When you first get a new gadget, there’s usually this rush of excitement; a need to get going and start testing out the features right away. But before playtime begins, you have to set it up. So if you just received or picked up a Nanoleaf Lines Smarter Kit and/or Expansion Pack, you’re in the right place to get started!

I’m going to take you through the ins and outs of the set up for Nanoleaf Lines so you can get to the fun part that much quicker. By the end of this you’ll have answers to all of your burning questions, like:

It could be quite tricky to follow the set up instructions if you’re not sure what’s what! So for this DIY project, take a quick moment to make sure you are familiar with all of the pieces. If you want to learn more about Lines in general, I have a great blog for you to read here.

Depending on the region you’re in, what’s inside the box will vary—but don’t you worry, I have the whole list here:

It can be tempting to jump ahead and get right to mounting but trust me when I say you will be thankful that you mapped out a design…this is some very sticky tape. So before you mount your Lines onto the wall, design your layout on a flat surface! Also carefully consider where you’ll be putting your Lines: here are some fun suggestions.

Once you have a design you like, plug it into power to make sure your Lines turn on and work properly.

You’re not alone on this setup journey, you can also use the tools below to help plan out your design:

Explore different Lines layouts with the Layout Assistant and preview them in your room using the AR feature. Download the Nanoleaf App and open the Layout Assistant to get started. Keep in mind that for every 18 Lines light bars you will need a Power Supply Unit (PSU).

Extend the possibilities of your Nanoleaf Lines even further! Bend around corners, mount the Lines to angled surfaces, maybe even create something a little radical. Each connector’s cord bends 360 degrees.

Get inspired by the Nanoleaf community! Here are the top 10 Lines designs, according to the Nanoleaf community. Also, check out our Social Media channels to see what other Nanoleaf owners do. Stay up to date and even show off your own set up on Instagram (@nanoleaf & @nanoleafhome), Twitter (@nanoleaf), Facebook (@thenanoleaf), or with our hashtag (#nanoleaf).

Pro Tips: Make sure your design fits into your space by measuring the width and height of your intended setup. To optimize the wireless connection of your Lines, please refer to Placement Recommendations.

It’s time to get excited because your Lines are finally going up! You did your part by mapping out your design, so it’s only fair I share with you these key steps to flawlessly setting up your Lines.

1. Prepare Your Surface

The Nanoleaf Lines should only be installed indoors and on a smooth, flat surface that can support the weight of the Lines. Clean your surface to be free of dust, moisture, and oil. The included Mounting Tape is NOT recommended for textured, porous surfaces (ie. wallpaper or brick walls), popcorn walls /ceilings, or mirrors. See detailed guide for ceiling installations here.

2. Build Your Layout

Design your layout on a table without any connectors for convenience. Once you are happy with your design, secure your Lines into the mounting connectors with the connector caps.

FUN FACT: The Controller Cap with buttons can be attached to any Connector

3. Connect the Power Supply

Plug it into power to make sure your Lines turn on and are working properly.

FUN FACT: Each standard 42W Power Supply supports up to 18 Lines.

4. Mount Your Lines

We recommend grabbing a friend to help mount your layout because, for the best results, you want to mount your layout all at once. If friends are in short supply, you may substitute with parents, partners, siblings, or the unsuspecting mailman.

…If they all decline, no worries; follow this next technique for a solo-mount, or generally for larger installations:

Mount in sections, and be sure to mount closed-loop layouts together (triangles, hexagons, etc.).

Carefully lift up your Lines layout and peel off the mounting tape covers from the back of the mounting connectors. Press each mounting connector against the wall for 30 seconds to secure your layout to the wall. You can also always add onto your Lines, even if they are mounted—you can do that with an Expansion Pack. Gently snap off the previous connector caps (leaving the actual mounting connector untouched and still attached to the wall), snap in your new light lines, and then replace the connector cap.

NOTE: There is a bit of a different process for ceiling installations, but we have you covered. Refer to the manual for step-by-step instructions.

How To Dismount Your Lines

Now I did warn you that this mounting tape was quite sticky but, if for some reason you need to dismount your Lines, I have the solution for you:

1. Gently snap off the Connector Caps, then gently remove the light lines from the Mounting Connectors.
2. Pull the Mounting Connectors perpendicularly away from the attached surface.
3. The Mounting Plate will remain on the wall. With one hand on the Mounting Plate, use your other hand to pull the end of tape ALONG the wall until fully removed.

PRO TIP: DO NOT pull perpendicularly or at any other angle, otherwise you may damage your wall. If you do choose to mount them again and need more Mounting Tape, you can purchase more here.

We’re almost ready to pair your Nanoleaf lights to your iOS devices. To ensure a smooth pairing process, please make sure you have the following things ready:

1. Your iOS device updated to iOS 12+
2. The pairing code for Lines which can be found on the Quick Start Guide, Power Supply or Processor
3. A 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi Network (5 GHz networks are not compatible with Nanoleaf products)
4. Your Lines are plugged in, powered so that the processor is ready—when the indicator light on the processor is solid white.

Alright, now that you’re ready and all of your items are accessible, it’s just a matter of following the steps:

1. Download and Open the Nanoleaf Smarter Series App in the App Store.
2. Time to pair! Select the MORE tab represented by the dots (· · ·). Select MY DEVICES and + to add a device. Select Lines as your product and START PAIRING. The camera will open automatically. Scan the HomeKit pairing code to pair. Your Nanoleaf Lines should now be connected and ready to go.

See the Nanoleaf Lines manual for additional iOS pairing methods.

