This guide will help you set up your PurpleAir sensor. To set up this device, you will need the sensor’s device ID, an email associated with the sensor, a local WiFi network, and a WiFi-enabled device like a phone or computer.
Connect to WiFi
Troubleshooting:
If you experience any problems during this process, follow the steps in our WiFi Troubleshooting guide. This guide provides a more comprehensive walkthrough of connecting your sensor.
1. Power on your sensor
Connect your device to power using an available power source. To confirm your sensor is powered properly, make sure it matches the pictures shown here. If not, follow the steps in our Power Troubleshooting Guide.
For sensors with colored AQI LEDs, a blue light will appear while the device boots up.
2. Connect to the Sensor’s Hotspot
Once successfully powered, your sensor should broadcast a hotspot named PurpleAir-**** (the 4 asterisks will be a 2-4 character code based on your sensor’s device ID).
Open your device’s WiFi settings and look for the PurpleAir-**** hotspot. This can take up to 10 minutes to appear after your device powers on. Once PurpleAir-**** appears, try connecting to it with your device.
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If your device successfully connects to PurpleAir-****, proceed to Step 3: Access the Config Page.
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If the PurpleAir-**** on your device’s WiFi list, but your device won’t connect to it, try connecting to it again. If this doesn’t work, go to Connecting to the Sensor’s WiFi Network in our WiFi Troubleshooting guide.
What if I see a message saying, 'Connected With no Internet'?
When connecting to the PurpleAir-**** hotspot, you may see a message saying, “Connected With no Internet.” This is expected, as you’re connecting directly to your sensor, not the internet.
What if I can't see the PurpleAir-**** hotspot?
- Make sure the sensor is powered on properly.
- Wait at least 10 minutes and see if the PurpleAir-**** hotspot appears.
If you previously reached the sensor’s config page and entered your WiFi password, but are retrying this step, the PurpleAir-**** hotspot not appearing means your sensor is connected. If this is the case, continue to registering your sensor. If you’ve already registered your sensor, you can find it on the map instead.
Otherwise, if the PurpleAir-**** hotspot does not appear after 10 minutes, go to the Finding the Sensor’s WiFi Network section of our WiFi troubleshooting guide.
3. Access the Config Page
A few moments after you connect to the PurpleAir-**** hotspot, your sensor’s config page will automatically appear.
If the config page doesn’t appear, follow these steps:
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Double check you’re connected to the PurpleAir-**** hotspot. Your device may have disconnected.
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Open a web browser, and enter “192.168.4.1” into the address bar. Try going to it like a website. If you’re connected to the sensor’s WiFi, the config page should appear.
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Go to the Connecting to the Sensor’s Configuration Page section of our WiFi Troubleshooting Guide.
4. Configure your Sensor to the Local WiFi:
Once you’re on the sensor’s config page, select the blue link near the top labeled “WiFi Settings.” This will take you to the following page:
On this page, select the WiFi network you want to connect the sensor to, enter the network’s password in the “Password” box, and press “Save.”
After you’ve entered your password, you should receive one of the following messages:
- “WiFi Connected Looking good!” means your sensor is successfully connected! Continue below to Step 5.
- “WiFi Connected Checking Status…” also means your sensor is successfully connected! Continue below to Step 5. There’s nothing wrong if this appears, and this message will be fixed in a future firmware update.
- “WiFi Disconnected Please configure WiFi.” likely means your password was incorrect. Double-check your password is correct, and enter it again. If this doesn’t resolve the issue, go to WiFi Password Troubleshooting in our WiFi Troubleshooting guide.
If a message different from the above three appears, go to Connecting the Sensor to Your WiFi in our WiFi troubleshooting guide.
5. Disconnect from the PurpleAir-**** Network:
Your sensor is now connected to WiFi. You’ll now need to:
- Close the config page.
- Open the WiFi settings for your phone or computer.
- Disconnect from the PurpleAir-**** hotspot.
A few moments after the above steps, the PurpleAir-**** hotspot will disappear from your device’s WiFi list. This is because the sensor won’t broadcast the PurpleAir-**** hotspot while it’s connected to PurpleAir.
