The Ultimate Guide on how to play Smart Darts at Home

Posted by HLD 08 MARCH 2023

Smart Darts: The Ultimate Guide

1. What is Smart Darts?

2. How does Smart Darts work?

3. How can I play Smarts Darts at home?

4. How do I activate my darts?

5. How do I connect my Smart Dartboard to the App?

6. How do I connect my Smart Dartboard to my TV?

7. What games can I play?

1. What is Smart Darts?

If you love playing darts but don't enjoy faffing about with the maths of keeping score, then a Smartboard is what you want to buy.

Smart darts is an electronic dartboard that allows the game of darts to be played by a broader range of players. It's fast-paced and great fun with loads of games to choose from when you connect your dartboard to your smart device.

Smart darts uses normal steel tip darts and it uses a normal bristle dartboard, so playing the game is essentially the same. What is clever about Smart darts is the magnetising system within the board which detects where the dart has landed and sends that info straight to your smart scoring system, either on your phone, tablet or TV.

The smart technology automatically scores your darts so you don't have to. It's great fun for all abilities. Easy to set up and play. The classic game of darts with a technological twist.

  

2. How does Smart Darts work?

Smart darts uses the lastest darts technology to enhance your gaming experience.

Simply place any steel tip dart into the dart magnetiser on your smartboard and give it a twizzle. This will magnetise your darts, meaning the board will detect when the dart hits any area on the smartboard. You don't need to buy particular smart darts, the magnetiser works with all steel tip darts.

The Smartboard uses Bluetooth LE connectivity to instantly transmit the score of every dart to the Scorebuddy® app on your mobile or tablet device. This registers the score, how you compare to the other players and what you need to score next.

Unicorn Smartboard Magnitiser

3. How can I play Smart Darts at home?

Smart darts is used loads commercially in pubs and bars and is hugely popular. You CAN buy your very own Smartboard for your home and it's more affordable than you think.

For £174.99 you can buy a Unicorn Smartboard with free delivery from Home Leisure Direct.

Click here to find out more about the Unicorn Smartboard.

Unicorn Darts Smartboard

The dartboard includes all fixings to be able to fix it on your wall at home and measure your oche line. Also included is 3x AAA batteries to get you started. 

Now, you need to choose your darts. As long as the darts have a steel tip you can choose any set you like to match the weight and style you prefer.

Click here to see our full range of darts

  

Bullseye Smartboard Bundle

We also have available our exclusive Bullseye Smartboard bundle for £259.00

The officially licensed Bullseye Smarboard bundle has everything you need for a game of darts, and it’s perfect to re-live the fun of the iconic TV show! 

Click here to see more on the Bullseye Smartboard bundle.

Bullseye Smartboard Bundle

  

4. How do I activate my darts?

Place the point of each dart into the centre of the Smart button before play begins for at least 3 seconds per dart. Failure to activate your dart will result in no score. This needs to be done periodically if darts don't score.

  

5. How do I connect my Smart Dartboard to the app?

Please ensure you are using fresh batteries and that they are correctly oriented in the back of the board.

Press the Smart button and your Smartboard® will wait until you have started the App for the Bluetooth to connect. The Smart button will flash Green until a connection is made.

Start the Scorebuddy® App. If you are starting the app for the first time please ensure you watch the tutorial and give the app all permissions. If the connection is made successfully, the Smart button holds Green. The icon in the top right hand of the Scorebuddy® App will be completely Blue.

You are now ready to throw.

(Note: Android App users need to allow the app access to their location for Scorebuddy® App to function correctly)

 Adding players

Press the button in the top left of the homepage which has the outline of a person. Press Add Player and enter the player's name and then press Save. The player's name will now appear in the list - please ensure it has a green tick next to the name.

Selecting players

Once a game has been chosen you will be asked to select players for the game. Click on the players name from the options in the box and they will begin to populate the team list. If you want to add someone to a team, make sure the correct box is highlighted in yellow before pressing the players name.

 

6. How do I connect my Smart Dartboard to my TV?

Standard TV that is not a Smart TV

Use a USB-C to HDMI adapter. If your phone has a USB-C port, you can plug this adapter into your phone, and then plug an HDMI cable into the adapter to connect to the TV. Your phone will need to support HDMI Alt Mode, which allows mobile devices to output video

Samsung Phone Connection to TV

Step 1. Swipe down from the top screen to open the Quick panel > tap on Smart View icon.

Step 2. Select your TV from the list of available devices (depending on the TV, you may need to enter a PIN).

Step 3. Select Start now on the pop-up message that says 'Start casting with Smart View?'

Play the Scorebuddy App from your phone and it will show on your TV screen.

how to mirror with Smart View

If the mirroring image is small on the screen, you can change the aspect ratio.

Step 1. Go to Smart View > Tap on More Options (three vertical dots).

Step 2. Tap Settings > Phone aspect ratio.

Step 3. Select Full screen on connected device to make it a full screen.

Play the Scorebuddy App from your phone and it will show on your TV screen.

how to set phone aspect ratio

iPhone Connection to TV

Step 1. Connect your iPhone or iPad to the same Wi-Fi network as your Apple TV, AirPlay-compatible smart TV, or Mac.2

Step 2. Open Control Center

Step 3. On iPhone X or later or iPad with iPadOS 13 or later: Swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen. On iPhone 8 or earlier or iOS 11 or earlier: Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen. 

Step 4. Tap Screen Mirroring

Step 5. Select your TV or Mac from the list.

If an AirPlay passcode appears on your TV screen or Mac, enter the passcode on your iPhone or iPad.

Play the Scorebuddy App from your phone and it will show on your TV screen.

An animation on iOS shows Control Center, then Screen Mirroring is selected and the card appears, Living Room is selected, and a prompt for an AirPlay code appears.

7. What games can I play?

ScoreBuddy App

The ScoreBuddy App automatic calculates scores as soon as the darts hit the board via Bluetooth connection. Up to 12 players for doubles or 6 players for singles can be added via the app. Simply choose between 7 exciting games and begin a great game of darts.

Included Games:

  • 01
  • Count Up
  • Shanghai
  • Cricket
  • Halve It
  • Around The World
  • Killer

scorebuddy-app-graphic.jpg

Bullseye App

The nation's favourite darting quiz show, Bullseye, is ready to play.

Register for FREE and bring home Bullseye

Home Leisure Direct’s brand new Bullseye mobile game app. The Bullseye Official game app will allow you to play the entire game show from the comfort of your own home with your family and friends. You don’t need a fancy projector set up, just a regular dartboard and the app.

   

App Store logo and symbol, meaning, history, PNG. App Store badges for Apple, Windows, Android and Google Play stores –  Design Pieces

   

 

Get in touch

Call our team today on 0808 503 3768 and our lovely sales team will be happy to give As to any Qs you may have.

Want to see these products in person or see how they play? Come and visit our amazing Bristol Showroom!  It’s only 15 minutes from Cribbs Causeway. We have dozens of the world’s very best darts, pool tables and games room products waiting for you. We're open throughout the festive break, so this could be the perfect time to visit.

Learn more about our showroom opening times here.

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