Hey! We’ll fix your Tuya not discovering devices issue quickly. When the Smart Life / Tuya Smart app can’t find a device (or shows “device not found”), it’s usually one of these root causes:

1) Phone/router mismatch (most Tuya Wi-Fi devices need a stable 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi)
2) Wrong pairing state (device isn’t in the correct pairing mode: EZ Mode vs AP Mode)
3) Permissions blocked (iOS Local Network, Android Location/Nearby devices, Bluetooth toggle)
4) Router security/settings (WPA3-only, band steering, hidden SSID, guest network isolation, VPN, “AP isolation”)
5) It’s not Wi-Fi at all (some products are Zigbee or BLE Mesh and require a Tuya gateway)

Quick questions so we take the shortest path (no random factory resets):
• What device type: smart plug, bulb, switch, camera, sensor, thermostat? Brand/model if you know it.
• Phone OS: iPhone (iOS) or Android?
• During “Add Device,” do you see any Wi-Fi network like SmartLife-xxxx / Tuya-xxxx (device hotspot)?
• What’s your Wi-Fi setup: single router, mesh, extender? Are you on 5 GHz right now?

Reply with those and I’ll give you a step-by-step quick fixes plan.

Perfect — that combo (iPhone + dual-band + uncertain mode) explains most “Tuya device not discovered” cases.

Here’s the key idea: Tuya onboarding depends on the device indicator light pattern and the chosen method in the app:
• EZ Mode (sometimes called “Quick Pairing”): device is broadcasting/receiving onboarding info while your phone stays on your home Wi-Fi. Many devices want 2.4 GHz here, and discovery fails if your phone is on 5 GHz or if band steering keeps switching.
• AP Mode (hotspot mode): your phone connects to the device’s temporary Wi-Fi hotspot (often named SmartLife-xxxx / Tuya-xxxx). If you don’t see the hotspot, the device is either not in AP mode yet or the reset wasn’t long enough.

On iPhone, two permissions also matter a lot for discovery:
• Local Network permission for Smart Life
• Wi-Fi/Bluetooth toggles (some onboarding steps depend on local scanning)

Let’s do fast checks in the right order: permissions → stable 2.4 GHz → correct pairing mode.

Great — we’ll keep this tight and “quick fixes first.”

Step 1 — Remove blockers on iPhone (fixes Smart Life discovery instantly for many users)
1) Turn VPN OFF temporarily (VPN can break local discovery / LAN pairing).
2) iPhone: Settings > Smart Life → enable Local Network (and allow Bluetooth if it appears).
3) Make sure Wi-Fi is ON and you’re not on a guest Wi-Fi with “client isolation.”

Step 2 — Quick reboot chain (clears stuck pairing state)
• Close Smart Life fully (swipe it away), reboot the iPhone.
• Unplug the Tuya smart plug for 10 seconds, plug back in.

After that, we’ll lock your phone to 2.4 GHz and put the device into a known pairing state (EZ or AP).

Yes — band steering is a top reason Tuya not discovering devices shows up, because your iPhone may “look” connected but keeps hopping between 2.4/5 during onboarding.

Step 3 — Lock pairing to 2.4 GHz (fastest fix for Smart Life “device not found”)
Option A (best): temporarily create a separate SSID for 2.4 GHz, like HomeWiFi_2G, then connect your iPhone to that.
Option B (quick): temporarily disable 5 GHz during setup (you can turn it back on after pairing).

Router checklist (don’t overthink it, just quick sanity)
• Security: choose WPA2 or WPA2/WPA3 mixed (avoid WPA3-only during pairing).
• Avoid hidden SSID for setup.
• Make sure you’re not pairing on a Guest Network (often blocks local device onboarding).

Once your iPhone is definitely on 2.4 GHz, we’ll put the plug into a guaranteed pairing mode and add it.

Perfect — quick blinking is usually EZ Mode (the “quick connect” method). A hotspot typically appears in AP Mode (slow blink on many devices). We’ll do both in a clean way so you’re not guessing.

Step 4 — Put the Tuya plug into a known pairing state
1) Plug the device in.
2) Hold the reset/power button until the indicator changes pattern.
3) Aim for one of these:
• EZ Mode: LED is rapid blinking (fast flash).
• AP Mode: LED is slow blinking (slower flash) and you may see a Wi-Fi hotspot like SmartLife-xxxx or Tuya-xxxx.

