Hi Roon community members. Recently I posted about some technical difficulties after a Roon or Apple OS and IOS update. I’ve read that Apple software is getting more difficult due to security measures. Also, I’m not calling out the hardworking Roon staff. To me, apps in general are getting more finicky…I thought I’d post the steps I take after I get a Roon/OS/IOS update to get my setup back up and running. Maybe it will help others? Of, if anyone has any tips or advice, I’d be very appreciative to read them.
• After a Roon/Apple OS/IOS update, restart my Core (MacMini), twice as several community members in related posts have said once may not be enough.
• On the core (Apple OS) go to Settings - privacy- enable Roon, turn off and then back on. Twice as recommended by a community member.
• Restart ARC on iPhone. Make sure ARC is set to Offline mode, sometimes it needs to be reset.
• On rare occasions, delete ARC from iPhone then reinstall, making sure offline mode is enabled when reinstalled.
• Finally restart Core to make sure it syncs properly with updated ARC.
All of this really has made me wonder if I should start considering moving from Apple, but when I read up on it, other systems seem to be just as buggy.
My Roon Server is ROCK but my remotes are all on Apple devices (MacBook Air, iPad Pro 12.9, iPhone 15 Pro Max) and I have none of these issues, so I’m not sure if it’s really Apple‘s fault.
Plus from decades of professional experience with Windows, all the macOS issues will look like paradise to you after you switch to Windows.
As above. Kept the systems separate and run ROCK on an Intel NUC10 like many. Zero issues with any Apple device even after the recent updates/MacOS software. The security setting plagued most software when it was released but, it should be mostly fixed now.
@Suedkiez & @Formula, thanks for the replies. So I can replace my MacMini with a NUC 10 and run a ROCK server. A NUC would be Microsoft right? This setup will allow me to continue to use my MacBook, iPad and iPhone more or less as I’m doing now? I current run my MacMini headless and control it through screen sharing. This enables me to also drag and drop music files from the macbook to the mini. Would I still be able to share files between the ROCK server and the macbook? Do you know if a Nucleus would also allow me to do that? I think a Nucleus is much more expensive though.
Also, this is going to sound really bad, but I’ll post. Thanks to @Suedkiez, I was able to install the Roon app on my Macbook. I’ve been a Roon user for a while now and searched many times in the Mac App Store for Roon, and never found it. The Roon Remote for iPhone and ARC for iPhone or on the IOS App store, but the Mac App is not in the App Store for Mac. Why? Thanks to the replies, I realized the Mac App must be on a Roon website somewhere. It would have been alot easier if it was also in the App store. It’s things like this that can make a user like myself with average tech abilities feel completely lost. It is so frustrating.
Because Apple will have their 20-30% markup applied to the Roon subscription price so either App developers have to soak up the apple tax or charge more……. The remotes and Arc are free with a subscription hence no issue of using the Apple App Store.
I also didn’t mean to necessarily say that it’s the fault of the Apple Mini as a server. Plenty people do that and are fine, too. I was just saying that I have all Apple except the server and I have none of the problems, so I think they lie elsewhere. I don’t know. A ROCK or Nucleus is probably the least ongoing work in many aspects, but I can’t guarantee that they make your problems go away.
Normally, for someone who is familiar with Macs, a Mini server should be fine, too, provided they apply the settings that prevent it from going to sleep and provided they do the the security setting dance after every update, which is necessary since Sequoia. From the pinned support post:
Both do
Same essentially for Nucleus. You need to add a music storage drive in both cases.
Depends on the number of tracks in your library. A little maybe, but a Nucleus One not that much. Otherwise they are very similar solutions, running the same software
As David Moore explained. This is not unusual at all, lots of Mac software is not on the macOS store. (And it was like this for decades before there even was such a thing as an app store).
There’s the Apple tax and there’s the option on macOS to install any apps that are not on the store, which it needs to have to qualify as a general-purpose computer, so developers use this option to avoid the Apple tax.
There is no way at all on iOS to get anything installed without the App Store. (Plus for Roon the mobile apps are free so Apple tax is not a problem there).
