Table of Contents
- 1. GeoDrops App Basics
- 2. Hardware Basics
- 3. Frequently Answered Questions
- 4. Preparing For Prolonged Sub-Freezing Temperatures
- 5. Still Need Help?
1. GeoDrops App Basics
Most users are able to complete installation in minutes using the prompts from the app.
1.1 Minimum Mobile Requirements
- iOS 15 or later
- Android 7 or later
1.2 App Installation Links
1.3 
Tip: Photograph Your Sensors After Installation for Easy Relocation
After installing each Droplet, make sure to take clear photos from multiple angles. Lawns and gardens change over time—photos help you relocate sensors months later.
1.4 App Usage & Setup
If the app is having trouble connecting to your device, check the following:
- Remove the batteries and only insert them when the app instructs you to.
- Ensure Bluetooth and Location are both enabled.
- iOS - Location
- Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Make sure that Location Services is on.
- Find GeoDrops in the list below Location Services and make sure access is set to “While Using the App” or “Always”.
- iOS - Bluetooth
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth > Tap it to switch it to the on position (green)
- Also make sure Bluetooth permission is granted by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Bluetooth > Find GeoDrops and Tap it to switch it to the on position (green)
- Android - Location
- Go to Settings > Location > Make sure “Use Location” is on.
- Also make sure Location permission is granted by going to Settings > Apps > All Apps > GeoDrops > Permissions > Make sure “Location” and “Nearby” devices are set to “Allowed”.
- Android - Bluetooth
- From the top of the screen, swipe down.
- Tap Bluetooth
- iOS - Location
- Confirm that your device is powered on and the LED is blinking blue slowly.
- Make sure your GeoDrops device is nearby.
- If you have more than one device, only set up one device at a time.
If your device is unable to connect to Wi-Fi,
- Make sure the Wi-Fi network supports 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz (5GHz is not supported).
- Verify the Wi-Fi name and password are correct.
- The app will pre-fill the Wi-Fi name based on your phone’s current connection. You can tap the “visibility-off” icon to reveal the password.
- Ensure you’re setting up the device in an area with a strong Wi-Fi signal.
- Try restarting your Wi-Fi router.
2. Hardware Basics
2.1 Device LED Guide
2.2 Battery Replacement & Care
- When replacing the batteries from the sensor, please remove it from the soil and rinse off the dirt before opening the battery cover. This will help prevent dirt from entering the machine.
- Please use only reputable brands to prolong battery life, such as ACDelco, Amazon Basics, Costco Kirkland, Duracell, Energizer, Panasonic, Rayovac for non-rechargeable batteries, and Duracell Rechargeable, IKEA Ladda, Panasonic Eneloop, POWEROWL for rechargeable batteries.
- When replacing batteries, clean the O-ring before reapplying silicone grease to prevent water damage.
2.3 O-ring Servicing
2.3.1 For GeoDrops Launch Edition Devices
Please refer to this O-ring maintenance guide.
2.3.2 For GeoDrops Insider Edition Devices
Please reinstall the sensor onto the soil only after you see it entering Soil Detection Mode (see table in prior section).
2.4 Sensor Placement Tips
While the GeoDrops Droplet is designed to work anywhere within Wi-Fi range (even with weak signal strength), we recommend the following tips to make the best use of the system:
- Place units in sunny vs. shaded areas (lawn, garden beds) for balanced data.
- Avoid extremes such as next to sprinklers, gutters, or persistently soggy or dry spots.
- Make sure your units stay within Wi-Fi range—or add an extender—to ensure durable battery life (While the device can operate with a weak Wi-Fi signal, installing it in such areas may shorten battery life due to repeated connection attempts to GeoDrops Cloud).
2.5 Proper Sensor Installation for Accurate Data & Prolonging Sensor Probe Durability
Watch the installation video below for step-by-step guidance.
To summarize:
- Use a hand trowel to slice a narrow trench—do not stomp or press at an angle.
- Insert your Droplet straight down. If your Droplet sensor is hitting a large hard rock during insertion, please remove the rock before resuming insertion. Skipping these steps may cause inaccurate readings or damage the probes (potentially voiding your warranty).
- Remove your Droplets before lawn aeration or any soil-spiking work. They’ll survive mower weight but not sharp impacts.
3. Frequently Answered Questions
3.1 Installation, Setup, and Maintenance
3.1.1 Q: What should I do if I hit plant roots during installation? Do I need to remove them?
A: No, there is no need to remove or cut plant roots from flowers, vegetables, or grass. GeoDrop is designed to work accurately within a plant’s existing root system. Your main focus should be ensuring the area is free of any rocks larger than a thumbnail, as these can impact sensor accuracy.
3.1.2 Q: Do I need to remove a plug of grass or thatch before inserting the GeoDrop sensor?
A: We generally recommend NOT removing any grass or thatch. Doing so often disturbs the soil, which can delay calibration and affect initial accuracy. Simply install the sensor directly through the existing grass.
In extremely rare circumstances (less than 1% of installation sites), if you have a very thick thatch (more than 1 inch thick) that contains absolutely no soil, then you will need to very carefully remove the thatch without disturbing soil below.
3.1.3 Q: Why does my GeoDrops show a weak Wi‑Fi signal? Is something wrong?
A: A weak signal is common for outdoor smart devices. As long as your GeoDrops stays online and updates regularly, there is no need to worry. Relocation is only needed if the device frequently shows up as offline.
