Forum Discussion
WiFi has two separate radio bands: 2.4 and 5 GHz. Some Roku devices only support 2.4 GHz, mostly the lower cost Express and Premiere models. Yes, it would really help to know the model number of your Roku.
On the 2.4 GHz band, there are 14 channels, but Roku devices can only see channels 1-11. If your access point is using channel 12, 13 or 14, the Roku will never see it. When it doesn't even appear in the list of available access points, it's usually a channel issue.
On 5 GHz, there are again some channel limits. The channels start at 36 and go to 177. But again the channels between 49 and 148n are not visible by Roku devices. These channels are labeled as DFS channels, and there are legal limits to where they can be used, so Roku simply doesn't use them.
Your access point (the phone hotspot) may or may not allow setting the channel to be used. When I look at my iPhone 12, I don't see any settings for stuff like that. There is a switch labeled "Maximize Compatibility", but the phone doesn't explain what that setting does. I looked it up and it switches the iPhone hotspot from 5 GHz to 2.4 GHz. So if that's the phone you have you might try that setting. Since you switched phones, that could be the answer. Older iPhones only offered a hotspot on 2.4 GHz.