Hey! We’ll figure out why your Roku is not discovering devices and get discovery working again (Roku mobile app, AirPlay, Screen Mirroring, Device Connect). Quick questions so we hit the real cause instead of guessing:
• Are you using a Roku TV (TCL/Hisense/Sharp) or a Roku player (Roku Express/Stick/Ultra)?
• What exactly can’t be found: the Roku app can’t find Roku, your phone/laptop can’t see Roku for AirPlay or screen mirroring, or a device (like a speaker/phone) can’t connect to Roku?
• Network setup: normal Wi-Fi vs guest network, mesh Wi-Fi (Eero/Orbi/Google Nest), any VPN on the phone, or separate VLANs?
• On Roku: Settings → Network → About (IP address) and Settings → System → Advanced system settings → Control by mobile apps (Network access).
Tell me what you’re seeing and we’ll fix the Roku device discovery step by step.

That’s a super common pattern: when Roku “disappears,” it’s usually not broken — the network discovery traffic is blocked. The Roku app and AirPlay both rely on local-network discovery (broadcast/multicast), so one router change can make the TV look “invisible.”

The big culprits are:
• Phone and Roku on different Wi-Fi networks (main vs guest, or 2.4 vs 5 GHz on some routers).
• AP/client isolation (devices can reach the internet but can’t see each other).
• VPN / “Private Relay” / security apps on the phone blocking local access.
• Roku settings that block control: Control by mobile apps set too strict, or external control disabled.

We’ll do 3 fast checks: same network + permissions on the phone, Roku discovery settings, then router isolation settings. After that, if needed, we’ll do a clean Roku network connection reset.

Perfect — mesh + “isolation” is very likely the reason your Roku is not discovering devices (and why your phone can’t discover Roku for AirPlay). Let’s start with the two fastest “no device found” fixes on iPhone.

Step 1 — Confirm your iPhone allows Local Network access for Roku
1) On iPhone: Settings → scroll to Roku → enable Local Network (and Bluetooth if prompted).
2) Turn Wi-Fi OFF then ON (quick refresh), then reopen the Roku app → Devices tab.

Step 2 — Confirm phone + Roku are truly on the same LAN/subnet
• On Roku TV: Settings → Network → About. Note the IP address (example: 192.168.1.50).
• On iPhone: Settings → Wi-Fi → tap the (i) next to your network. Check your IP (example: 192.168.1.120).
If the first three numbers match (e.g., 192.168.1.x), they’re on the same subnet — good. If not, that explains the “Roku device not found” behavior.

Once you check those, we’ll adjust the Roku “Control by mobile apps” setting and then fix mesh isolation so discovery works reliably.

Great catch — Local Network permission is a huge one. Now we’ll make sure the Roku TV itself isn’t blocking discovery/control, and we’ll bring AirPlay back.

Step 3 — Allow Roku discovery/control from your phone (important)
On Roku TV go to:
Settings → System → Advanced system settings → Control by mobile apps
• Network access: set to Enabled (or Permissive if you need it on a more open network).
• If you see “External control” / “External control of Roku devices”: make sure it’s allowed (this is what many remotes and integrations use).

Step 4 — Check AirPlay is enabled on Roku
Settings → Apple AirPlay and HomeKit
• AirPlay: ON
• Require code: optional, but keep ON while testing (prevents random devices).

After changing those, do a real Roku system restart (not just turning the TV off):
Settings → System → Power → System restart.

If the Roku app still says “not discovering devices” after this, your mesh “isolation” feature is almost certainly blocking multicast discovery (mDNS) — we’ll fix that next.

Inconsistent discovery is the fingerprint of router features that “protect devices” by blocking device-to-device traffic. That’s exactly what breaks Roku app device discovery, AirPlay discovery, and sometimes screen mirroring not working.

Step 5 — Disable the settings that prevent devices from seeing each other
In your mesh router app/web UI, look for any of these and turn them OFF (names vary):
• AP Isolation / Client Isolation / “Wireless isolation”
• “Block LAN to WLAN” / “Prevent devices from communicating”
• “IoT network isolation” (if your Roku TV is on the isolated/IoT SSID)
• Guest network mode for the SSID your Roku is using (guest often isolates by default)

Step 6 — Keep phone + Roku on the same exact SSID
With mesh/dual-band, force both devices to the same Wi-Fi name and avoid “guest.” If your router offers it, temporarily pause “band steering” while testing (some setups bounce the phone between nodes/bands while Roku stays put).

