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Neat Open: BYOD

Last updated October 26, 2026

Introduction

Neat offers BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) mode for customers who need to use multiple video conferencing platforms in a flexible way. This mode allows Neat devices to work as dedicated BYOD systems without the need to run native applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet. Simply connect a Neat device to a laptop using USB and/or HDMI.

Important Note: BYOD is now part of Neat Open. Devices already enrolled in Neat Pulse in BYOD-only mode moved to Neat Open automatically on September 30, 2026, and BYOD meetings run exactly as before. You can now enable browser-based room control, AI Notes, local wireless sharing, and Neat Open Apps for them in Neat Pulse. See Neat Open: Overview.

Note: If switching from BYOD-only mode to using Neat devices for Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet native applications, a factory reset of the Neat devices is required, followed by the out-of-box (OOB) setup process.

Contents

Prerequisites

BYOD mode in Neat Open is supported on the following devices. Cable support varies by device:

DeviceBYOD without PadSingle cable (USB)Dual cable (HDMI + USB)
Neat Bar✓–✓
Neat Bar Pro––✓
Neat Board✓–✓
Neat Bar Gen 2✓✓✓
Neat Board 32/50/Pro✓✓✓

Not yet using Neat Pulse? Devices that are not enrolled in Neat Pulse continue to operate as they do today. When a device next completes out-of-box (OOB) setup, for example following a factory reset, you will be prompted to enrol it in Neat Pulse (included with every Neat device). Enrolment provides access to the full Neat Open capability set.

1. Step-by-step guide

1.1 Complete the OOB Process

Follow the on-screen instructions to ensure the devices are connected and can access the internet (see Network and Firewall requirements). Refer to the specific setup guide for each device (select the appropriate device guide from the How to Set Up a Neat Device page).

1.2 Enroll Neat Device in Pulse (Mandatory)

  1. Go to https://pulse.neat.no/ and log in.
  2. If you already have a named space in Pulse that you want to add your Neat device to, open that space and click Generate Code. To create a new named space, or for more information on enrolling devices, see How to Enroll a Device in Neat Pulse.
  3. Enter the generated code on the screen (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Enter Pulse enrollment code
  1. The screen shows a progress bar to confirm the device is enrolling in Neat Pulse. Do not unplug the device during this process.
  2. Once complete, the screen confirms the device has been added to Neat Pulse.
  3. In Neat Pulse, the newly added device appears in the designated named space.
  4. Click Continue.

1.3 Select Neat Open

On the platform or service selection screen, select Neat Open, then click Continue (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Choose your service or platform – Neat Open selected for BYOD setup

1.4 Select Neat Open Experiences (Optional)

The Experiences page lets you enable or disable individual capabilities for the device running BYOD in Neat Open (Figure 2). These are:

Figure 3. Choose which Experiences users can access when they select Neat Open for BYOD

1.5 Select Neat Open Apps (Optional)

Neat Open also allows third-party applications to be added in this mode. To do this, select and control them from Neat Pulse. For more information, see Getting Started with Neat Open Apps.

Figure 4. Enabling apps for a Neat Open device

Once setup is complete, the device shows a confirmation “You’re all set!” screen. When Neat Open starts, a guidance screen explains how to connect a laptop to the device.

For devices with no apps installed, the Neat Open home screen example showing a pairing code and instructions for connecting a laptop for BYOD is shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Guidance screen on how to connect the laptop – example when Neat device has no Neat Open apps installed

A left-swipe menu provides access to the Settings wheel on touch devices. Neat System Settings are accessible behind Admin password protection.

Note: From software release 25.3.0, Admin password protection is available in all device modes, including Neat Open, not just Zoom/Microsoft Teams/Google Meet. This makes it easier to lock down settings and prevent unauthorized changes, especially in shared spaces. Devices use the same default password of the last 6 digits of the serial number. Passwords can be set during setup, through remote access via a web browser, or Neat Pulse.

1.6 Cable setup

The latest generation of Neat devices supports both a single-cable BYOD setup and the traditional cable setup (using HDMI for screen sharing alongside USB). Please see the relevant sections for detailed cable setup instructions and cable requirements:

1.6.1 Customizable cable instructions for BYOD

Introduced in NeatOS 25.2, administrators can select the correct on-screen cabling instructions for BYOD setups. This ensures that the on-screen instructions in each room matches with your actual BYOD cabling setup. Customizable cable instructions can be configured both on-device and in Neat Pulse.