You’ve paired your iOS device to Lines, maybe you want to set up some friends or family to have control over the same set too! This is accomplished with the Apple Home App and the Nanoleaf App.

You will be the primary user in this case because you set them up on your device first. To share with family and friends I have a few more steps for you:

1. Open the Nanoleaf App.
2. Select the MORE tab represented by the dots (· · ·)
3. Select USERS.
4. Invite the secondary user with their iCloud account.

Now it’s time for your secondary user to shine, I have just a few steps for them too:

1. A notification will appear for you to accept.
2. In the Home App, select the home icon in the top left.
3. Select HOME SETTINGS, a list of homes will appear.
4. Accept the home that has been shared with you. This will give you control of the Lines as well as any other HomeKit devices in the same home.

Pairing for Android Users

I didn’t forget about you Android users! To pair your Lines to your Android devices make sure you have these things ready:

1. Your Android device updated to Android 5.0+
2. The pairing code for Lines which can be found on the Quick Start Guide, Power Supply or Processor
3. A 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi Network (5 GHz networks are not compatible with Nanoleaf products)
4. Your Lines are plugged in, powered so that the processor is ready—when the indicator light on the processor is solid white.

Once you’ve got all that sorted follow these steps for the standard Android pairing process:

1. Download and Open the Nanoleaf App. You can find the official Nanoleaf Smarter Series App in the Google Play Store. Make sure you have the latest version.
2. Get to pairing your Lines! Ensure your location settings are enabled on your device. Select the MORE tab represented by the dots (· · ·). Select MY DEVICES and + to add a device. Select Lines as your product and scan the QR Code found on the Quick Start Guide, Power Supply or Processor.

See the Nanoleaf Lines manual for additional Android pairing methods.

You’ve made it this far, you’re almost at the end! Now that your Lines are set up in your chosen design and paired to your device, it’s time to learn some of the ways you can control them:

Controller Cap

The buttons on the Controller Cap provide convenient shortcuts to common commands. The Controller Cap can be attached to any Mounting Connector.

1. Power ON/OFF Button: This one is simple, turn your Lines on or off.
2. Dim/Brighten Button: Adjust the brightness of your lights to match the mood in the room.
3. Rhythm Scene Button: The built-in Rhythm Music Visualizer is a pretty cool feature if I may say so myself. Turn up your go-to musical playlists and watch in awe as the lights dance to the melody in real-time. With a click on the music button, cycle through Default or Saved Rhythm Scenes which will react to your music.
4. Color Scenes or Shuffle Button: With one quick click, cycle through Default or saved Color Scenes.

Advanced Button Controls

You can also use the Controller’s buttons for advanced commands—most commands can be executed by holding buttons, or tapping two buttons at once. Here is a full list of shortcuts:

Return to previous random Scene (Press & Hold the Shuffle button for 3s)

Only the last 5 Shuffled Scenes are available. A flash of yellow on the Lines will indicate that you are at the end of your browsing history.

Save a Current Scene (Press & Hold the Next Color Scene button for 3s)

This saves the current Scene if it’s not already saved. This is most useful for saving Scenes you like when using Shuffle.

Activate White Lighting Mode (Tap the Dim & Brighten buttons together once)

Cycle through the following preset white light modes: Warm White (2700K), Reading Light (4000K), Daylight White (5000K).

Pair a Third-Party App (Hold Power button for 5s)

This opens a 30s window to pair your devices.

Activate Wi-Fi Hotspot Mode (Hold Power & Rhythm buttons for 30s)

This mode allows your Controller to act as a local network hotspot without an Internet connection. With this mode active, you can use the Nanoleaf App to operate your Nanoleaf Lines without needing a router or access point.

NOTE: During Wi-Fi Hotspot Mode, your Lines will not be able to download firmware updates. Discover content from the community will also be unavailable.

The Nanoleaf App

Turn your lighting on and off, control brightness, create Schedules, group lights by home and by room, create and use Scenes, and much more all from the Nanoleaf App:

Dashboard: Choose an existing Scene or create your own (Static, Dynamic, Rhythm, Group, Layered). You can also use the Paint Tool to color Lines individually.

Discover: Find and download new Scenes created by the Nanoleaf community.

Resources: Find helpful information including tutorials, new device features, integrations, and learn about other Nanoleaf products.

Schedules: Automate your Scenes to turn on or off.

Nanoleaf Desktop App

With the Nanoleaf Desktop App, you can control your Lines on your computer. Create and download new Scenes right from your computer, and try the Screen Mirror feature—reflects your PC’s on-screen colors to your lights. The Desktop App was designed to simplify the management of larger installations and offer control of many different layouts at once.

Voice Control

You can easily control your Lines by voice in a few different ways with a smart Assistant like Siri, Google, or Alexa. In the Nanoleaf App, make sure to name your Lines with something easy.

Congrats, you’ve made it to the end and can graduate as a Nanoleaf Lines pro *cue the applause*! If you’re interested in some more fun features to try with your Lines, the list doesn’t end here. Check out this blog on our top 5 favorite features to use with Nanoleaf Lines.

Congrats, you’ve made it to the end and can graduate as a Nanoleaf Lines pro *cue the applause*! If you’re interested in some more fun features to try with your Lines, the list doesn’t end here. Check out this blog on our top 5 favorite features to use with Nanoleaf Lines.

Share with us how your Nanoleaf Lines set up experience went!

Find us on Instagram and Twitter @nanoleaf, or Facebook @thenanoleaf join the Nanoleaf Community.