After changing isolation, reboot the mesh (main node first). Then open Roku app → Devices. If it appears consistently, we’re done. If it still doesn’t, we’ll do the cleanest fix: Roku Network connection reset and rejoin Wi-Fi fresh.

Nice — disabling client isolation was a big step. Now let’s handle the two “discovery lanes” separately, because AirPlay and Windows casting don’t use the exact same method.

Step 7 — Fix AirPlay discovery on Roku
1) On Roku: Settings → System → Advanced system settings → Network connection reset → Reset connection.
2) After it restarts, reconnect Wi-Fi: Settings → Network → Set up connection.
3) Then verify: Settings → Apple AirPlay and HomeKit → AirPlay ON.
4) On iPhone: turn Wi-Fi OFF/ON, then try AirPlay again.

Step 8 — Fix Windows “Cast” / Screen Mirroring not finding Roku
Roku uses Miracast for Windows/Android-style screen mirroring (not Chromecast/Google Cast). On Roku TV check:
Settings → System → Screen mirroring
• Screen mirroring mode: set to Prompt (or Always allow while testing)
• Screen mirroring devices: clear any blocked devices if listed

Then on Windows: Win+K (or Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Devices → Add device → Wireless display). If it still shows “no device found,” it usually means your mesh is blocking multicast/peer discovery between nodes — we’ll fix that with one last network tweak.

When discovery works “once” then vanishes, that’s almost always a mesh routing / multicast issue — devices end up on different nodes, or the mesh filters discovery packets (mDNS/SSDP). Let’s lock it down so your Roku stays discoverable.

Step 9 — Make discovery stable on mesh Wi-Fi
• Ensure your phone/laptop and Roku TV are on the same mesh network (not an isolated IoT SSID). If your mesh has an “IoT network” toggle, keep Roku on the main LAN where phones live.
• In mesh settings, look for options like “mDNS,” “Multicast enhancement,” “IGMP snooping,” “UPnP,” or “Enable discovery.” If there’s a “block multicast” setting, disable it. (Names vary by brand.)
• Temporarily disable VPN on the phone/laptop while testing — VPNs often break local device discovery so the Roku app says “not discovering devices.”
• If your router has a “guest” or “extra” network for visitors, do NOT use that for Roku control — guest networks commonly block device-to-device traffic by design.

Quick test that proves it’s fixed: open Roku app → Devices, then try AirPlay, then try Win+K casting — all while your phone/laptop is connected to the same SSID and near the same mesh node as the TV. If it’s stable for 30–60 minutes, the discovery layer is finally healthy.

Awesome — that confirms it was discovery being blocked, not a “bad Roku.” To keep this from coming back (especially after router updates), here are the best “set it and forget it” settings for Roku not finding devices scenarios:

Prevent future “Roku device not found” problems
• Keep client/AP isolation OFF on the main home Wi-Fi (use guest network only for actual guests).
• Leave Roku on the same LAN/subnet as your phones (avoid separate IoT networks for Roku if it blocks discovery).
• Keep Roku: Settings → System → Advanced → Control by mobile apps → Network access set to Enabled (or Permissive if needed).
• If you use AirPlay or screen mirroring, keep mesh discovery features on (multicast/mDNS support).
• If things get weird after an update, the fastest recovery is: System restart + Network connection reset (then rejoin Wi-Fi fresh).

If you ever need a backup method when the Roku app can’t discover the TV, we can also connect the app manually using the Roku TV’s IP address (Devices → Get help → Connect manually).

Summary: When Roku is not discovering devices (or your phone/laptop can’t discover Roku), the fix is almost always: confirm the phone has Local Network permission, keep Roku and phone on the same Wi-Fi (not Guest), set Roku Control by mobile apps to Enabled, and disable router client/AP isolation. On mesh systems, enable discovery/multicast support so AirPlay and screen mirroring don’t disappear. Still stuck with “Roku device not found”? Open the chat and I’ll guide you through your exact router/Roku model step by step.