ARC fails to connect remotely on Samsung Android phone (ref#PDSRLY)

Hi! What’s not quite right with Roon?

· None of the above quite fits

None of the above quite fits

· None of these quite match

Tell us what's going on

· Whilst I used to be able to use ARC on my Samsung Android phone to connect to my Roon server, remotely ... I have tried to do this several times recently - and ARC fails to connect.

Tell us about your home network

· Tesltra is the service provider (in Australia). NBN (high-speed) internet connection.
Telstra Smart Modem is an Arcadyan Technology Corporation LH1000, Model 0 20 04r.
Router is an ADTran 423GN2.

Hi @Andrew_Redwood,

Thanks for reaching out.

To help us understand what’s happening with ARC, we’ll need to gather a bit more detail from both the server and the phone side.

First, on your Roon Server, could you please check Settings → Roon ARC and let us know what the diagnostics status shows there?
In particular, does it report that ARC is Ready / Accessible, or does it indicate any warnings or errors?

Next, on your Samsung Android phone:

  • What exactly do you see on the screen when ARC fails to connect? (Any specific error message or status text would be helpful.)
  • Are you able to connect successfully with ARC when your phone is on the same local WiFi network as your Roon Server, or does the issue occur there as well?

These details will help us determine whether this is a local connectivity issue, a network / routing change, or something specific to remote access.

Once you’ve had a chance to check, please reply with what you’re seeing and we’ll take it from there.

Thanks, Vadim.

Re. your 1st point: “on your Roon Server, could you please check Settings → Roon ARC and let us know what the diagnostics status shows there?
In particular, does it report that ARC is Ready / Accessible, or does it indicate any warnings or errors?

It shows:
“Ready
Roon ARC can securely access your Roon Server”.

And re. your 2nd point: "on your Samsung Android phone:

    • What exactly do you see on the screen when ARC fails to connect? (Any specific error message or status text would be helpful*.)"

I see:
“Searching for Roon Server.
This is taking longer than normal. Check that your Roon Server is On and connected. You may also need to confirm your network settings and firewall.”

And, yes - this same error message appears when my phone is on the same local WiFi network as my Roon Server.

Regards,
Andrew

Hi @Andrew_Redwood ,

Thanks for the update.

I’ve analyzed the diagnostics report files, and here is what stands out: Your Roon Server successfully configures the port via UPnP and reports back as “Ready” to our cloud. However, the logs show zero attempts from your Samsung phone reaching the Server. The connection requests are simply not getting through to the PC, which confirms why this is happening even on your local Wi-Fi.

Since the phone cannot “see” the Server locally, please try the following steps to help us pinpoint the blockage:

  1. Test with the standard Roon Remote:

    On the same Samsung phone, please install or open the standard Roon Remote app (not ARC). Does it find and connect to your Roon Server?

    • If "No": This indicates a general network visibility issue (Firewall or Router isolation).
    • If "Yes": This issue is specific to the ARC app instance.
  2. Windows Firewall Test:

    Since your Server is on Windows 10, updates can sometimes reset firewall rules. Please temporarily disable the Windows Firewall (for both Private and Public networks) and try to connect ARC again.

    • If it connects, you will likely need to manually add exceptions for roon.exe and raat_server.exe.
  3. Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet & Topology:

    We noticed in the logs that your Roon Server is connected via Wi-Fi.

    • Ethernet Test: If possible, please temporarily connect the Windows PC directly to the router via an Ethernet cable. Wi-Fi often blocks Multicast traffic needed for device discovery.
    • Router Connection: You mentioned a Telstra Modem and an ADTran Router. Is the PC connected to one and the phone's Wi-Fi provided by the other? If they are on different hardware segments, they might be isolated from each other.
  4. ARC App Troubleshooting:

    If the network side looks fine, let’s refresh the app on the phone:

    • Go to Android Settings -> Apps -> Roon ARC -> Storage and select Clear Cache/Clear Data.
    • As a test, please try uninstalling the Play Store version and installing the direct APK version from our website: [url=https://roon.app/en/downloads]Roon Downloads[/url] (Scroll down to "Roon ARC" -> "Android APK").
Let us know the results of the Firewall and Roon Remote tests, and we will take it from there.

Thanks, Alex.

I installed the ‘Roon Remote App’ on my phone and it now shows a screen which says ”Hi Andrew” … and then tells me I have;

  • 595 artists
  • 625 albums
  • 8227 tracks, and
  • 204 composers in my Roon system.

Can you confirm that this means:

  1. it has successfully connected to my Roon Server PC, and
  2. my ARC access problem lies with the app – so I need to follow your “ARC App Troubleshooting” instructions (#4, below)?

Thank you,

Andrew

@Andrew_Redwood,

Thanks for confirming those details.

Since you are able to connect via the standard Roon Remote app, we can likely rule out a network configuration issue. This suggests the problem is isolated to the Roon ARC app itself.

We have seen cases where the Play Store version encounters this specific issue, and reinstalling via the direct APK file resolves it.

If you haven’t done so yet, please try installing the APK version directly from our website:
https://roon.app/en/downloads (Scroll down to Roon ARCAndroid APK)

Please let us know if that helps.

Thanks.

Thanks, Alex.

I clicked on your link (on my phone) and downloaded ‘Android APK’ - however, when I ‘Opened’ it, I got an error msg saying it couldn’t install as there was a previous version!

Hi @Andrew_Redwood,

Thanks for the update! Did you delete the prior Arc app before installing the APK version?

If not, give that a try. Thank you!

Thank you, Benjamin.

Uninstalled ARC then downloaded it again (from the link which Alex gave me) - and it is now working.

Regards,
Andrew

Hey @Andrew_Redwood,

Thanks, excellent news! There is no difference in the APK version outside of auto updates - the APK version does not update automatically.

The next time there is a Roon update, let us know if you run into the same issue. Until then, happy listening!

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