If the PurpleAir-**** hotspot does not go away, it means your sensor isn’t connected to PurpleAir. Try the above steps again. If they don’t work, follow the steps in our more comprehensive WiFi Troubleshooting Guide.
Register your Sensor on the Map
To have your sensor appear on the PurpleAir map, it will need to be registered at www.purpleair.com/register.
Associated Email
On the registration form, you’ll first need to enter the device ID and associated email. After these are entered, a message will appear, letting you know if they are correct.
If the association check doesn’t pass, double-check that the device ID is entered exactly as written on the label on your sensor. It can be easy to mistake things like “3” for an “8”.
If the device ID is correct, you may be using the wrong associated email:
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The email used to purchase the device is associated. If you’re unsure which email this is, you can try entering multiple emails to see if one passes the association check.
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You can also look for the purchase and shipping confirmation emails the purchasing email would have received.
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If someone has given you the sensor, they likely provided the associated email. If not, you can try contacting the person who gave you the sensor.
If you’re unable to find the associated email, send an email to contact@purpleair.com with the device ID and associated email you’re trying to use.
Other Information
Once you have correctly entered the device ID and associated email, you can fill in the rest of the information on the registration form.
To choose your sensor’s location on the map, drag the red marker 
to where you want it to appear. You can click the “-” button, shown in the image below, to zoom out when selecting this location.
Submit Registration
Once the registration form is completely filled out, press “Register” to submit it. A green box will appear near the bottom of the page stating that your sensor has successfully been registered.
You will receive a registration confirmation email, which will tell you if your sensor is connected and showing on the map.
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If the email says your sensor is connected, and you assigned a map location to your sensor, it will appear on the PurpleAir map within a couple of minutes.
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If the email says your sensor isn’t connected, double-check that it’s connected to WiFi using the steps above.
You can update your sensor’s registration at any time by following the steps in our Update Registration Details article.
Registration Errors
If there are any errors on the registration form, they will be marked with red after pressing “Register.” However, you may also encounter the following error at the bottom of the page:
If you encounter this error, first double-check that the associated email and device ID are correctly entered. There will be an error message near them in red if they are not.
If the device ID and associated email are correct, this error means the wrong owner’s email is entered. The associated email and owner’s email can be different.
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If you’ve previously registered the sensor and are moving it to a new location, you can archive your sensor to reset the owner’s email.
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If you have multiple emails, check to see which email has previously received a registration confirmation email from us. The registration confirmation email will state what the owner’s email is.
If you’re unable to determine the correct owner’s email, or would like to change it, send an email to contact@purpleair.com with the device ID, associated email, and owner’s email you’re trying to use.
View your Sensor’s Data
Once your sensor is connected to WiFi and registered, you can view it on the PurpleAir Map using the instructions here: View Your Sensor on the Map
In addition to the map, there are many other ways you can get data from your sensor. You can examine our How to Obtain Sensor Data article for more information.
Install your Sensor
Ensure that your sensor is installed where it will not be damaged and can maintain its internet connection. Reference these pointers for help with finding a good place:
- Ensure that the sensor is receiving power
- Ensure that the sensor is within range of the local WiFi network
- Ensure that water can not splash up into the underside of your sensor
- View our Sensor Coverage article
- View the first air sensor training video from South Coast AQMD’s Sensor Educational Toolkit
More information is available in our Sensor Installation article.
South Coast AQMD Walkthrough Video
The following video is a product of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, as part of their Sensor Educational Toolkit, “Community in Action: A Comprehensive Educational Toolkit on Air Quality Sensors.” The video, Air Sensor Training #3: PurpleAir PA-II Sensor Installation , will walk through many of the steps we covered in this guide to help you get your PurpleAir sensor running. You can read more about the South Coast AQMD Sensor Educational Toolkit by visiting the topic, “The South Coast AQMD Sensor Educational Toolkit.”
Please note that this video is outdated. PurpleAir sensors no longer come with a power supply by default.
Learn More
After Installation
Functional Overview
Which Sensor to Choose