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Smart Tags

Troubleshooting

Diagnosing and resolving common HPzenAi Smart Tag issues — NFC update failures, partial updates, display ghosting, and battery problems.

NFC Update Fails — Display Does Not Change​

Cause: The phone NFC antenna is not close enough to the tag, or NFC is disabled on the phone.

How to Fix​

  • Confirm NFC is enabled on your smartphone: Settings → NFC (or Settings → Connected Devices → NFC on Android; NFC is always enabled on iPhone with iOS 13+).
  • Hold the phone flat against the tag surface — do not hold at an angle. The NFC antenna on most phones is in the top-third of the back panel.
  • Move the phone slowly across the tag surface to find the NFC sweet spot — antenna position varies by phone model.
  • Remove any thick phone case, wallet case, or metal plate between the phone and the tag — metal blocks NFC.
  • Ensure the HPzenAi app is open and the Write to Tag screen is active before tapping the tag.
  • Keep the phone still for 2–3 seconds after the initial tap — moving during the write operation interrupts the update.

Partial Update — Display Shows Garbled or Split Content​

Cause: The NFC connection was broken mid-update when the phone moved away from the tag before the write completed.

How to Fix​

  • Hold the phone firmly against the tag without moving until the update confirmation sound or vibration is received.
  • Reduce the display content complexity — simpler layouts with less data transfer faster and are less susceptible to partial writes.
  • Perform a full display refresh to clear the garbled content: HPzenAi app → Smart Tags → Refresh Display.
  • If partial updates occur repeatedly, try with a different NFC-enabled phone to determine if the issue is phone-specific.
  • Ensure the phone battery is above 20% — low battery reduces NFC transmission power and increases the risk of incomplete writes.

Display Showing Old Content After Update​

Cause: The update was queued but not yet written to the tag, or the tag received the update command but the display refresh did not complete.

How to Fix​

  • Confirm the HPzenAi app displayed an update confirmation message — if not, the write was not completed.
  • Tap the tag again with the phone to retry the update — the app queues the latest content and resends on the next tap.
  • For ETAG-STORE-1 shelf tags in high-throughput environments, allow 3–5 seconds between successive updates on the same tag.
  • Perform a forced full refresh: HPzenAi app → Smart Tags → select tag → Force Refresh.
  • Check that the tag is the correct one — if multiple tags are nearby, the app may have written to an adjacent tag.

Display Ghosting — Previous Content Faintly Visible​

Cause: E-Ink displays can retain a faint ghost of previous content after a partial refresh. A full refresh cycle clears ghosting completely.

How to Fix​

  • Always perform a full refresh when changing content significantly — partial refreshes are faster but can accumulate ghosting.
  • From the HPzenAi app, select Smart Tags → select tag → Full Refresh to force a complete black-and-white cycle.
  • If ghosting persists after one full refresh, perform two or three consecutive full refresh cycles.
  • Avoid running more than 10 consecutive partial refreshes on the same tag without a full refresh in between.
  • Ghosting is a cosmetic display effect only — it does not indicate a faulty tag or damage to the display.

Billboard Battery Low or Not Charging​

Cause: The HPZ-ST-BILLBOARD-DISPLAY-1 LiPo battery requires periodic recharging via USB-C — approximately every 6 months under normal use.

How to Fix​

  • Connect the billboard USB-C port to a 5V USB charger using the supplied or a compatible USB-C cable.
  • The charge indicator LED on the billboard turns red during charging and green when fully charged.
  • Allow 2–4 hours for a full charge from empty — do not disconnect until the LED turns green.
  • If the billboard does not charge, try a different USB-C cable — the cable must support data and power, not power-only.
  • Avoid fully discharging the LiPo battery — recharge when the app shows battery below 20%.
  • If the battery does not hold charge after more than 12 months of use, contact support for a battery replacement.

Billboard NFC Update Range Too Short​

Cause: The billboard requires the phone NFC antenna to be within 10 cm of the tag's NFC antenna area, which is marked on the rear of the unit.

How to Fix​

  • Position the phone within 10 cm of the NFC antenna mark on the rear of the billboard.
  • The billboard NFC antenna is located behind the display area — align the phone NFC antenna directly over this area.
  • Ensure the billboard battery is charged above 20% — low battery reduces NFC response range.
  • If mounted on a wall, temporarily remove the billboard for the update if the mounting position makes close phone approach difficult.
  • Check that NFC is enabled on the phone and the HPzenAi app update screen is active before approaching the tag.

App Does Not Recognise the Tag on Tap​

Cause: The HPzenAi app NFC session has timed out, or the phone NFC subsystem needs to be restarted.

How to Fix​

  • Close and reopen the HPzenAi app, then navigate back to Smart Tags → Write to Tag before tapping the tag.
  • Toggle NFC off and on in the phone settings to reset the NFC hardware: Settings → NFC → Off → On.
  • Restart the smartphone if NFC issues persist — this clears any stuck NFC sessions from other apps.
  • Confirm the tag is an HPzenAi Smart Tag — the app will not recognise third-party NFC tags.
  • Ensure no other NFC app is running in the background — competing apps can intercept the NFC tap before HPzenAi receives it.

Tag Display Blank After Storage​

Cause: E-Ink displays retain their image without power for years under normal storage conditions. A blank display indicates the tag was stored with no content written.

How to Fix​

  • A blank (white) E-Ink display is normal for a new or factory-reset tag — simply write content using the HPzenAi app.
  • If the display was previously showing content and is now blank, perform a full refresh to restore the display.
  • Check that the tag was not exposed to extreme temperatures above 60°C or below −20°C during storage — this can damage E-Ink display cells.
  • Inspect the tag for physical damage to the display area — cracks or pressure damage can cause blank areas.
  • Contact support if the display remains blank after multiple write attempts and there is no physical damage visible.