The Roku app remote stopped responding on my phone and won’t control my Roku device. I’ve tried restarting both my phone and the Roku, but nothing’s changed. I need help figuring out what to do next to get the app working again.
If your Roku remote app isn’t working, there are a few simple fixes you can try before giving up. First, make sure your iPhone and Roku device are connected to the same Wi-Fi network — this is essential for the app to detect your Roku. If that checks out, try restarting both your Roku and your iPhone. You can also unplug the Roku for about 10 seconds and then plug it back in.
Make sure the Roku app on your iPhone is updated to the latest version from the App Store. On your Roku, go to Settings → Network → About to confirm it’s connected properly.
Also, head to Settings → System → Advanced system settings → Control by mobile apps and make sure it’s set to “Permissive” or “Default”.
If you’re using a VPN or have strict firewall settings, they may interfere with the app’s ability to connect — try disabling them temporarily.
If the official Roku app still doesn’t work, a great alternative is the Universal TV Remote Control app. It’s available for free on the App Store and works with a wide range of TVs including Roku, Samsung, LG, Sony, and TCL. The interface is clean and easy to use, offering quick access to navigation, volume, channels, inputs, and even a keyboard for typing.
How to Use the Universal TV Remote Control App (for iPhone):
- Open the App Store, type in “Universal TV Remote Control” and download it.
- Make sure your TV or Roku and iPhone are sharing the same Wi-Fi.
- Fire up the app. It’ll do a network scan, sniffing out TVs it can control.
- Find your TV on the list, tap it. First time? Your TV might pop up a “Do you want to allow?” dialog—say yes.
- Once you’re connected, the app is straightforward: arrows, volume, channels, inputs, and an actually usable keyboard.
You can read more information here about what to do if the Roku remote app isn’t working.
Good luck folks. May your streaming sessions be uninterrupted and your remotes always responsive.
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Honestly, it’s wild how often the Roku app just loses its mind & stops working. Since you’ve already done the “power cycle everything” dance and @mikeappsreviewer covered the obvious Wi-Fi/check-permissions and try another app thing, here’s what actually worked for me when I hit this wall:
First up, make sure your phone isn’t set to a Wi-Fi band (like 5GHz) your Roku doesn’t like. Sounds dumb, but my phone was cruising on 5GHz, my ancient Roku stuck on 2.4GHz, and they refused to talk. I forced both onto the same band and poof, connection magic.
Also, double-check no other network weirdness—sometimes guest Wi-Fi, “AP isolation,” or even network segmentation blocks things. I once found my router’s security settings were responsible for them ghosting each other. If you’ve got a mesh network, try standing near whatever node your Roku’s paired to (yes, really, sometimes the handoff fails).
There’s also background app refresh on the phone—if that’s off for Roku, try flipping it on. And sometimes just deleting the app ENTIRELY (not just offloading/reinstalling, but full delete) and re-adding it does the trick. I know, it shouldn’t matter but here we are.
Some folks say Bluetooth interferes, too—try killing Bluetooth on your phone, just to rule it out. Never made a diff for me, but the internet is weirdly split on this.
If you’re still dead in the water after all that, I’d say @mikeappsreviewer’s suggestion for a universal remote app is decent, but honestly, nothing beats physical buttons when the app fails. You can find cheap Roku remotes on Amazon or even use some universal IR remotes if your Roku model supports it (be sure to check the model, because newer sticks only want Wi-Fi remotes).
Last, I wouldn’t bother factory resetting the Roku unless you’re truly desperate—that’s usually overkill for a stupid network handshake fail. Anyone else got the app-just-mopes-and-freezes issue?
Here’s the deal: Roku app remote not working is basically a rite of passage for every user at some point. @mikeappsreviewer and @viajantedoceu already hit most of the standard checkboxes—same Wi-Fi, power cycling, update the app, network permissions, alternate remotes. But sometimes it’s not about the obvious stuff. My Roku once totally ghosted the app because my router decided to ‘optimize’ performance and randomly assign devices to isolated subnets. If you haven’t already, log into your router and turn OFF any “AP/client isolation”, “guest mode”, or “band steering” hacks—Roku really hates those, and the app will literally never find the device. Don’t assume that because your phone streams Netflix just fine, network settings aren’t the culprit.
Now, if you’re on one of those cheap ISP-provided routers, brace yourself: some just choke on device discovery protocols like SSDP, which the Roku app uses. “Port forwarding” might help (look up port 8060 and 8061 for Roku), or you might have to do something drastic like set everything to static IPs (ugh, but sometimes necessary). FWIW, I also had issues with “smart connect” features on mesh routers where one band silentlly runs on a VLAN with its own firewall—killed that, Roku came back to life.
Oh, and don’t sleep on app permissions—if you’re on iOS, location services MUST be enabled for the Roku app, or it just stares into the abyss. Seriously, Roku claims they only use it to find devices on the network, but it’s mandatory.
Factory reset? Only if you hate yourself.
My brutally honest take: Unless you’re deep into router admin settings and ready to wrangle the dumbest network quirks, a cheap replacement remote is probably saner than sinking more hours into this app disaster. But maybe that’s just me being salty. Anyone else roast their network gear while troubleshooting the world’s jankiest app remote?
Let’s just be real: Roku’s app remote sometimes makes you question your life choices. Everyone’s already noted the Wi-Fi quirks, device restarts, and network settings. But before you rage-buy another physical remote, let’s think outside the box. Your phone’s battery-saving mode or aggressive background app limiter might be quietly killing the Roku app’s network abilities—especially on Android where “battery optimization” is basically a silent assassin for connectivity. Whitelist the Roku app in your battery settings.
Another overlooked culprit: Bluetooth and casting conflicts. If you have multiple casting devices (fire sticks, Google Chromecast, even smart speakers), network discovery can bork. Temporarily disabling all but your Roku (and disconnecting non-essential devices) can make a difference.
As for alternatives: Universal TV Remote Control is cool for quick fixes and supports more than just Roku, but honestly, it can lag or fail with TVs after updates (plus ads are brutal unless you pay). The pros: one app for many devices, keyboard input, handy if your setup is multi-brand. Cons: ads, sometimes spotty Roku support, privacy red flags.
Don’t rush to a factory reset. Yet, if you have one of those router setups from network hell (guest isolation/subnetting), just plugging everything via Ethernet for device setup can work. Once set, you may find everything just clicks after switching back to Wi-Fi.
Bottom line: try nuking background restrictions, disconnect anything casting, and, if you must, sidestep with Universal TV Remote Control. But hey, sometimes buying a $10 remote from a big box store is the ultimate sanity move—less time fiddling, more time binge-watching.