Step 5 — Add device the right way in Smart Life
• Smart Life → + → Add Device → choose the correct category (Plug/Outlet/Bulb).
• If you’re in EZ Mode, choose “Wi-Fi (EZ) / Quick Pairing” and confirm the phone is on 2.4 GHz (you already did).
• If EZ fails twice, switch to AP Mode in the app and follow the prompt to connect your iPhone to the device hotspot, then return to Smart Life to finish provisioning.

If you cannot get the hotspot to appear, tell me the LED pattern after a full 10–15 second press — some plugs need a longer hold to flip from EZ to AP.

You’re extremely close — AP mode getting to “near the end” usually means the phone-to-device link is OK, but the device can’t finish joining your router (credentials/security/SSID rules) or the phone is dropping the flow in the background.

Step 6 — Fix AP mode failures that happen at 70–90%
1) On iPhone, stay on the device hotspot until Smart Life tells you to switch back (don’t manually hop networks mid-step).
2) Temporarily turn OFF “Auto-Join Hotspot” popups or any Wi-Fi assist behavior that pushes you away from the device hotspot.
3) Double-check your 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi password and simplify it for testing (avoid unusual characters if possible). A single typo causes “device not found” at the end.
4) Router security: if you’re on WPA3-only, change to WPA2 or mixed mode during onboarding. (You can switch back after if your device supports it.)
5) If you have a mesh system, pair close to the main router (not a satellite). Mesh roaming can break Tuya AP pairing mid-flight.

For the Tuya bulb not showing up
Many bulbs need a very specific reset: power ON/OFF in a sequence until it starts blinking (some blink rapidly). If the bulb is actually Bluetooth or Zigbee, it won’t appear as a Wi-Fi device — it needs the correct add-device type or a Tuya gateway.

Next: tell me if the bulb says “Wi-Fi” on the box, or if it mentions Bluetooth, Zigbee, or “requires hub.”

Nice — that’s a clean win for the plug, and the bulb situation now makes perfect sense.

Bluetooth Tuya/Smart Life devices won’t be discovered like Wi-Fi ones unless Bluetooth permissions and the correct add flow are used. Quick fixes for “Smart Life Bluetooth device not found”:

Step 7 — Pair a Tuya Bluetooth bulb (fast checklist)
1) iPhone: make sure Bluetooth is ON.
2) iPhone: Settings > Smart Life → allow Bluetooth (and keep Local Network ON).
3) Put the bulb into pairing/reset mode (usually rapid blinking): turn it ON/OFF in the required sequence until it flashes. Keep it within a few feet of the phone.
4) In Smart Life: + → Add Device → choose Lighting → look specifically for a Bluetooth / BLE bulb option (not Wi-Fi).

Important: Some Tuya Bluetooth bulbs are “BLE only” (phone control) and some are BLE Mesh (best with a Tuya Bluetooth mesh gateway for remote control/automation). If you want control when you’re away from home, a compatible Tuya gateway is usually the upgrade path.

Love that question — here’s the quickest “no-guessing” checklist to stop Tuya not discovering devices from becoming a 2-hour rabbit hole.

Fast troubleshooting ladder (do this in order)
1) Confirm device type: Wi-Fi vs Bluetooth vs Zigbee/BLE Mesh. If it requires a hub/gateway, add the gateway first.
2) Phone permissions: iPhone Local Network + Bluetooth allowed for Smart Life. Turn off VPN during setup.
3) Wi-Fi basics (for Wi-Fi devices): pair on 2.4 GHz, avoid guest Wi-Fi, avoid hidden SSID, use WPA2 or mixed mode during pairing.
4) Pairing mode: get a known LED pattern — fast blink for EZ, slow blink + hotspot for AP. If EZ fails twice, switch to AP mode immediately.
5) Only then reset: do a full device reset only after the network/permissions/mode are confirmed.

If you ever tell me your router model and the exact device category, I can give you the cleanest “known-good” setup for your home network.

Summary: when Smart Life / Tuya Smart is not discovering devices, the fastest wins are: confirm the device radio (Wi-Fi vs Bluetooth vs Zigbee), turn off VPN, allow iPhone Local Network + Bluetooth, pair Wi-Fi devices on 2.4 GHz, and switch from EZ mode to AP mode when discovery fails. Want a tailored setup for your router/mesh system and Tuya device model? Open the chat and an expert will guide you in real time.