3.1.4 Q: How often does the device check in for status updates?
A: The device checks in every 30 minutes to 3 hours. This frequency is dynamically adjusted based on moisture changes to maximize battery life.
3.1.5 Q: What does it mean if the light is not showing after installation?
A: No light showing on the device means it has successfully detected the soil.
3.1.6 Q: Is it necessary to grease the O-ring?
A: Yes, it is required to grease the O-ring on all units to ensure a watertight seal and protect the internal electronics. Please carefully follow our O-ring installation and maintenance guide here.
Please note that o-ring leaks due to improper handlings are NOT covered under warranty.
3.1.7 Q: How many GeoDrops are recommended for a 6,500 sq ft area?
A: We suggest starting out with 1, and adding more as you see fit. Some people are happy with just 1 device across multiple irrigation zones, while enthusiasts deploy 1 device per zone, and in rare cases deploy 2 devices for a very large zone with varying soil composition or sun exposures.
3.1.8 Q: Why do you ship using USPS?
A: We have shipped a very large number of USPS and UPS packages to date, and have actually found that USPS has lower chance of package loss in the U.S. than other alternatives.
3.2 Learning Soil Profile (Training Phase)
3.2.1 Q: How long does the Re-Learn Soil Profile phase take?
A: When you first install GeoDrops Droplet into the soil, GeoDrops Cloud AI starts learning your soil profile while waiting for the soil to settle and cure. If you follow the installation instructions carefully with minimum soil disturbance, this process typically lasts at least 3 days. We have seen cases taking up to 2 weeks or more, due to poor sensor installation that caused the soil to become aerated, requiring significant time to pass for the soil to settle and cure again.
3.2.2 Q: Should I water my lawn during the training phase?
A: Yes, you should continue to water your plants regularly as needed.
3.2.3 Q: Does watering interfere with the learning process?
A: No, it doesn’t. GeoDrops AI is smart enough to distinguish between irrigation durations and natural evaporation rate durations.
However, if you do constant watering (we’ve seen some homeowners water their plants 3 times a day), then yes it does affect the AI Learning process, and we’d like to ask you to water more and less frequently until AI finishes learning your initial soil profile.
3.2.4 Q: When will I see data for all three depths (1.5", 2.5", 3.5")?
A: RAW Moisture Data are available as soon as you install the device. Calibrated Moisture Data for all three depths will populate only once the training phase is complete.
3.2.5 Q: What should I do if my indoor potted plant unit is stuck in training?
A: There is no difference between indoor potted plants and outdoor plants. Please follow the same recommendation for what is outdoor plants stuck in AI Training.
3.3 Moisture Calibration and Interpretation
3.3.1 Q: How do I understand the sensor readings in the app (Real vs. Raw moisture)?
A: “Raw” moisture is uncalibrated data directly from the probes. “Real” moisture calibrates this data based on your specific soil type and environment. You should always rely on “Real” moisture for watering decisions.
3.3.2 Q: Is setting the Max Moisture level necessary?
A: Yes, this establishes the 100% saturation baseline for your specific soil.
3.3.3 Q: How do I adjust the target moisture levels?
A: You must first create a “Watering Group” to adjust target moisture levels, so that you receive timely notification when your moisture is below your desired level. Then press on the green circle and slide finger along dial.
3.4 Technical Issues and Hardware Troubleshooting
3.4.1 Q: Why am I seeing a “Cold weather/soil was frozen” message?
A: Because GeoDrops has detected that your soil temperature (not air temperature) was at or near freezing point.
3.4.2 Q: The app says my watering is “Past Due.” How do I resolve this?
A: It just means it’s time to water your plants.
3.4.3 Q: Why did one of my GeoDrops just go offline ?
A: Please select the affected device on your app, press on “Info”, scroll down to find the Battery section, and select “History” to inspect historical trends.
3.4.4 Q: Why am I getting inaccurate moisture readings?
A: GeoDrops AI is designed to be extremely robust and informative. Please follow in-app instructions to learn why is this happening and how to solve this.
3.4.5 Q: My Insider Edition unit stopped reporting due to moisture damage. Can I send the device in for repair?
A: Yes, and even better, we have a highly discounted trade-in program ($35 + shipping) to thank our Beta testers, so you can upgrade to the latest model for a price cheaper than the repair cost.
4. Preparing For Prolonged Sub-Freezing Temperatures
GeoDrops Droplet sensors will keep reporting in cold weather, but:
- Below 32 °F (0 °C), only soil temperature readings are available—moisture sensing is disabled.
- Standard alkaline AA batteries lose capacity quickly; expect significantly shorter runtimes.
If you still need winter data:
- Try using NiCd AA batteries for improved low-temperature performance.
- If winter temperature gets significantly below freezing, lubricate the O-ring again to recover lubcrication wear during summer.
If you don’t need data until spring:
- Store your Droplet indoors.
- Remove all four batteries and leave the cap loose to lengthen O-ring life.
- Delete the device from the GeoDrops app to stop “Device Offline” or other systems alerts.
5. Still Need Help?
If you need help, please feel free to create a post on Help & Support - GeoDrops community.
If it’s Warranty & RMA related, please read this or create a new post in this category.
For private or account-specific issues, please email tech-support@geodrops.com.
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