iVMS-4500: what to use now and how to move your cameras across

Hikvision's own notice explains it, and its US support site says the same: iVMS-4500 was discontinued as of February 2022, and Hik-Connect is the app to use for remote viewing. From that month, four things changed.

• The hiddns.com website closed and the HiDDNS domain service stopped working.
• iVMS-4500 was no longer offered in app stores, including the Apple Store and Hikvision's own app store.
• A copy already installed on a phone could keep working, but it would not be upgraded.
• Hikvision named Hik-Connect, launched in 2016, as the replacement for end users. For installers it named Hik-ProConnect, which is now called Hik-Partner Pro.

Use Hik-Connect. Hikvision describes it as the app for DVRs, NVRs, cameras, video intercom and security control panels. You can watch live video, play back recordings and get instant alarm notifications. It is made for iPhone and Android.

Look for Hik-Connect in the App Store or Google Play and pick the one marked for End User. You can also use Hikvision's own app store at appstore.hikvision.com, the address Hikvision gave in its notice. On a PC, use iVMS-4200 instead.

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You add your devices to Hik-Connect again. Your recordings stay where they are, on the recorder's hard disk. Hikvision's notice also says some device models need a firmware update before they can use Hik-Connect, so check yours with Hikvision support if a device will not add.

If your cameras were reached through a HiDDNS address, that address no longer works. Add the device by QR code or serial number instead.

• 1. Install Hik-Connect from one of the official places above.
• 2. Open it and choose the country or region where your devices are. Hikvision's manual warns that a wrong choice makes live view, playback and notifications fail.
• 3. Register an account with your phone number or email, or tap Visitor Mode to start without one. Visitor mode is not password protected and only works on that one phone or tablet.
• 4. If you used the Cloud P2P option in iVMS-4500, you made a Hik-Connect account. Log in to Hik-Connect with it. The devices on that account should be there.
• 5. For other devices, switch Hik-Connect on in the device first. On its web page go to Configuration, Network, Advanced Settings, Platform Access and tick Enable.
• 6. In Hik-Connect, start adding a device. Scan the QR code on the device label, or choose Manual Adding and enter the serial number. Then enter the verification code, which is usually on the label.
• 7. Devices you added by IP address or domain in iVMS-4500 can be added the same way: Manual Adding, IP/Domain, then the address, user name and password. Hikvision's manual says these stream faster but do not send alarm notifications, so use the QR code or serial number if you want alerts.

People mean three different things by iVMS-4500 login, and mixing them up is the usual cause. There is the login for the device itself, which is the user name and password of your recorder or camera. There is the Cloud P2P account, which is a Hik-Connect account with its own email or phone and password. And early versions of the app asked you to register a user name and password for the app itself.

• Login failed when adding a device: Hikvision's manual says to check the network settings and make sure the device is online and reachable. Then check the address, port, user name and password you entered.
• Wrong device password: it is the one set when the device was activated. If it is lost, reset it the official way, which our Hikvision SADP guide covers.
• Forgot the Cloud account password: iVMS-4500's Cloud login page has a Forgot Password link that verifies your account and resets the password. Hik-Connect uses the same account.
• A HiDDNS address no longer connects: that service closed in February 2022. Add the device in Hik-Connect by QR code or serial number.
• The device shows offline in Hik-Connect: check Hik-Connect is switched on in the device under Platform Access, and that its network settings are right, with the DNS server set to 8.8.8.8 or your usual DNS.
• The device already belongs to another account: a device can be added to only one Hik-Connect account at a time. Unbind it from the old account first.