Device Already Bound — How to Unbind Your Surfer from a Previous Owner

Aiper Surfer Series

You bought a second-hand Surfer (or received one from a friend), but when you try to connect it to the Aiper app, you get: “The device you selected has been bound.” This means the robot is still linked to the previous owner’s account — a security feature to prevent unauthorized use.

Direct Answer

Try these solutions in order. Tier 1 works for ~70% of cases (hardware reset). If you can’t reach the previous owner, Tier 3 (account reset) is your fallback.

Tier 1: Hardware reset (try this first)

  1. Turn the Surfer ON (must be powered on, not off)
  2. Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds
  3. The LED should flash, then the unit will reset and unbind
  4. Open the Aiper app, add a new device, and pair normally

Note: On some Surfer M1 units, holding the power button simply shuts it off without resetting. If the LED doesn’t flash after 10 seconds, try Tier 2.

Tier 2: Ask the previous owner to unbind

  1. Contact the seller (eBay message, email, etc.)
  2. Ask them to open the Aiper app, go to Device Settings → Unbind Device / Remove Device
  3. Once unbound on their end, you can connect it to your account immediately

If the seller gave you a PIN code, this does not work for unbinding — the PIN is for Wi-Fi pairing only.

Tier 3: Delete and re-create your Aiper account

  1. Open Aiper app → Me tab (bottom-right)
  2. Settings → Account Management → Delete Aiper Account
  3. Re-register with the same email address
  4. The old device binding is cleared — now pair your Surfer

Warning: This removes ALL devices from your account — only do this if you have no other Aiper devices linked.

Tier 4: Contact Aiper Support (last resort)

If none of the above works, contact Aiper support and provide: (1) Model name (e.g. Surfer M1), (2) Serial number (located on the bottom of the unit, format: M1Y-XXXXXXXX), (3) Your email associated with your Aiper app account. The support team can unbind the device from the backend. Visit aiper.com/us/process-a-warranty or email [email protected].

What ‘Device Bound’ means — and what it doesn’t

It does mean: the robot is theft-protected — it can only be controlled by one Aiper account at a time. It doesn’t mean: the robot is broken, bricked, or permanently locked. The binding is reversible via any of the 4 tiers above. Factory reset (Tier 1) clears the binding on all Surfer models manufactured after 2024.

← All Troubleshooting Guides
Was this helpful?
Thank you for your feedback!