Parking Mode Power Made Simple: Setting Up the BP100 Battery Pack or HK6 Hardwire Kit in the VIOFO App

Parking mode is one of the most useful things a modern dash cam can do, but it usually prompts two questions: will it flatten my car battery, and how much charge is left in my battery pack?

With the latest VIOFO firmware and app, you can answer both from one screen. This guide walks through the full set-up using the A329S dash cam, the BP100 battery pack and the HK6 hardwire kit. The same steps apply to the BP60 and other supported VIOFO models. Just bear in mind that the BP100 and HK6 are two alternative ways to power parking mode: you fit one or the other, as explained below.

The VIOFO App home screen shows your device readings in real time, even while the dash cam is off (demo unit with both power options fitted).

Before you start: update the firmware

These features arrived in recent firmware, so start by updating all three parts. Everything updates over the air, so no computer needed.

• Dash cam: connect it in the VIOFO App and check for a firmware update in the camera settings. A329 series cameras need V2.2 or later.
• Battery pack: once it’s connected in the app (Step 1 below), the app will tell you if newer firmware is available.
• App: download the latest VIOFO App from the App Store or Google Play.

Step 1: add the battery pack to the app

Open the VIOFO App, go to the Devices tab and tap + Battery Pack. Your battery pack appears under its device name; tap Connect. No password needed.

Devices tab, then + Battery Pack, then Connect.

Once connected, the app opens the battery pack dashboard. It shows the charge level, whether it’s charging or discharging, temperature, input and output readings, and estimated remaining runtime. While you’re driving, the same page shows charging progress and the estimated time to full.

The battery pack dashboard: charge level, status, temperature and estimated runtime.

Was the battery pack paired to another phone before?

If it’s still linked to an old phone (say you’ve got a new phone, bought the unit second-hand, or moved over from the older VIOFO Battery app), either of these will release it:

• With the old phone: open the battery pack’s Settings, tap Unbind Device, then connect from the new phone.
• Without the old phone: press the battery pack’s power button five times in quick succession. This resets the pairing so any phone can connect.

Step 2: link the battery pack to the dash cam

This step is easy to miss, but it unlocks the most useful features. In the battery pack’s Settings, find Bound Dashcam:

• If you have one VIOFO dash cam, the app links them automatically and its name will already be shown.
• If you have more than one, tap the entry and pick the dash cam you want to link.

Once linked, the dash cam reads the battery pack’s charge level wirelessly and shows a confirmation on its own screen.

The dash cam confirms the link: Battery pack available.

BP100 or HK6: choose one, not both

The BP100 and HK6 do the same job, powering parking mode, in two different ways, and they’re designed to be used separately:

• BP100 battery pack: charges quickly from the car while you drive, then runs the dash cam from its own capacity while parked, so your car battery is never drained. It comes with its own parking mode output cable, so no hardwire kit is needed.
• HK6 hardwire kit: powers the dash cam directly from the car battery via the fuse box, with low-voltage protection (Cut-off Voltage) that stops recording before the battery gets too low to start the engine.

Fuse box to BP100 to dash cam, or fuse box to HK6 to dash cam.

The app shows whichever option you’ve fitted: the battery pack level with the BP100, or the car’s voltage with the HK6. If you’re using the BP100, Steps 1 and 2 complete your set-up. If you’re using the HK6, carry on to Step 3.

Step 3: if you use the HK6 hardwire kit (no pairing needed)

With the HK6 there’s nothing to pair. As soon as it’s installed and powering the dash cam, the camera detects it and shows Discovered the Hardwire Cable along with the cable’s identifier.

To show your car battery voltage on the app home screen, open the Help tab in the app and switch on Show Voltage Value.

What you get

With everything connected, the VIOFO App home screen shows the relevant reading in real time (battery pack level with the BP100, or car voltage with the HK6) whenever your phone is within Bluetooth range of the car. The dash cam doesn’t need to be switched on, and you don’t need Wi-Fi.

Battery level stamp on recordings

Once the battery pack is linked, you can turn on the Battery Pack Capacity stamp in the camera’s recording settings. Every clip then shows the battery pack level at the time of recording, which is handy when looking back at a parking incident.

Vehicle Battery Protection: three cut-off options

The camera menu now has three options under Vehicle Battery Protection, each protecting something different:

• Cut-off Time: ends parking recording after a set time.
• Cut-off Voltage: for hardwired installs, stops recording before the car battery drops below a safe starting level.
• Cut-off Battery Pack Capacity (new): choose a reserve level (5% to 15%) and the dash cam drops into low-power mode when the battery pack reaches it, rather than draining it completely. The reserve keeps impact detection running, so a knock can still wake the camera and trigger a recording.

Reserve levels: Off, 5%, 8%, 10% or 15%.

FAQs

Does the dash cam need to be on for the app to show battery level and voltage? No. The readings are sent via Bluetooth broadcasts and stay visible while the dash cam is off.

I already use the BP100. Do I need the HK6 too? No. The BP100 has its own parking mode output cable and fully replaces the hardwire kit. They’re alternative solutions, and connecting the HK6 to the BP100’s output isn’t a supported set-up.

My new phone won’t connect to the battery pack. It’s still bound to your old phone. Unbind it from that phone, or press the battery pack’s power button five times to reset the pairing.

I can’t see Cut-off Battery Pack Capacity in the menu. Update the dash cam firmware (A329 series: V2.2 or later) and the battery pack firmware, then link the battery pack to the dash cam as in Step 2.

I have two cars, each with its own dash cam and battery pack. Will the readings get mixed up? No. Each battery pack is linked to its own dash cam, and every card in the app is labelled with its device name.

What’s the range? Standard Bluetooth range: around the car, and usually within a garage. Out of range, the home screen cards pause until your phone is nearby again.

Summary

Update the firmware, choose your parking mode power source (the BP100 battery pack or the HK6 hardwire kit) and follow the matching steps above. From then on, the VIOFO App gives you a live view of its status, the dash cam can stamp the battery pack level on every clip, and the cut-off options keep whichever battery powers your camera protected.

Find out more: BP100 battery pack, HK6 hardwire kit, A329S dash cam.