Downloading firmware using an iPhone or iPad

These instructions are written for Safari on iPhones and iPads connected to an Apple brand SD card reader. You can probably use a different browser and/or card reader but those haven't been tested.

Please don't let the number of instructions and screen shots overwhelm you. All you are doing is downloading the firmware to Downloads (which is probably in your iCloud, but may be on your iPhone or iPad) then copying it from Downloads to the SD card. If you are tech-savvy, you probably don't need these instructions. They are provided for people who aren't very comfortable with navigating files on their devices.

(Screen shots are from an iPhone 6S Plus running iOS 15.5.)

1. Your phone should be in landscape orientation (sideways).

Start with a blank SD card

1. If possible, start with a blank SD card that has been formatted in a Spartan camera. If that isn't possible, delete all the files on the SD card:
   
   1.  Open the Files app.
      
      
      
   2. Tap VOLUME1.
      
   3. Tap Select. (This SD card only has the folder with photos on it, but your SD card may have other files and folders on it.)
      
   4. Tap Select All. (This will take care of anything on the SD card whether there's just one folder or several files and folders.)
      

   5. Tap the trash can icon.

      

   6. The SD card is now blank.
      

Download the firmware file

If you need to download firmware files for different models, please see the important information at the end of this article. You will need to delete each file after you have downloaded and copied it, before you download the next one.

1. Open Safari.
   
   
   
2. Navigate to https://my.spartancamera.com/download.
   
   
   
3. Scroll down to the list of firmware files by model. For this example, we'll use the GC-A4Gb. You'll probably want to scroll down so that the model in the top row is the one you want.
   
4. Scroll to the right until you see the Download button then tap Download.
   
5. You'll be asked to log in. Type your email and password then tap the Log In button.
   
   
   
6. When you are prompted to download the file, tap Download. The file name varies from model to model so you may see a different file name.
   
7. Tap the down arrow on the address bar. It may be in a different location (to the right rather than the left).
   
8. Tap Downloads.
   
9. On the list of recent downloads, tap the magnifying glass to the right of the file name.
   

Copy the file to the SD card

1. Select the file then tap the folder icon at the bottom center of the screen.
   
2. Tap VOLUME1 then tap Copy.
   
3. To verify that the file is on the SD card, tap Browse at the bottom of the screen, then tap VOLUME1.
   
   
4. The file should be on the SD card. You're ready to update the firmware in your camera manually.
   
   
   
5. If you have other same-model cameras, repeat the copy steps. You don't need to download the file again.

Important warning about downloading multiple firmware files

Firmware file names will not work if they have spaces in them. If you download the same file twice or if file names are the same for two different models (as may be the case with some older models) and you've downloaded both or twice, one of the files will be name with a space and a digit ("2" for the second download, "3" for the third, etc.), as shown in the screen shot below. The camera will not recognize it.

The safest way to avoid problems is to download a firmware file, copy it to as many SD cards as you have cameras that need updating, then delete that firmware file from Downloads before downloading the next firmware file you need.