Unboxing your HoloLens 2

• Applies to:

  HoloLens 2

The following procedures help you set up a HoloLens 2 for the first time:

Charge your HoloLens

Connect the power supply to the charging port by using the USB-C cable (included). Plug the power supply into a power outlet. The power supply and USB-C-to-C cable that come with the device are the best way to charge your HoloLens 2. The charger supplies 18W of power (9V at 2A). With the wall charger supplied, HoloLens 2 devices can charge the battery to full in less than 65 minutes when the device is in standby.

Charging rate and speed may vary depending on the environment in which the device is running.

• When the device is charging, the battery indicator lights up to indicate the current level of charge. The last light fades in and out to indicate active charging.
• When your HoloLens is on, the battery indicator displays the battery level in increments.
• When only one of the five lights is on, the battery level is below 20 percent.
• If the battery level is critically low and you try to turn on the device, one light blinks briefly, then goes out.

Full details on device charging can be read here if more information is needed.

Adjust fit

Place the HoloLens 2 on your head. If you wear eyeglasses, leave them on. The brow pad should sit comfortably on your forehead and the back band should sit in the middle-back of your head.

If necessary, extend the headband by turning the adjustment wheel, and then loosen the overhead strap.

Attach and detach the overhead strap

The overhead strap isn't required, but it can make wearing HoloLens 2 more comfortable during long periods of use.

To detach the front of the overhead strap, unhook the strap and slide it through the retractable loop on the brow pad. To reattach it, pull out the loop and slide the strap back through.

To detach the back of the overhead strap, press the button below each connection tab and pull gently. To reattach it, push the connection tabs back into the slots until they click.

Turn on the HoloLens 2

To turn on your HoloLens 2, press the Power button. The LEDs below the Power button display the battery level.

Note

To power on HoloLens 2 for the very first time, after unboxing, press and hold the power button for at least 4 seconds to turn it on. Next time you power on HoloLens 2, it’ll start after a short power button press.

Power button actions for different power transitions

To do this	Perform this action	The HoloLens 2 does this
To turn on	Single button press.	All five lights turn on, then change to indicate the battery level. After four seconds, a sound plays.
To sleep	Single button press.	All five lights turn on, then fade off one at a time. After the lights turn off, a sound plays and the screen displays "Goodbye."
To wake from sleep	Single button press.	All five lights turn on, then change to indicate the battery level. A sound immediately plays.
To turn off	Press and hold for 5s.	All five lights turn on, then fade off one at a time. After the lights turn off, a sound plays and the screen displays "Goodbye."
To force the HoloLens to restart if it's unresponsive	Press and hold for 10s.	All five lights turn on, then fade off one at a time. After the lights turn off.

HoloLens behavior reference

Not sure what the indicator lights on your HoloLens mean? Want to know how HoloLens should behave while charging? Here's some help!

Charging behavior

State of the Device	Action	HoloLens 2 does this
OFF	Plug in USB Cable	Device transitions to ON with indicator lights showing battery level and device starts charging.
ON	Remove USB Cable	Device stops charging
ON	Plug in USB Cable	Device starts charging
SLEEP	Plug in USB Cable	Device starts charging
SLEEP	Remove USB Cable	Device stops charging
ON with USB cable plugged in	Press power button once	Device transitions to SLEEP with indicator lights showing battery level and device starts charging

Lights that indicate the battery level

Number of lights	Battery level
Four solid lights, one light fading in and out	Between 100% and 81% (fully charged)
Three solid lights, one light fading in and out	Between 80% and 61%
Two solid lights, one light fading in and out	Between 60% and 41%
One solid light, one light fading in and out	Between 40% and 21%
One light fading in and out	Between 20% and 5% or lower (critical battery)

Sleep Behavior

State of the Device	Action	HoloLens 2 does this
ON	Single Power button press	Device transitions to SLEEP and turns off all indicator lights
ON	No movement for 3 minutes	Device transition to SLEEP and turns off all indicator lights
SLEEP	Single Power button Press	Device transitions to ON and turns on indicator lights

Lights to indicate problems

When you do this	The lights do this	It means this
You press the Power button.	One light flashes five times, then turns off.	The HoloLens battery is critically low. Charge your HoloLens.
You press the Power button.	All five lights flash five times, then turn off.	HoloLens can't start correctly and is in an error state. Reinstall the operating system to recover your device.
You press the Power button.	The 1st, 3rd, and 5th lights flash together continually.	HoloLens may have a hardware failure. Contact support.

Safety and comfort

Use HoloLens in safe surroundings

Use your HoloLens in a safe space, free of obstructions and tripping hazards. Don’t use it when you need a clear field of view or can't commit your full attention, such as while you’re operating a vehicle, or doing other potentially hazardous activities.

Stay comfortable

Keep your first few sessions with HoloLens brief and be sure to take breaks. If you experience discomfort, stop and rest until you feel better. Discomfort might include temporary feelings of nausea, motion sickness, dizziness, disorientation, headache, fatigue, eye strain, or dry eyes.

See product safety warnings and instructions.

Next: Two key user setup scenarios

There are two key setup scenarios to consider:

• Add the first user on the device. Your device is brand-new and no users are logged into the device. The device needs to go through first-time setup, also known as the Out-of-Box-Experience (OOBE). Through this setup process, the first user is added to the device.

How to add the first user on your HoloLens 2

• Add more users on the device. The device has gone through OOBE, but now more users need to be added to the device. Through this setup process, more users are added to the device.

How to add more users on your HoloLens 2