not use classic pairing.
- If the app says 'Could not fetch bike keys' or keeps loading: check your internet; the key comes from VanMoof's server, so no internet = no first pairing.
- Still nothing: log out, reinstall the app, log in again. The bike keys are re-downloaded.
- If the bike is registered to someone else you will never connect: see transfer of ownership.
Can't find it?
There is no 'Add bike' button for a bike already on your account; it appears automatically. If you see 'No bikes', you are logged in with the wrong email address (VanMoof accounts are per email, not per name).
Frequently asked
Does the app still work after the bankruptcy?
Yes. Lavoie / McLaren Applied kept the servers running and the app is still updated. If the servers ever stop, the official app cannot fetch keys for a new phone; export your keys now with the Bikey app or VanMoof's own backup option.
Android finds the bike, iPhone does not.
Check that the iPhone has Bluetooth permission for the VanMoof app (Settings > VanMoof > Bluetooth). iOS asks once and people tap 'Don't allow'.
The bike connects but disconnects every minute.
Low bike battery (below 5%) or a faulty Bluetooth module in the top tube. Charge first; if it persists on a full battery, a service partner needs to replace the module.
Manuals and video
Videos found on YouTube and checked automatically; they are other people's work, not ours.
- Connecting VanMoof S3 & X3 to Apple's Find My VanMoof
- VanMoof S3 & X3 x SP-Connect vanmoofer
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