20 Most Recent Vtech V.Smile Pocket Questions & Answers

Hi I'm ryan, try resetting it. Remove the battery cover, there should be a pin hole with a reset button in it. my daughters did the same thing and i just reset the system and it works fine.

If you remove the battery door on the back above where the batteries are inserted there are 2 little buttons with the batteries removed press both buttons at the same time re-insert the batteries and the game should turn on. I am not sure if this is a system re-start but I find that some of out games are pretty beat and maybe they are causing the game to shut down. If it shuts off I preform this task and try a different game and it usually works it is kind of a pain but at least from what I can tell it must be something in the games themselves - maybe they just wear out after hours of play time.

you are suppose to put the cartridge in first and then turn on the game.

I did two things for my son's cyber pocket - first I took the batteries out and pressed the buttons inside the battery area for over a minute - put the batteries back in and it didn't work. Took them out again and pressed the on button for over a minute and then put the batteries back in and it worked again. hope this helps

Here's the solution to your V smile: Oxidized connectors! Remeber the original Nintendo back in the 80s? You had to repeatedly reinsert the cartridge so that it would work properly. The V smile has the same problem. They use tin plated copper contacts on the game cartridges as well as the internal connector. All newer electronics use gold plated contacts because gold does not oxidize (rust, corrode). You'll need a very fine sheet of sandpaper. Start by lightly sanding the game cartridge connector (you have to expose the contacts by pushing the plastic part in). Make sure you wipe the contacts clean with a rag, and do not touch the contacts with your fingers! Then you have to do the same with the console's internal connector. The danger here is bending one of the pins inside so be very careful. The real solution to this would be to replace the connector but no one sells it (checked ebay, Vtech). Should last a couple of months to a few years, depending on relative humidity and use. If your V smile turns on normally without a game cartridge, then this is your problem. Symptoms vary from no power to corrupted graphics to no sound as well as random turn off (with a cartridge, no problems without a cartridge). I've done a few lately and all are working like new. Let me know how it goes, but I take no responsability for bent pins, damaged connectors, fire, earthquake,...

We had the same problem. Put alcohol on a q-tip. Pull back the plastic sleeve on the Smartridge (game) and clean both sides
of the metal contact. Insert the Smartridge into the Smartridge slot and remove quickly. Then insert Smatrige and turn on the power.

I did this to all of the games and now it works like new!

Hope this helps!