Program and replace meters and endpoints in the mobile app – Support Center

Watch the full walkthrough

Use this guide in the NextCity Mobile App when installing or replacing an endpoint in the field. Screenshots show example equipment and addresses.

Before you begin

Install the latest version of the NextCity Mobile App (iOS and Android).
Sign in with the same username and password you use for the NextCity Web Portal.
Turn on Bluetooth, and allow the app to use Bluetooth, the camera, and location services.
Have the service address, endpoint serial, meter information, multiplier, units, and current meter read ready.
Wake the endpoint following the device's installation instructions.

NC5 or Fenix X330/X4: choose the right steps

Adding the address and connecting the meter work the same way, but waking, setting up, and checking reads differ between the two device families.

Check	NextConnect NC5	Fenix X330/X4
How it appears in the app	NextConnect	Third Party Device
Typical serial	Hexadecimal, beginning with 6A	Numeric Fenix/SETflow serial
Starting Bluetooth	Swipe a magnet near the top of the NC5. It advertises over Bluetooth for about two minutes; once connected, the session normally ends after about 20 minutes or when you disconnect.	Wake the device using the usual Fenix/X330 field procedure, then check the numeric serial before connecting.
Meter setup	Defaults to encoded input and detects common encoder protocols automatically. Set pulse input in the app when installing a pulse meter.	Pay close attention to meter resolution, multiplier, and units. Confirm that the read in the app matches the meter face.
Test Connection read	Every NC5 message includes a read, so a successful Test Connection shows up in NextCity right away.	The app can show a valid read and a successful cloud check-in while the read is still missing from NextCity. Legacy SETflow test messages count as device events, so the read may not appear in NextCity's read history until the next regular check-in.
Advanced tools	May include read history, raw encoder diagnostics, Rapid Check-In, and Remote Debugging, depending on firmware and permissions.	Options can differ. Use the fields shown for the connected X330/X4, and don't copy NC5-only settings.

An NC5 connected in the NextCity Mobile App, listed as NextConnect — NextConnect NC5

A Fenix X330 connected in the NextCity Mobile App, listed as Third Party Device, with a successful test — Fenix X330/X4

Checking an X330/X4

A green Test Connection and a valid read in the app confirm what the phone received over Bluetooth, but the read may not appear in the NextCity Web Portal right away. Confirm the cloud check-in, wait for the next scheduled check-in, and check the read again. If the portal still shows no read or an invalid one, contact Next Meters Support.

The replacement rule is the same for both

Select the right meter under Existing Meters. Choosing a utility under Add New Meter creates a duplicate meter.

1. Add a new address or location

The mobile app programs equipment at an address that already exists in NextCity. If the address is missing, add it in the web portal first (see Program locations, meters, and endpoints in the web portal), then come back to the app.

2. Connect to the endpoint

Open the NextCity Mobile App. After you sign in, the app opens on Scanning for Devices. Leave the default setting to scan for NextCity endpoints such as the NC5, or select legacy device scanning for Fenix equipment.

Wake the endpoint (for an NC5, swipe a magnet over the top of the device) and find it in Nearby Connections.

Select the device and confirm that the serial number shown matches the physical endpoint.

Wait for the status to show Connected. While the endpoint is wired to the meter, the app reads the meter automatically; select the refresh icon to read it again.

On Configuration, select Test Connection.

Confirm that the app shows a valid meter read and a successful cloud connection before programming.

Stop if something doesn't match

Don't continue if you're connected to the wrong serial number, the meter read is invalid, or the test fails.

Device details on the connection page

Further down the connection page you'll find the meter settings, programming data, and general device information.

Field	What it shows
Signal type	Detected automatically as encoder or pulse. Pulse meters can be switched to a pulse output setting.
Meter ID	Confirm this against the meter ID in the field.
Firmware	The firmware version on the device.
Battery expectancy	Estimated remaining battery life.
Temperature	A live reading from the device's ambient temperature sensor.

Remote debugging

An advanced remote debugging setting lets Next Meters Support connect to the device remotely for in-depth troubleshooting.

3. Program a new meter and endpoint

Use this when the address doesn't already have a meter for the equipment you're installing.

Select the Programming tab.

Select Address.

Search by service address or premise/CIS identifier and select the correct result.

Searching for a service address on the Programming tab

Select Meter.

Under Add New Meter, choose the utility type, such as New Water Meter, New Cold Water Meter, New Hot Water Meter, New Gas Meter, New Electric Meter, New Run Time Meter, or New Thermal Usage Meter.

The Select Meter list with Add New Meter options for each utility type

Enter or check the meter multiplier and units.

Take install photos with the camera icon, add any install notes, and check the meter's GPS pin on the map (satellite view helps with precise placement).

Review the summary. It should say the connected endpoint will be programmed to a new meter at the selected address.

Select Update, and keep the phone near the endpoint until programming finishes.

The programming summary with the multiplier, units, and Update button

Go back to Configuration and run Test Connection again.

Confirm the current read and cloud connection are valid.

Configuration after programming, with the current read and Test Connection

4. Replace an existing endpoint only

Use this when the physical meter stays in place and only the endpoint is replaced.

Connect to the new endpoint and run Test Connection.

Open Programming and select the correct address.

Select Meter.

Under Existing Meters, select the existing physical meter. Check its utility type, meter serial, and current device.

Don't choose a utility type under Add New Meter.

Check the multiplier and units.

Review the summary. It should show the new endpoint being programmed to the selected existing meter.

Select Update.

Run Test Connection again and check the current read and cloud connection.

Select Meter with an existing water meter listed under Existing Meters, above the Add New Meter options

5. Replace an existing meter and endpoint

Record the old meter's final read and the serial numbers of the old meter and endpoint.

Connect to the new endpoint and run Test Connection.

Open Programming and select the correct address.

Under Existing Meters, select the meter being replaced.

Don't select Water, Cold Water, or another option under Add New Meter.

Check the multiplier and units, then select Update.

After programming, update and check the new meter ID and initial read in the NextCity Web Portal if the app doesn't show those fields.

Run Test Connection again and check that the endpoint reports successfully.

Important: don't create a duplicate meter

For any replacement, select the right meter under Existing Meters. Selecting Water or another utility under Add New Meter creates a second meter and can split photos, notes, alerts, and read history between records.

Final check

The connected endpoint serial matches the physical device
Correct organization and service address
Correct existing meter selected for a replacement
Correct utility type selected for a new installation
Correct multiplier and units
Update completed successfully
Test Connection run after programming
Current meter read is valid
Endpoint has a successful cloud connection
In the NextCity Web Portal, the meters list shows the device online with its latest read

If something went wrong

If the endpoint won't connect, reports an invalid read, or a duplicate meter was created, stop and contact Next Meters Support before deleting or moving any data.