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How to Fix It When Roku Remote App Won't Connect
Try these proven troubleshooting tips to diagnose the problem
By Sandy Writtenhouse Sandy Writtenhouse Writer Kaplan University Sandy has been writing about technology since 2012. Her work has appeared on How-To Geek, MakeUseOf, iDownloadBlog, groovyPost, and many other websites. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on November 12, 2021 Reviewed by Lisa Mildon Reviewed by Lisa Mildon Southern New Hampshire University Lisa Mildon is a Lifewire writer and an IT professional with 30 years of experience. Her writing has appeared in Geekisphere and other publications. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Streaming Devices Roku The Ultimate Guide to Roku Chromecast Fire TV Apple TV If you've downloaded the Roku—Official Remote App to your mobile phone, but the app doesn’t recognize or display your Roku TV, here are several troubleshooting steps to try to get the app connected to your television. Why Is My Phone Not Connecting to My Roku TV
There is no single cause as to why the Roku app doesn’t see your television. It can be a simple setting you can adjust on your Roku TV or a difference in the network you’re using for your mobile phone versus your TV. Start with the most common issue at the top of this list and work your way down until you’ve solved the problem. How Do I Get My Roku TV to Display in the Roku App
You can work through these troubleshooting options whether you’re using the Roku app on your Android or iOS device. Download Roku app for iOS Download Roku app for Android Enable your Roku TV to use mobile apps. You may not realize it but there is a setting which allows mobile apps to control your Roku TV. This setting must be turned on for the Roku app to work. Grab your Roku remote and press the Home button. Select Settings > System > Advanced System Settings. Pick Control by mobile apps and click Network access. Choose either Default (most common) or Permissive (for advanced configurations). Make sure both devices are on the same network and the same band. In order for the app on your mobile phone to work with your Roku TV, both must be using the same network. And if you use a dual band router, both devices must use the same band. You can check which network your Roku TV is using by going to Settings > Network > About. Give your iPhone permission to access your Roku TV. If you are running iOS 14 or later, you must enable the Local Network setting on your mobile device for the Roku app. Go to Settings > Roku and enable the toggle for Local Network. Confirm your Roku TV is using a private IP address. Devices like your mobile phone, computer, and Roku TV should be using private IP addresses. If you do not have a router on your network, it’s possible your Roku TV is using a public IP address instead. If this is the case, you can install a router or contact your network management expert. Go to Settings > Network > About to see your Roku TV’s IP address. Disconnect from your VPN when using the Roku app. You may connect to a VPN with your mobile device to access your company’s network. Since some VPNs route all applications through it, this may cause your Roku TV to not display in the Roku app. You can disconnect from the VPN and then reconnect after you finish using the Roku app. Restart your Roku TV and the Roku app. Often times a simple restart can help fix the problem. Restart your Roku TV and then quit or close and reopen the Roku app on your mobile phone. How Do I Connect My Roku Remote App Manually
If none of the above troubleshooting options help, you can connect the Roku app to your Roku TV manually. Obtain the IP address for your Roku TV by visiting Settings > Network > About. Then, open the Roku app on your phone, go to the Devices tab, and tap the three dots on the top left. Choose Connect Manually, enter the IP address for your Roku TV, and tap Connect. Get Support From Roku
If you have tried all of the troubleshooting steps and are unable to connect your Roku TV to the Roku app manually, it’s probably time to contact Roku for assistance. Visit the Roku Support page and select a support option. FAQ Why doesn't the keyboard work on the Roku remote app? Not all channels on Roku, such as Amazon Prime, support keyboard input from the Roku app. Roku allows channel developers to decide whether or not users can use this feature. Why does my Android Roku remote app keep closing? You might need to update the app and restart your device. Check for an app update in Google Play from the Menu > My apps & games > Updates. You could also try clearing the Android app's cache and uninstalling and reinstalling it. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Fix It When Your Roku Remote Is Not Working How to Connect an Android Phone to a Roku TV 4 Ways to Find Your Roku IP Address (With or Without the Remote) What Is an IP Address? How to Pair a Roku Remote How to Connect AirPods to Roku TV How to Connect Your Roku to Wi-Fi How to Fix It When Roku TV Won't Turn On How to Add Spotify to a Roku Device How to Cast to Roku TV From Android How to Connect Roku to Wi-Fi Without a Remote How to Fix It When Roku Channels Won't Open How to Fix It When Netflix Won't Work on Roku What Is a Public IP Address? (and How to Find Yours) How to Fix It When Discovery Plus Is Not Working How to Fix It When Roku TV Sound Is Not Working Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies