Here is the guide to exploring the invisible world of heat with TOPDON’s plug-in smartphone thermal imaging devices, including the latest Topdon TC001 MAX.
This step-by-step guide helps new users get started fast with the TopInfrared App for home inspection, automotive diagnostics, industrial monitoring, and more. The tutorial includes six sections with short demos and clear instructions. You’ll learn how to connect your device, use TopFix AI diagnostic assistant, adjust key settings, and capture accurate thermal data for a seamless TopInfrared experience.
1.Explore the TopInfrared Interface and Use TopFix AI
Main Page
Once you open the TopInfrared App, you’ll be greeted by a clean and intuitive interface with five main tabs at the bottom of the screen:
AI Assistant – Get instant analysis from your TopFix AI expert.
Gallery – Review, organize, and edit your captured thermal images.
Camera – Capture new photos or videos.
Report – Generate and store professional-looking inspection reports.
Learn More – Access tutorials, feature introductions, and system settings.
AI Assistant
The AI Assistant tab is the heart of the app’s intelligence. In this tab, there are three major components: TopFix AI, Inspection, and Guidance.
You will also see the robot of TopFix AI diagnostic assistant on the top of the screen. In this feature, you can interact directly with the AI Assistant — simply type in a question about your inspection, and it will offer insights, potential causes, or next steps to take.
TopFix AI is designed for beginners, providing image recognition, text-based Q&A, and intelligent diagnostic guidance. It can be used across multiple scenarios—including home inspection, HVAC, automotive detection, and air/water leak detection—without being limited to a single mode. Each first-time user receives 100 free AI inspections. When you run out of the 100 times inspection, an optional subscription is available, and it does not affect the normal use of the basic app.
In the Inspection section, there are three common detection modes recommended for you:
- Home Inspection for electrical systems, insulation, and energy leaks.
- Vehicle Detection for engine parts, exhaust systems, and electronics.
- Temperature Monitoring for equipment or continuous environment checks.
Once you select a mode, the app opens the camera interface. Here, you can choose a specific component by clicking into the button on the top-left — for example, Ignition Coil.
The system will instantly provide a baseline temperature range (such as 40–70 °C) to help you determine if your reading is normal or unusual.
2. Customizing Thermal Imaging Settings for Maximum Accuracy
Accurate thermal readings depend on precise calibration. TopInfrared allows you to adjust multiple parameters so your measurements reflect real-world conditions.
Modifying Emissivity, Distance, Compensation, and More.
Go to the Learn More tab → Settings → Temperature Correction Factor.
From here, you can modify emissivity, distance, and compensation parameters according to the surface type or inspection distance.Different materials emit heat differently — for example, metal, glass, and plastic each have unique emissivity values. Adjusting this ensures your temperature readings are true to life.
Screen Display Deviation Setting and Other Settings
In the Image Calibration section, you can correct any minor screen display deviations for improved clarity.
The app also lets you:
- Switch between metric and imperial units.
- Choose your preferred temperature scale (Celsius, Fahrenheit, or Kelvin).
- Enable auto-boot to automatically launch the app when your camera connects.
- Check for firmware updates to keep your device running with the latest performance improvements.
Inside the Camera tab, the TISR button at the top right enhances image detail and allows quick adjustment of parameters like emissivity and ambient temperature.
Just beside the capture button, additional shortcuts let you enable burst shooting, toggle auto-lens, record audio, and even add watermarks to your images for professional use.
3. Monitoring Temperature Trends and Using Picture-in-Picture (PIP) Mode
Monitoring how temperature changes over time is vital for diagnostics.
In the Camera interface, you’ll notice several icons that unlock powerful visualization options.
Crosshair Button: Choose how you want your data displayed — single point, line, area, full image, or live trend chart.
With the trend chart, you can watch temperature fluctuations dynamically on-screen. Simply drag to select an area and view its active graph.
You can also record your trend chart directly using your phone’s screen recorder for later review or reporting.
Picture-in-Picture (PIP) Mode: This feature lets you overlay the visible image from your phone’s camera with the thermal image.
It’s perfect for comparing what you see with what’s thermally active. You can also adjust transparency to blend both images smoothly for clearer visualization.
4. Using Pseudo Colors, Isotherms, and Temperature Alarms
Color palettes and alarms help you interpret heat data faster and more intuitively.
Tap the fourth icon in the camera interface to open color settings.
You’ll see multiple pseudo-color options. Each palette highlights heat distribution in different ways, allowing you to pick what best fits your environment or analysis style.
The fifth icon (Setting) in the camera interface offers deeper customization of your image:
Color Bar – Displays which temperature corresponds to each color shade.
Contrast – Enhances image clarity and edge sharpness.
Details – Controls how textured or smooth the thermal image appears.
Alarm – Set a specific temperature threshold to receive alerts when readings go beyond your set range.
5. Adjusting Display Orientation, Mirroring, and Fonts
To enhance usability across different working scenarios, TopInfrared provides flexible display settings.
In the Settings panel, you can:
- Rotate the live image to suit your viewing position.
- Mirror the picture horizontally or vertically for convenient comparison.
- Customize font color, typeface, and size to ensure text remains visible in bright or dark environments.
These adjustments help create a comfortable, personalized viewing experience, especially during long inspection sessions.
6. Setting Temperature Range: Normal vs. High
Thermal environments vary, and TopInfrared lets you switch between Normal and High-Temperature modes depending on your task.
Tap the thermometer icon to access this feature.
- Normal Temperature Mode is ideal for home or vehicle inspections, where temperatures stay within a moderate range.
- High-Temperature Mode is designed for industrial or metalwork applications, capturing heat beyond typical limits without saturation.
- Automatic Recognition Mode intelligently detects extreme heat and automatically adjusts the scale for optimal sensitivity and detail.
This flexibility ensures you always capture accurate and clear temperature data, no matter the environment.
Conclusion
You’ve now completed the full walkthrough of the TopInfrared App.
From AI-powered diagnostics to advanced calibration, from PIP visualization to smart temperature alarms — each feature is designed to help you see more, know more, and work smarter.
We encourage you to explore each function at your own pace using the accompanying video tutorials. With TopInfrared, precision thermal imaging becomes effortless — empowering you to detect problems faster, make data-driven decisions, and unlock a new level of thermal insight in your work.
FAQs
Q: Is TopInfrared a paid app?
A: The TopInfrared App itself is free to download and use. All essential functions — such as image capture, temperature measurement, and basic analysis — are available at no cost.
The TopFix AI Assistant offers an optional subscription. First-time users receive 100 free AI inspections, and a subscription fee applies only after those are used.
For general usage, you can enjoy the full app experience without payment, and only choose to pay if you’d like to access more detailed, AI-driven diagnostic insights.