When a Bluetooth LED lights app is not responding, it can mean three different things: the controller does not appear in the app, the app will not connect to it, or the app connects and the lights ignore it. Start by working out which Rhino controller and which app you have. The Bluetooth controller with music and RhinoLink use different apps, and the checks that help depend on which pair you run.
The short answer
The RGB and RGBW Bluetooth Controller with Music is controlled from the LED Chord app, and it shows up there as RhinoMusic. RhinoLink is controlled from RhinoLED, our own iPhone app. Make sure you are in the app that goes with your controller, then check that the controller has power and that you connect from inside the app. The exact steps are on our troubleshooting page. We cannot promise any check will fix it, so if none does, tell us what you see.
Which controller and which app do you have?
Look at the product on your order, then match it:
- RGB and RGBW Bluetooth Controller with Music: pairs with the LED Chord app, which has iPhone and Android versions. In LED Chord the controller is listed as RhinoMusic.
- RhinoLink: uses RhinoLED, not LED Chord. It appears under the name you set. A factory reset puts the name back to RhinoLED, which is also the app's name.
If yours is neither, or you cannot tell, contact us before you change anything. The controllers page lists both products.
Why will the Bluetooth controller with music not show up or connect?
Check power first, then where you connect, then (on Android) permissions. The troubleshooting page has the exact steps for each.
- Power. Check first that the controller has 12 volt power. The page has a test that takes the vehicle's wiring out of the picture, which shows whether the controller or the connections feeding it are the problem.
- Where you connect. The controller connects from inside LED Chord, not from the phone's own Bluetooth settings. If it is missing from the app's list, the page says to refresh that list.
- Android permissions. The page says LED Chord needs all of its permissions switched on, location included, or it cannot see Bluetooth devices at all.
What if the app connects but the lights do not respond?
Check whether the controller was switched off in the app, whether it is in music mode, and whether the app's settings match your lights. The troubleshooting page separates the three:
- A quick flash at power-up, then nothing: the controller was most likely switched off inside the app. Connect, then make sure the toggle beside the controller's name is switched on.
- Lights that react to sound instead of your selection: the controller may be in music mode, which listens through its microphone. Effect mode is where the app picks patterns and solid colors.
- Whips only partly lit, or stuck on white: the app's settings need to match your lights. Whips that stay white mean no data signal is reaching them, so the wiring between the controller and the whips is the next place to look.
The app can only read or change the controller's settings while it is connected, so connect first, then check them.
What if RhinoLED will not connect to RhinoLink?
RhinoLink's checks are in the troubleshooting section of its Settings guide, under "The app will not connect". They start with making sure Bluetooth is on for the phone and enabled for RhinoLED, then confirm the controller has power, then disconnect in the app and connect again. If the controller is not listed under the name you expect, the guide gives two reasons: it has not been renamed yet, or a factory reset put the name back to RhinoLED. A factory reset also clears the controller's saved settings, so it is not a first step.
Would switching to RhinoLink fix an app problem?
No, and we would not suggest it for that. RhinoLink is a different controller with a different app, and it has its own checks, above. What differs is the app's job. On the Bluetooth controller with music, the app is how you pick colors, patterns and music patterns. On RhinoLink, the app sets the controller up and drives it by hand. If all you want is colors and patterns, the Bluetooth controller does that, and the checks above are the way back to it. One controller for whip lights and rock lights covers what RhinoLink adds.
When should you contact Rhino?
When the checks do not get the app responding, or you are not sure which controller you have. Tell us which controller and app you are using, what the app shows (the controller listed or not, connected or not) and what the lights do. Send us that and we can work from there.
This is part of Building RhinoLink, a behind-the-scenes series on how the controller was built.