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The app can't find my gateway

In 9 out of 10 cases it's one of the first three points. Just work through them top to bottom.

First things first: if the app says "No Franzl box visible on Wi-Fi right now", that is not an error. It only means the automatic search can't see anything at the moment, and it proves nothing about something being broken. Activation then works perfectly normally using the code from the Franzl panel. This page is for when there's still no connection after that.

1. Is the Franzl Gateway actually running?

In Home Assistant: Settings → Apps → Franzl Gateway. The status has to be "Started" (green).

• Not starting? Tap Start and wait a minute: the first start sets up the database.
• Won't start at all? Take a look at the log ("Log" tab) and, if in doubt, send us the last few lines.
• Running but showing no code? Restart it once, then reload the panel.

2. Are your phone and Home Assistant on the same network?

For the first pairing, both have to be on the same home network. The typical snags, most common first:

• Guest Wi-Fi. It's deliberately isolated from the main network, so your Home Assistant is unreachable there. Switch to the main Wi-Fi for a moment.
• Mobile data on, Wi-Fi "connected, no internet". Your phone then sends everything over the mobile network. Turn Wi-Fi off and on again.
• Home Assistant is on a different router or in its own subnet (common with mesh systems that have a second router, or with a separate IoT network).
• AP isolation / "client isolation" enabled on the router: then Wi-Fi devices simply aren't allowed to see each other. You'll usually find this setting under Wi-Fi → Security.

3. iPhone or iPad: did you grant the network permission?

This is the most common silent cause. iOS asks once whether Franzl may find devices on the local network. If that was declined (or dismissed by accident), the app fundamentally cannot see your gateway on Wi-Fi any more — with no error message at all.

To fix it: iOS Settings → Franzl → turn on "Local Network". Then close the app completely and open it again.

Android has no such permission; there, being on the right Wi-Fi is enough.

4. Start the search again

Franzl doesn't only search once. You can kick it off again any time:

• During activation: tap Search again. Especially useful if you installed Franzl just now, while this screen was already open.
• Later, in everyday use: More → Members → Gateway connection → Search on home network.

Franzl works in stages: first the quick search via the network name, then, if that turns up nothing, device by device through your home network. The latter takes a few seconds longer and rescues exactly those networks where the quick search is blocked.

5. After a router restart: a new address

If your router handed out fresh IP addresses, Franzl can no longer answer at the old one. In that case the app searches again by itself as soon as you open it, and remembers the new address. If that doesn't help, tap Search on home network once.

To get rid of this permanently, give your Home Assistant a fixed address: Device offline after a router restart explains it in five minutes.

6. Away from home? Pair at home first.

Remote access (an encrypted tunnel) is set up automatically during activation, but that very first connection has to happen on your home network.

If the app shows no connection while you're out, even though it works at home: check that your Home Assistant has internet, and restart the gateway once so the tunnel reconnects.

7. Last resort: enter the address by hand

If nothing else helps, you can tell Franzl directly where to find it: More → Members → Gateway connection, then enter IP manually at the bottom (visible once expert mode is switched on). Enter only the IP address of your Home Assistant server — e.g. 192.168.1.50, without a port. The app appends the port itself.

You'll find the IP in Home Assistant under Settings → System → Network, or in your router's interface. This is deliberately the last step: it works reliably, but you'll have to repeat it whenever the address changes.

And if the code isn't accepted?

None of this fits? Write to us at hi@getfranzl.com — ideally with your version numbers (More → Software & updates) and what you've already tried.