To configure your customizable cable instructions for BYOD:

  1. On Neat Pulse: go to Device settings > System > BYOD > Cable instructions on screen (see Figure 7).
    or
    On the Neat device’s system settings (requires a paired Pad), go to: System > USB Connectivity > Cable instructions on screen (see Figure 8).
  2. From the dropdown, select one of the three options: USB-C (default), HDMI + USB-C, or HDMI + USB-A to match the cabling requirements of your room.

    Based on this selection, the screen will display clear instructions for the user to follow.
Figure 6. Using Neat Pulse – choose the cable setup instructions to display on screen
Figure 7. Using device System Settings on a paired Neat Pad – choose the cable setup instructions to display on screen

1.7 Set Neat Device as your default Video and Audio Devices

  1. Open your preferred video conferencing application on your computer.
  2. Set the default devices for the camera, microphone, and/or speakers to the Neat Device (named ‘Neat Bar…’ or ‘Neat Bar Pro…’).
    • You can enable only the hardware you need. For example, use the Neat device’s camera and microphone while using your computer’s built-in speakers etc.

Note: If you are having issues with adjusting the volume on Mac devices, please see this article by Apple on adjusting sound output settings.

1.7.1 Platform Setup Articles

2. Using and managing BYOD

2.1 In-room Contols

After connecting the USB and/or HDMI cables to the device, certain functions on the Neat Pad (if part of your setup) or in the left-swipe menu will be displayed. This includes the camera options for leveraging Neat Symmetry, volume controls, and the Settings wheel in the top right-hand corner.

Figure 8. Neat Pad display/swipe screen when BYOD is triggered and a laptop is connected

Additionally, by pairing a browser on a laptop or phone, multiple users in the room can extend these BYOD controls beyond the Neat Pad/Neat Board. See Neat Open: Browser Pairing and Controls.

Figure 9: Browser controls when the front-of-room device is in BYOD session with the Neat camera in use

2.2 BYOD activation mode

When Neat Open is selected as the platform, the USB connectivity setting within Neat’s System Settings will default to Automatic activation of BYOD (Figure 9). This means that as soon as the Neat Device detects a laptop connected to the other end of the cable it will automatically trigger the USB connection for BYOD.

Figure 10. Neat System settings > System for Devices using BYOD-only mode

To switch to Manual BYOD, select USB Connectivity > and Disable the Automatic Toggle. This will ensure that once a laptop is detected the user will have to select Start on the screen to begin the BYOD session.

2.3 USB extenders

This setting is designed for customer setups that use specific types of USB extenders for BYOD mode. Most USB extenders rely on a V-BUS line connection, which typically carries a 5V supply, to trigger the electrical components within a USB device. However, a small subset of extenders do not switch this power on or off based on the presence of a laptop. Instead, they send suspend commands when the laptop is disconnected or when the USB extender enters power-saving mode.

When the Use USB extenders option is enabled (Figure 10), Neat devices will listen to the suspend command from the USB extender. When the toggle is off, the Neat device will instead rely on the V-BUS line connection to enable or disable BYOD mode.

Figure 11. USB connectivity settings page for BYOD-only mode showing USB extender toggle

2.4 BYOD screen (error states)

If cables have not been correctly set up as described in Section 6 Cable setup or if they do not meet the DisplayPort requirements for USB on Neat Bar Gen 2 and Board 32/50/Pro, you may encounter an error screen. In this case, change to a USB cable that meets the requirements or insert an HDMI cable into the HDMI-in screen-sharing port to mirror your laptop’s screen.

Figure 12. BYOD – No display input due to USB cable not meeting DisplayPort requirements

3. Switching back to native Microsoft Teams/Zoom/Google Meet applications

If you wish to use BYOD mode in conjunction with either the Zoom or Microsoft Teams native applications and only use BYOD when necessary, you will need to factory reset the device, go back through the OOB process, and select your preferred application. You can then still enjoy BYOD mode when needed by following the instructions here: Overview: USB Connectivity and BYOD mode for Neat Devices, while keeping Zoom/Microsoft Teams running in the background.

You should now be fully set to use your Neat Device with any video conferencing application!