Eye-Fi

Eye-Fi
Company type	Private
Industry	Computer hardware
Founded	2005; 21 years ago
Founder	Yuval Koren, Ziv Gillat, Eugene Feinberg, Berend Ozceri
Defunct	2016
Headquarters	Mountain View, California, United States
Products	Wi-Fi enabled SD memory cards, Eye-Fi Mobi software, Eye-Fi Cloud service
Parent	Ricoh (from 2016)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Eye-Fi, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 25 July 2025

Eye-Fi was a company headquartered in Mountain View, California, that specialized in SD memory cards equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities. Their products enabled users to wirelessly and automatically upload digital photographs from cameras directly to computers or mobile gadgets such as smartphones and tablets. The company ended its operations in 2016.

Eye-Fi’s product range included multiple models that varied in storage size, data transfer rates, and software functionalities.

Hardware

The introduction of Eye-Fi’s Wi-Fi enabled SD Card lineup occurred in 2007. Starting in 2009, certain products like the Eye-Fi Geo incorporated geotagging features using Wi-Fi-based location services. The most recent hardware offerings consisted of the Eyefi Mobi Pro WiFi SD cards, available with storage options of 16 GB and 32 GB.

These cards were compatible with nearly all digital cameras produced since 2010. Approximately 400 camera models from leading manufacturers such as Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, and Casio included Eye-Fi firmware under the Eye-Fi Connected branding. This integration allowed the cameras to manage card functions such as enabling or disabling Wi-Fi connectivity.

A fundamental characteristic shared by all Eye-Fi cards was their ability to automatically detect newly added image files for smooth wireless transmission.

Eyefi Mobi

The Eyefi Mobi software facilitates the automatic transfer of new photos from an Eyefi Mobi Card to devices running the corresponding Eyefi Mobi application. The Mobi Pro series introduces a "selective transfer" feature that permits users to send only selected images, identified through "protected" or "locked" statuses set within the camera.

To begin using the system, users must install the Eyefi Mobi app and input an activation code found on the product packaging. Once configured, images are transferred automatically to the registered device without needing repeated setup. The Mobi Pro cards support two Wi-Fi transfer modes: a direct peer-to-peer connection and an infrastructure mode via a common router network. The latter requires entering the network’s SSID and password through the Eyefi Mobi Desktop applications available for Mac and Windows platforms. Standard Mobi Cards operate solely in direct mode with automatic transfers and do not require desktop configuration.

Designed by Eye-Fi and produced in Thailand, these cards integrate proprietary technology alongside standard components.

Discontinuation of support for X2 series cards

On June 30, 2016, Eye-Fi announced that support for all X2 generation and earlier cards would end after September 16, 2016, due to security concerns. While some functions like direct transfers and Selective Transfer could still operate if set up before that deadline, continued reliability was not assured.

In August 2016, Eye-Fi provided a one-time software tool exclusively for Mac users to extend functionality for impacted customers but ceased further updates or assistance.

Alternative third-party utilities such as eyefi-config enable extraction of authentication credentials from compatible cards to manually configure client applications, offering a workaround for continued usage despite the official end of support.

Software

In June 2014, Eye-Fi introduced updated software aligned with its Eye-Fi Mobi product line.

Eye-Fi Mobi and Eye-Fi Cloud

The proprietary Eye-Fi Mobi applications and desktop software are available for Apple, Microsoft, and Google operating systems. Although unofficial Linux support exists via third-party solutions, it is not formally supported by Eye-Fi.

Eye-Fi Mobi apps receive photos and videos transmitted from cameras equipped with Eye-Fi Mobi WiFi SD cards. In October 2015, compatibility expanded to include cameras featuring built-in Wi-Fi modules from brands such as GoPro and select models from Canon, Casio, Nikon, and Olympus.

Transferred photos and videos are stored locally within the Eye-Fi Mobi apps and can synchronize with Eye-Fi Cloud—a centralized storage platform accessible across user devices. Eye-Fi Cloud preserves original image files while maintaining compressed JPEG copies on synced devices. Videos are stored in their original format but are transcoded for streaming at 480p resolution within applications and web browsers.

The cloud service provides organizational tools including Smart Tags powered by machine learning, search-based Smart Views, conventional tagging methods, album creation capabilities, and private sharing options designed for small groups.

Eye-Fi Cloud service is complimentary for one year when purchasing Eye-Fi Mobi Pro products. The associated apps remain free indefinitely with any Eye-Fi Mobi device. For cameras equipped with built-in Wi-Fi functionality, access to Eye-Fi Cloud requires a subscription—priced at $4.99 per month or $49.99 annually (as of 2015)—which includes unlimited photo storage and up to 300 video uploads monthly with a maximum length of 15 minutes each.

In 2016, ownership of Eye-Fi Cloud transferred to a Ricoh subsidiary which rebranded it as Keenai. This service was discontinued on December 1, 2018.

Technical specifications

Wireless security protocols: Static WEP 64/128, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK
Effective range: Over 90 feet (27.4 m) outdoors, more than 45 feet (13.7 m) indoors
Available storage options: 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB
Power source: Device-powered operation
Card form factor: Standard SD size
Weight of card: Approximately 2.835 grams (0.1 ounces)
Integrated standards: 802.11b/g with support for WMM and TSPEC

Compatible photo platforms

Scanner compatibility

Certain mobile document scanners, including the Doxie Go + Wi-Fi, utilized Eye-Fi cards to facilitate wireless uploads. The Xerox Mobile Scanner SD discontinued compatibility with earlier Eye-Fi card versions; however, the scanner remained available without Eye-Fi functionality.

Honors and recognition

Eye-Fi earned numerous industry awards such as:

"CNET Best of CES" at the 2010 CES event
"CES Innovations" Honoree at CES 2010
"Best of Show" accolade at Macworld 2008
"Editor's Choice Award 2008" awarded by The Mac Observer
Winner of "Last Gadget Standing" at CES in both 2008 and 2009

In November 2007, The Wall Street Journal described Eye-Fi as "an excellent compact device." Wired featured Eye-Fi Pro in their "2009 Wish List," emphasizing its innovative qualities. Additionally, in October 2010, Time recognized the original 2 GB Eye-Fi card as one of "the 100 greatest and most influential gadgets" in history.

Company background

Established in 2005 by Yuval Koren, Ziv Gillat, Eugene Feinberg, and Berend Ozceri, Eye-Fi experienced leadership changes with Jef Holove as CEO from September 2007 until Yuval Koren reassumed the role in May 2011. Matt DiMaria became CEO in April 2013. The company offered products such as the "Explore X2," "Geo X2," "Pro," and "Anniversary Edition," all of which have since been phased out.

References