Camera not detected

What to check when the app doesn't see your camera.

By the CloudTether team · Updated

If CloudTether isn't seeing your camera, work through these in order. Nearly every case comes down to the camera's USB mode, the cable, or a prompt that wasn't accepted.

USB: the quick checks

  1. The camera is on and awake. Power-saving can drop the link — lengthen auto power-off / the standby timer.
  2. It's a data cable. Many USB-C cables only charge. If the camera charges but never appears, swap the cable (the one from the camera box is a safe bet) and try a different adapter if you use one.
  3. The USB mode is right — the camera must talk PTP, not act as a card reader or webcam:
    • Sony: PC Remote (Remote Shooting on newer menus). ZV-E10 and ZV-1 default to USB streaming and must be switched.
    • Fujifilm: USB TETHER SHOOTING AUTO (or FIXED) in the connection mode menu.
    • Nikon: default mode on current bodies; choose MTP/PTP if an older body mounts as storage.
    • Canon: nothing to set, but see the Wi-Fi point below.
  4. The camera's Wi-Fi is off. Several Canon bodies disable USB while their wireless functions are on, and a camera paired to its maker's smartphone app may hold the connection. Turn wireless off and close the maker's app.
  5. Accept the prompt. On Android, tap OK on "Allow CloudTether to access the USB device?" — if you missed it, unplug and replug. On iPhone, keep CloudTether open the first time you connect.

On iPhone specifically

  • A Lightning iPhone needs Apple's Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter; a cheap third-party adapter may not pass a camera through.
  • A Nikon with a CFexpress card may refuse to connect until the card is formatted in the camera (SD and Android weren't affected in our testing).

On Android specifically

See Camera not detected on Android (USB) for USB permission, OTG and hub issues.

Wi-Fi: the quick checks

  • The camera's remote / tether Wi-Fi function is on — not its "send to smartphone" mode. On Canon that's Remote control (EOS Utility).
  • The phone is on the camera's network, or both are on the same network / hotspot — not a guest network that isolates devices.
  • On iPhone, the Local Network permission is allowed (Settings → CloudTether).
  • Watch the camera screen for a "confirm connection" prompt and approve it. Stuck on Pairing? See Wi-Fi says "connecting" but never finishes.
  • If discovery fails, enter the camera's IP address in the connect screen.

Connected, but no photos arrive

  • Take a still (not video) with the camera's dial in a stills mode.
  • Sony: set Still Img. Save Dest. to PC+Camera.
  • Fujifilm: some bodies send shots over the cable instead of writing them to the card — check where they're going.
  • Rated send is on? Then only frames you rate in camera (Canon and Nikon) are sent. Turn it off to send everything.
  • JPEG only is on and you're shooting RAW only? Nothing qualifies — switch the camera to RAW+JPEG.
CloudTether Send its shots to sheet with a test shot delivered — the check that photos are arriving
“Test shot delivered” confirms photos are coming through.

Still stuck?

  1. Restart the camera and the app, then reconnect.
  2. Try the other connection (Wi-Fi instead of USB, or the reverse) to rule out the cable or network.
  3. Check your model with the camera compatibility checker.

If it still won't connect, contact Support with your camera model, phone model and connection type — the app records diagnostic details that help us pinpoint it.