Roku Mobile App

[jaaaasshh]

I'm using a Roku Streaming stick and the Roku app on iphone.

The iPhone app has this feature that can stream audio to my connected headphones.

More often than not, when a video is actively playing on the roku stick and I click the headphone button on my iphone I get an error that says something about streaming audio to my headphones doesn't work because the network is not fast enough.

However, if I do the following:

1) Stop the video

2) Click the back arrow (to exit the video)

3) Click headphone button (to connect audio)

4) Restart the video

Then all works well and audio streams to my iphone connected headphones.

This suggests to me that there's a bug in the Roku/iphone app that prevents streaming from starting when the video is already playing.  It's pretty clear that there *is* enough bandwidth for streaming to work fine.

[RokuTannerD]

@jaaaasshh Thanks for reaching out. Could you provide some additional details here so we can try to help assist you further: 

- What model of iPhone are you using and what version of iOS is it running? 

- What version of the Roku mobile app do you have installed? 

- What model of Roku device are you using? (Settings>System>About - e.g. Roku Ultra 4660X)

- What streaming channel are you watching video in when you tap to activate private listening and see that message? Could you provide a picture of the error you see appear and include it in your reply? 

- Does this happen in every streaming channel (YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, etc.) or just one channel in particular? 

- Have you tried restarting both your Roku device and wireless modem/router just to see if this clears up the issue? 

Thanks,

Tanner

[jaaaasshh]

8+

6.2.2

3600x roku stick

at a minimum: netflix and plex

all the things have been restarted 

The issue has been around for a long time.. Like a year at least. It’s presumably spanned numerous versions of all the things.

[RokuTannerD]

@jaaaasshh  Thanks for the details. This issue may also be caused by a network-related issue. A few more things that we would recommend trying: 

- Ensure your wireless network is broadcasting on the 5GHz band. 5GHz offers more wireless channels and quicker transmission speeds between your device and the router, which can help improve performance and decrease wireless interference. 

- Try changing your wireless network's broadcast channel to reduce wireless interference. If another nearby network is broadcasting on the same or a bordering channel, this may cause wireless interference that can reduce network performance. Your ISP or wireless router manufacturer can assist you in doing this. 

- Test connecting your mobile device and Roku to a different wireless network. If the issue does not occur, this can help confirm that a possible network issue can be impacting performance. 

- Test using a different mobile device with the Roku mobile app to see if you observe the same behavior from that device. 

Keep us posted from there. 

Thanks,

Tanner

[jaaaasshh]

You'll note that I didn't say the audio doesn't connect at all.  I said that it works inconsistently.  In fact, there are clearly defined steps in my original post that outline how to get it working.  This strongly suggests to me that the network is capable of handling the situation thus making all 4 of your suggestions irrelevant.

Aside from that, I've used this roku stick on numerous networks and televisions.  The issue spans *many* networks, not just a single one.  Troubleshooting the way you described doesn't seem productive.

This form doesn't seem to allow me to upload a screenshot (or that functionality is broken, not really sure).  The exact error message is: "PRIVATE LISTENING We were not able to start the audio stream. Please ensure that you have a strong wifi signal and try again"

[jaaaasshh]

This is definitely still an issue.

Today I'm on a different network with the same roku stick and iphone and it just happened.

[SKaseman]

Before this last update, the iOS app remote seemed pretty decent. Now the very last update in June/2020 for Roku iOS messed it up again!
Can’t get any better stream when the WiFi is right beside the Roku and the Roku show EXCELLENT CONNECTION STATUS. this has been an on going hit and miss remote App issue.

Please find the bug or go back to the last release. PLEASE!! or Maybe provide a Physical remote control for us 😉 

[jeffmcw]

I have been having a similar issue, but it seems to depend on which Roku that I'm connected to - I have two. One is an older (about 5 years old) Roku Streaming Stick and the new one is a TCL Roku TV I got just a month ago. The old stick works flawlessly even though it is (now) further away from the wifi router. The TCL is literally right next to the router and has the connection issue. In my case, the audio works for a while - a few minutes to an hour or more - but then starts cutting out, sputtering and getting garbled. If I hit the private listening button on my iphone to disconnect the audio and reconnect, it usually (sometimes I have to do this two or three times) solves the issue and will work for a while longer. Since both of these devices are using the same wifi, iphone and headset, it seems to me that it is related to the new Roku TV..

[lesmikesell]

Does it make a difference what content you are playing?  Your new TCL TV may be getting 4k content that takes all your wifi bandwidth. Mine has been working well since I tweaked my wifi channels to ones with less conflict with neighbors and put the TV on the 5ghz band and my phone on 2.4Ghz (not sure if the latter helped but it seemed like a good idea...).    If your TV is really near the router you might try an ethernet cable to eliminate the wifi traffic from the streaming content.

[jeffmcw]

Nope, the vast majority of what I watch isn’t available in 4K. Doesn’t matter what app I use either; it’s happened in YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon, and I think Stars.