Troubleshooting
TV remote app keeps disconnecting? Why it happens and how to fix it
Nefarius Apps11 min read
A TV remote app that keeps disconnecting usually has one of four causes. The moment of the drop tells you which one. If it drops after the iPhone locks or after you use another app, iOS paused the app and the connection closed. That is normal, and the app must reconnect. If it drops when the TV goes to standby, the TV stopped listening. If it stops working the next day, the TV probably got a new IP address from the router. If it drops at random while you use it, look at the Wi-Fi.
Find the pattern first
Before you change a setting, note when the connection drops. Each moment points to a different cause, and the fix for one cause does nothing for the others.
| When it drops | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| After the iPhone locks, or after you use another app | iOS paused the remote app, and the connection closed | Open the app and reconnect; set a longer Auto-Lock time |
| When the TV switches off or goes to standby | The TV is not available on the network | Switch the TV on, then reconnect; turn on the TV's power-on-from-phone setting |
| The next day, or after the router restarts | The TV has a new IP address | Reserve an address for the TV in the router |
| At random, while you use the app | The phone changed network, or the Wi-Fi signal is weak | Put both devices on the same network; move the router or use a cable for the TV |
| The app reconnects, but the TV asks for a code or permission again | The TV forgot the pairing, or sees the app as new | Pair again, and find out why the pairing was lost |
If the app never connects at all, the problem is different. Start with the checklist for a TV that doesn't show up and the iPhone's Local Network access setting.
It drops when the iPhone locks or you switch apps
If the connection drops only after the phone locks, nothing is broken. iOS pauses apps that are not on the screen, and a paused app cannot keep a connection to the TV open.
Apple's developer documentation describes the sequence. When you leave an app, iOS moves it to the background state and then to the suspended state. A background app must do as little work as possible. Apple's technical note on networking and multitasking adds the important part. While an app is suspended, the system can take back the resources of its network connection. If this happens, the connection closes. When the app opens again, the old connection does not work, and the app must open a new one.
The TV can also end the connection by itself. The open-source library androidtvremote2 uses the same protocol as the Google TV app. Its developer says that on this protocol, the TV and the remote send each other a check message every 5 seconds. The connection closes when one side gets no message for 15 seconds. A paused app cannot answer, so an Android TV or Google TV can close the session within seconds after the phone locks.
Google TV app users report this exact pattern. In a 2023 thread on the Google TV Community, a user wrote that the app's remote disconnects when the phone goes to sleep. To reconnect, the user had to select the TV again. 73 people marked that they had the same question. A Product Expert replied that the app works as designed, and suggested that this saves the phone's battery.
To get fewer drops of this type:
- Open the remote app again, and let it reconnect before you press a button.
- If the app does not reconnect by itself, select the TV again in the app's device list.
- To keep the screen on longer, open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, then tap Auto-Lock.
- Select a longer time.
Apple says that a longer Auto-Lock time can increase power use. Also check Low Power Mode. According to Apple, Low Power Mode sets Auto-Lock to 30 seconds and turns off Background App Refresh, so the remote app pauses sooner. Low Power Mode turns off when the battery charges to 80% or more.
A reconnect is not the same as a new pairing. A remote app keeps the key or permission that the TV gave it at the first pairing. With that key, the TV accepts the app again without a new code or prompt. If the TV asks for a code each time, read the section about pairing below.
It drops when the TV goes to standby
A TV in standby does not accept remote commands, except a power-on signal on TVs that support it. So the connection ends when the TV switches off. This is also true when you switch the TV off from the app. After that, the app has no TV to connect to until the TV is on again.
Some TVs have a setting that lets a phone app switch them on over the network. Samsung calls it Power On with Mobile. Samsung says that this setting "will allow mobile devices in your network to turn on your TV". To find it:
- On a 2022 or newer Samsung TV, open Settings, then All Settings, then Connections, then Network, then Expert Settings.
- On a 2017 to 2021 model, open Settings, then General, then Network, then Expert Settings.
- Turn on Power On with Mobile.
Samsung documents this setting for its SmartThings app. LG has a similar setting, and the settings that let a phone switch a TV on explains both. The setting must be on before you need it, and the TV must be on the same network as the phone.
If the TV switches itself off while you watch, check its sleep timer and power-saving settings. When the TV switches off, the remote app's connection ends too.
It stops working the next day: the TV changed address
If the app worked last night and today it cannot find a TV that is on, the TV probably has a new IP address. A home router gives each device an address with DHCP, and the address is temporary. The DHCP standard, RFC 2131, describes this as an address assigned "for a limited period of time". Apple recommends a lease time of 8 hours on home routers. A TV that was off all night can come back with a different address.
Some apps save a TV by its address. When the address changes, the app looks in the wrong place, and the TV seems to be gone until the app scans again. An app that saves an LG TV by its address can also show the PIN prompt again. To the app, the TV at the new address looks like a new TV. Why an LG TV asks for its PIN again explains this case.
The fix is an address reservation in the router. Routers also call it a DHCP reservation or a static lease. TP-Link, for example, says that with a reserved address the device "will always receive the same IP address each time it connects". On many TP-Link routers, the setting is at Advanced › Network › DHCP Server › Address Reservation.
- Switch on the TV, and make sure that it is connected to the Wi-Fi.
- Open your router's app or web page.
- Find the TV in the list of connected devices, and note its MAC address.
- Find the Address Reservation or DHCP Reservation page.
