Roku mobile app

Discover troubleshooting and helpful tips for the Roku mobile app. Learn how to use the Roku remote on your phone, add channels, privately listen, and more.
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camart1010
Newbie

Roku Mobile app not working

There is no resolution for this that has worked for me and all threads have been closed. My mobile app has stopped finding my tv. 

9 REPLIES 9
Heedlix
Channel Surfer

Re: Roku Mobile app not working

Yep. I contacted Chat Support today with the same issue. The support rep gave me all of the usual troubleshooting steps, to no avail. They even tried to place the blame on my router settings. However, a third party remote app was easily able to connect to and control my Stick+. Eventually, the rep checked with their team and came back telling me that they are aware of the issue and are working on a solution. They're supposed to let me know via email when they have the problem solved.

atc98092
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Roku Mobile app not working

I just tested the app on my phone (iPhone 12, iOS 16.1.1) and it sees every Roku on my network. Some are wired, some are 2.4 GHz and some are 5 GHz WiFi. I tested it with the phone connected to 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, no problems with either. So, there's no problem with the Roku mobile app.

If your app isn't connecting, then it's a network issue. The most common is the WiFi radio in the router has a security setting that blocks connected devices from seeing other devices on the network. The next most common is more of a technical issue. The phone and the Roku must be on the same IP network segment, meaning that the first three digits of the IP address must be the same. For most home networks, that address is likely either 192.168.0.x or 192.168.1.x, with the x being a discrete number for each networked device between 1 and 254. If your Roku and you phone are on different segments, the app can't communicate with the Roku. Fixing this is beyond when can be provided here, and unless you purchased your own home router you can probably get assistance from your Internet provider in making any router changes.

Dan

Roku Community Streaming Expert

Help others find this answer and click "Accept as Solution."
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I am not a Roku employee, just another user.
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rolf_c
Newbie

Re: Roku Mobile app not working

I had the same problem and the following solution worked for me. My problem was the Roku app stopped seeing either of my Roku devices - one streaming stick (Roku Streaming Stick+) and one Roku-enabled tv. I tried all the nonsense I'd seen posted around the internet but to no avail.

This worked for me, literally did this ten minutes ago: Using the Roku remote I moved the stick from my 5ghz wifi to 2.4ghz. Within moments the Roku app saw the stick and the app controlled it like always. I moved the stick back to the 5ghz wifi and boom, the app sees it just fine and all is back to normal.

The nonsense you see about changing your router settings is 100% baloney, do not goof with your router for this issue. This is not a router issue, it is not a network configuration issue. My router config has not changed in over 12 months, this issue has nothing to do with your router or network config.

As for why my solution worked for me, I don't have an answer. My guess is the latest software update for Roku (mine is dated October 26 2022, about a month ago) has introduced some new bug or an old bug has resurfaced (regression). This is the mostly likely culprit and were I Roku this is where I'd start looking.

atc98092
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Roku Mobile app not working

@rolf_cthere is no 5.2 GHz WiFi network. Home WiFi networks operate on 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz. Yes, the 5 GHz band extends from 5.170 to 5.835 GHz, and it's referred to as 5 GHz. The 6 GHz band starts at 5.925 GHz (yes, it slightly overlaps the 5 GHz band) and extends to 7.125 GHz.

We just need to use the official nomenclature so everyone has the same understanding. It's like when someone says their network uses 5G, and we have to remind them that 5G is a cellular radio band, not WiFi. Just want everyone to understand the terminology. 😄

Dan

Roku Community Streaming Expert

Help others find this answer and click "Accept as Solution."
If you appreciate my answer, maybe give me a Kudo.

I am not a Roku employee, just another user.
rolf_c
Newbie

Re: Roku Mobile app not working

You are correct, thank you. My brain was too fast for my fingers in that post. I'll see if I can edit, and if so I'll correct it.

-rolf

Heedlix
Channel Surfer

Re: Roku Mobile app not working

@atc98092While I appreciate your depth of knowledge on IP addresses and so forth, your conclusion isn't accurate, without controlling for the version of the Roku app you're using. For example, my setup had been working perfectly fine, until it broke with the current version of the Roku app, which in my case is 8.8.3.18 - this is the version that seems to coincide with Roku's announcement of their "new" smart home products.

As I mentioned in my reply, the fact that I was able to easily connect with and control my Stick+ using a third party app clearly demonstrates that this is not a network problem. Moreover, the support rep that I chatted with confirmed with their team that they are aware that this is a backend issue that they are working to address.

Also, I felt it worth mentioning that while your guidance regarding IP address segments IS technically accurate, to my knowledge, no consumer or ISP-provided routers provide multiple IP address pools by default, if they're even capable of it at all. The only time I've seen this particular complication crop up is if a network admin or pro installer sets up either a DMZ or secondary SSID to specifically handle IoT devices (which makes sense from a security standpoint, tho I've not personally found the need in the field).

Regardless, fwiw, nerd to nerd, I appreciate you.

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atc98092
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Roku Mobile app not working

Well, I always thought that there was no consumer product that used anything other than a /24 netmask assignment in their DHCP server, but come to find out that there actually are some. And for whatever reason, the Roku app doesn't seem to handle those correctly. If the phone with the app is on say 192.168.4.x, and the Roku devices were on 192.168.6.x, even with the proper netmask settings to make it one large pool, the app couldn't see the devices. That particular user had to make IP address reservations in their router to ensure the phone and Roku devices were always assigned the same third number. So the app developers overlooked that scenario with proper private IP addresses but within an expanded pool.

I realize the Roku rep claimed there was an issue, but it wouldn't be the first time they said something that wasn't quite accurate. The Roku Home products use a completely different app for control, so the timing for the problem occurring was likely a coincidence.

But hey, I'll be the first to acknowledge that I don't always get my answer correct. Without the inside knowledge of an employee, all we can do is make educated guesses based on past experience. Hat tip to my fellow nerd 😄

Dan

Roku Community Streaming Expert

Help others find this answer and click "Accept as Solution."
If you appreciate my answer, maybe give me a Kudo.

I am not a Roku employee, just another user.
Heedlix
Channel Surfer

Re: Roku Mobile app not working

Okay... so here's the solution I've found.

The only thing that worked was adding my Stick+ to the app, manually.  However, in order to do that, you have to know the IP address of your Roku device.  You can go to Settings > Network > About, in order to find the IP address of your device.  Once I put that IP address in the app, it found my device and now seems to be working normally.

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Heedlix
Channel Surfer

Re: Roku Mobile app not working

Just got an email from Roku that they’ve resolved this issue. The version of the app that I now have is 8.10.1.7

I may actually disconnect my device and try to re-add it, in order to test the efficacy of their fix. 

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