To be fair, you go to the Roon website and click on Downloads and it’s all there. This is very standard
Thanks, all of this was very informative. I think I have a pretty decent setup, but for the past year I’ve been expeiencing alot of problems. I’ll use the information you gave me and try to get myself sorted out. -Andy
I also use a Mac Mini as my server, but with additional music on drives that are connected to my iMac… which, when in first installed Roon, took some time to figure out how to connect them (Roon’s instructions weren’t great). Finally stumbled into the correct way of doing it.
After the last two updates, not only did those folders lose their connection (with error messages in the Folders area), but also the main MacMini music folder disconnected, leaving with virtually no music in my library.
The first time, it was due to a new security setting that was somewhat obscure. The only way I found it was from a single post in the forum here that hinted at it… and which took some time to find, after reading a whole lot of other posts that weren’t helpful. It seems to me that when Apple changes security needs in a way that affects Roon’s ability too connect to drives that Roon should release some sort of statement. Or are they not testing it enough to know themselves??? Either way, they need to step up a bit.
When it happened the next update, I simply had to reconnect the drives manually and they connected right up with the original folder, which seemed weird. Couldn’t do it by just editing the original drive… had to do it from scratch, but then, rather than create a duplicate folder, it simply connected to the original. Kinda strange.
Prior to those 2 updates, in the year I’ve had Roon, it worked pretty flawlessly and I didn’t have problems. But now? Would be a real pain if I have to do this every time Roon updates. Makes me a bit wary, and would consider ignoring updates. If it ain’t broke…
Hi Adam, Thanks for sharing. I’m sorry you’re having difficulty. I use an external drive and fortunatly haven’t had problems in that area as of yet. Roon and Mac were pretty smooth for me until Tahoe. I had occassional hiccups here and there, but with Tahoe my problems began to occur with mostly every update Mac and Roon update. At some point I plan on reaching out to the Roon tech support staff, trying to sort this out is beyond me.
I never had a problem with Roon running on an Intel Mac Mini late 2012 model that a restart did not cure.
Last fall I bought two Mac Mini’s one M2 for my desktop and one M1 for my Roon setup, after trying for days I finally gave up and went back to my old Intel 2012.
The problem was server issues and not able to connect even after multiple restarts and allowing Roon to have permissions.
I love Roon, I think it is one of the best things since sliced bread as the British say, have a life long subscription and use it nearly every day in the week.
I really grateful that the people at Roon are still working on this wonderful program and it is not something I take for granted as we all know that so called “audiophiles” and music lovers are getting fewer and older every year.
Having said all this, I think somehow Roon has lost the ball somewhat after they were acquired by Hartman/Samsung!
Roon should know well in advance when Apple are changing their Mac OS, and should give a warning to its customers not to upgrade or a work around if possible, this is something that should be made clear on their app somehow and not only their website.
I don’t know how many users Roon has, but I am sure someone at Apples uses Roon or know about Roon as Apple has nothing similar in their portfolio.
I am waiting for Roon to give the okey for installing the latest version of Roon on my M1 running latest version of Tahoe.
I’ve been encountering alot of probems, so I’m going to wait for the next updates to carefully right them all down before contacting Roon. Do we have a choice of not updating Roon? I always thought it was sort of a requirement? Also would that even make a difference? If Tahoe is being updated, wouldn’t that effect how Roon operates? I hate to say that Roon has dropped the ball, especially since I believe that the people who work to keep this running work very hard. But I agree, something is amiss. I’ve never had so many problems so often and so predictably. Maybe it’s with Roon or Apple, or just tech in general. At some point I may need to consider other streaming options. I know they exist. I just want to be able to sit down and reliably listen to music. It should not be this hard.
Arc is a mess. Every year I spend 3 months abroad and I never succeeded in playing music with arc. There’s always some problem that needs you to be at home to try something. Good luck when your abraod.
I bought a used MacMini for $200 and installed Roon on it with Splashtop. I use it to reboot my Roon Nucleus or reconnect Tidal and/or Qobuz to the Nucleus when needed.
I can also use Roon server on the MacMini with Tailscale to run Roon ARC on it playing to an iPad. I purchased a second lifetime Roon subscription for convenience, but you can do it with a single subscription.