- Add the TV's MAC address and the IP address that you want it to keep.
- Save the change, and restart the router if the router tells you to.
A reservation fixes only this cause. It does not stop drops that come from the phone locking or from a weak Wi-Fi signal.
It drops at random while you use it: the network
If the connection drops while the app is on the screen and the TV is on, look at the network. Check these two causes.
The first cause is that the phone moves to a different network. This can be a guest network, a second router or a 5 GHz band with a different name. The phone and the TV then cannot reach each other, even when the Wi-Fi seems to work. Apple recommends one network name for all bands and only one DHCP server on a network. The guide for a phone and TV on the same Wi-Fi that still can't connect explains how to find and fix this. It also covers guest networks, mesh systems and client isolation.
The second cause is a weak signal at the TV. A TV far from the router, or behind a wall or a cabinet, can lose packets. Move the router closer to the TV if you can. If the TV is near the router, connect the TV with an Ethernet cable. The phone can stay on Wi-Fi, because both devices are still on the same local network.
When the TV asks to pair again
If the app reconnects but the TV shows a code or a permission prompt again, the TV no longer knows the app. A Samsung TV asks you to allow the device on the TV screen. An LG TV shows a PIN, and an Android TV or Google TV shows a code to type into the app.
This can happen after a reset of the TV or after you clear the TV's list of connected devices. It also happens when you delete the TV in the app and add it again. Pair once more, then the app can reconnect without a prompt. Samsung's allow-device prompt explains the Samsung prompt and what to do if the TV refused the app.
Checks for specific apps
The makers of three common remote apps give these checks.
| App | What the maker says to check |
|---|---|
| Google TV app | The phone and the TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network. To restart, unplug the TV, wait 10 seconds, plug it in again, then set up the virtual remote again. |
| Roku mobile app | On the Roku, open Settings › System › Advanced system settings › Control by mobile apps. With Limited, apps can only enter text, launch apps and show your activity. With Enabled, apps can control the device on your local network. The labels can be different on some models. |
| Apple TV Remote in Control Centre | It works only with Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD and AirPlay-compatible smart TVs. Put the iPhone on the same Wi-Fi network, update both devices, then restart both. |
The Roku setting can explain a remote that half works: text entry works, but the arrow buttons do nothing. Change the setting to Enabled, then try the app again.
How Tivi handles a dropped connection
Tivi is a universal TV remote app for iPhone from Nefarius Apps. It controls Samsung, LG, Android TV and Google TV sets over your home network, with no account. Tivi cannot keep the connection open while the iPhone is locked, because iOS pauses it like other remote apps. This is how the connection comes back when you open Tivi again:
- On a Samsung TV, Tivi checks the connection when you open the app again. If the connection closed, Tivi reconnects with the permission that the TV already gave, so the TV does not ask again.
- Other TVs that you connected before are in the Previously connected list, and they reconnect with one tap.
- The TVs tab shows the name of the Wi-Fi network that the iPhone is on. If the phone is on the wrong network, you can see it there.
- The information sheet for each TV shows its IP address, which helps you find the TV in the router when you set an address reservation.
Tivi does not control Roku or Apple TV. For those, use the Roku app or the Apple TV Remote in Control Centre.
The short version
Note the moment the remote app drops. After the iPhone locks, a drop is normal, and a longer Auto-Lock time makes it less frequent. When the TV goes to standby, switch the TV on again, or use a power-on setting. If it stops working the next day, reserve an address for the TV in the router. Random drops point to the Wi-Fi.
Common questions
Why does my TV remote app disconnect when my phone locks?
iOS pauses apps that are not on the screen, and Apple says that the system can close the network connection of a paused app. On Android TV and Google TV, the connection also closes when no message arrives for about 15 seconds. Open the app again to reconnect, and set a longer Auto-Lock time if the drops happen too often.
Why does my remote app work one day and not the next?
The TV probably has a new IP address. Routers give addresses for a limited time, and a TV that was off overnight can come back with a different one. An app that saved the old address cannot find the TV until it scans again. Reserve an address for the TV in your router to stop this.
Can a TV remote app stay connected all the time?
Usually not on an iPhone with a locked screen. iOS pauses the app, and the connection can close. The app can only reconnect when you open it again. A longer Auto-Lock time keeps the app on the screen longer, but it uses more battery.
Does a static IP address stop a remote app from disconnecting?
Only when the cause is an address change. A reserved address, also called a static lease, keeps the TV at the same address. An app that saved the address then finds the TV again. It does not stop drops that come from the phone locking, the TV going to standby or a weak Wi-Fi signal.
Sources
- Apple. Managing your app's life cycle.
- Apple (2011). Technical Note TN2277: Networking and Multitasking.
- Apple. Keep the iPhone display on longer.
- Apple (2026). Use Low Power Mode to save battery life on your iPhone or iPad.
- Apple (2026). Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points.
- Apple (2026). Set up the Apple TV Remote on your iPhone or iPad.
- Google. Learn how to fix problems with the Google TV virtual remote.
- Google TV Community (2023). Google TV Remote App Constantly Disconnecting.
- tronikos on GitHub (2023). Android TV Remote constantly disconnecting / reconnecting, comment on the keep-alive messages.
- Roku (2026). How to install the Roku remote app.
- Samsung. Power On with Mobile: Turning On a Samsung TV with the SmartThings App.
- IETF (1997). RFC 2131: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.
- TP-Link (2026). How to Configure Address Reservation on TP-Link Wireless Router.