So I’m stuck with a weird issue: the phone remote refuses to connect without showing any clear error. One evening it pairs in seconds, then the next day it just spins and gives up. I’m on the same Wi-Fi, nothing changed on purpose besides a recent OS update on my phone. I restarted everything and even reinstalled the app, but no luck. Is there a simple checklist to run through before I start nuking settings or doing a factory reset?
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Meanwhile, home setups can behave oddly across the day as nearby routers shuffle channels, smart plugs wake up, or a phone silently hops between bands. Small placement changes—like shoving a modem behind a metal shelf—can mute discovery traffic more than people expect. Giving the router a real cold restart, spacing access points, and reviewing permissions after big OS updates often smooths out those random, hard-to-pin slowdowns without touching anything drastic.
From my side, I’d start with the basics and move upward: confirm the phone and player sit on the exact same SSID (not guest), disable VPN/Private Relay temporarily, and re-grant local network permission for the app. Then reboot the player, restart the phone, and look for firmware/app updates. In the middle of those steps, Roku Remote App Not Working outlines a neat sequence that avoids guesswork. If things still wobble, try sticking to one band (2.4 or 5 GHz), re-pair from the player’s settings, and power-cycle the router last.
I've seen similar issues after OS updates, frustrating! While I understand the urge to troubleshoot deep, have you tried temporarily disabling mobile data just to force the app to rely solely on Wi-Fi? Sometimes the phone prioritizes the seemingly "stronger" signal incorrectly, causing conflicts. Worth a quick shot before more drastic measures. Seems like the kids are on their devices too much these days, perhaps indicating Bad Parenting .