I’ve been trying to connect my Sony ZV-E10 to my phone over USB so I could use the phone as an external monitor. Everyone on YouTube suggests using the Monitor+ app, so I decided to follow that advice.
However, every time I tried, I got the following error message:
Unable to connect to your device, either PC Remote is not turned on or the device is not supported.
After I finally solved the problem, I discovered that the solution was actually in the app’s help menu (the ? button on the main screen). I had looked at it while troubleshooting, but I wasn’t convinced the solution applied to my situation. It turns out it did.
I’m writing this down here in case someone else runs into the same issue and tries to research it. The only other search result I found for this error message was a comment under a Spanish TikTok with no solution.
Turn off Smartphone Connect
At this point, your phone may already be connected to the camera.
In my case, the camera was set to USB Mode: Mass Storage, and the Monitor+ app correctly detected the Sony ZV-E10. However, when I pressed Enter in the app, I still got the “Unable to connect…” error.
At this stage, you can exit USB mode on your camera (press Playback button) and continue with the steps below.
The Sony ZV-E10 will not let you enable PC Remote, which is required for Monitor+, if Smartphone Connection is turned on.
To turn it off, navigate to:
- Settings
- Network1
- Smartphone Connect
- Smartphone Connection → OFF
Turn on PC Remote and change the connection method
- Settings
- Network1
- PC Remote → ON
- PC Remote Cnct Method → USB
After this, exit the settings menu, press Enter in the app, and it should work.
Closing notes
When I first connected my phone to the camera over USB, the camera kept switching Smartphone Connection back on automatically, then suddenly stopped doing so.
It seems the order in which these steps are performed matters, so keep that in mind while setting it up.
UPDATE: I’ve found a YouTube video on how to do this, but it’s in Hindi.