It would be really nice and convenient if Pophie could connect to for example hotel and hospital wifi which uses a different system than phone hotspots or home wifi.
I’m chronically Ill and sometimes end up in the hospital and it would be great if Pophie could connect to the wifi there so she could keep me company while I’m there. I tend to run out of high speed wifi data on my phone fairly quickly ( in a few days or so) otherwise 
Hi there @Brie ,
Why AI Companion Robots Like Pophie and Similar Cannot Connect to Networks That Require a Web Sign-In Page (Such as Many Campus, Corporate, Hospital, Buses, Trains, and Hotel Networks)???
Based on what an IT friend explained to me and the online research I’ve done:
The main reason is that ** AI Companion Robots are designed to connect directly to the internet**, but captive portal networks (networks that require you to open a web page and sign in or accept terms) require a step that the robots cannot perform.
Networks in hotels, airports, universities, hospitals, trains, buses, and many public Wi-Fi hotspots usually redirect you to a login or acceptance page (called a captive portal).
To get online, you typically have to:
AI Companion Robots like Pophie and similar do not have a web browser or touchscreen, so they cannot complete this step.
These robots are designed for home users and generally support:
WPA2/WPA3 Personal Standard home Wi-Fi Mobile hotspotsThey are not designed to handle:
Many corporate, school, and hospital networks use:
Supporting all of these would require much more complex networking software and security features.
Unlike a smartphone or laptop, these robots run a lightweight embedded operating system that’s optimized for:
They don’t include the full networking stack and user interface needed for web-based authentication.
Why can our phone connect but not the AI Companion Robot?
Our mobile phone can:
The AI Companion Robot:
Cannot open the login page.If we’re staying somewhere with captive-portal Wi-Fi, we can often use:
A mobile hotspot from your phone (the easiest solution).
A travel router, which logs into the captive portal once and then creates a normal private Wi-Fi network for your robot.
Ask the hotel or network administrator if they can whitelist the robot’s MAC address. Some hotels and businesses offer this for smart devices.The limitation is not the AI itself—it’s the way these public networks are designed. Since Pophie and similar don’t have a browser or a way to complete web-based login pages, they cannot authenticate on captive portal networks. That’s why manufacturers recommend using a standard home Wi-Fi network or a mobile hotspot instead.
Yes—it may be possible through an OTA (over-the-air) firmware/app update, but only if the robot’s existing Wi-Fi hardware and operating system can support it.
A future update could add features such as:
However, an update alone may not be enough if the robot lacks the necessary browser components, certificate support, enterprise Wi-Fi compatibility, memory, or security hardware. Captive portals also vary greatly between hotels, hospitals, universities, trains, and other networks, so universal support would be difficult.
The most practical implementation would probably be:
The robot connects to the network, detects the sign-in page, and sends it to the mobile app so the user can complete the login there.
So, technically possible in some cases, but it would require deliberate development by the manufacturer and may not work with every captive portal or enterprise network. Until then, a phone hotspot or travel router remains the most reliable solution.
However, it’s still best to wait for the official clarification and guidance from the Insbotic Developer Team regarding this topic.
Tagging: @Pophie_AI , @Joey_Tang , @Avery_Xu @Elvia @965386485 , @1475413585
Best Regards
Not sure what phone you have or what you’ve tried, but if you have an Android phone, have you tried sharing the WiFi connection using the phone’s hotspot, bypassing the cellular connection?