Can't connect
When the app can’t reach your server, it says why in one sentence: under Connect in the welcome walkthrough, under each address after Test connection in Settings › Connection, and on the screens that need the server. Each sentence points at a different cause.
Test connection is the quickest check: it signs in, then asks each address for its version, and shows the result under each. Now, above the addresses, shows which one the app is using.
| The app says | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Connected. Frigate 0.17.1. | It works. | — |
| This iPhone has no network right now. | No Wi-Fi or mobile data. | Check the iPhone’s connection. |
| No answer before the timeout. Right address, wrong network, or the server is down. | Nothing answered. Most often, a home address tried away from home. | Away from home, use your Away address. At home, check the server is on. |
| That name does not resolve. Check the spelling, or use the IP address. | The name in the address doesn’t exist on this network. | Check the spelling, or use the server’s IP address. A .local name may only work on your home Wi-Fi. |
| Refused the connection. Something is at that address but nothing is listening on that port. | The machine is there, but not Frigate on that port. | Check the port: Frigate’s signed-in port is 8971. |
| That address needs https://, not http://. Everything else about it is right. | Frigate’s port 8971 only speaks HTTPS. | Change http:// to https://. |
| The secure connection failed. Usually a self signed certificate, or the wrong port for HTTPS. | The HTTPS handshake failed. | Check the port, and that the address really serves HTTPS. |
| Answered with a certificate this iPhone has not been asked to trust yet. | A self-signed certificate on an address that isn’t on your home network. | Answer the certificate question. See Certificate questions. |
| Answered, but rejected the sign in. Check the username and password. | Wrong username or password. | Re-enter them. They’re the ones for Frigate’s web interface. |
| Refused for a moment: too many sign-ins in a short time. It will clear on its own. | Frigate is limiting sign-ins after several failed ones. | Wait a minute, then try once more with the right password. |
| Answered with HTTP 404, which is not Frigate. Check the address and any proxy in front of it. | Something answered, but not Frigate. | Check the address, and that a reverse proxy sends it to Frigate. |
| Connected, but the reply was not something this app could read. | Usually a login page or proxy in front of Frigate. | Add the custom headers it needs, or use a VPN. |
| Could not reach it. Check the address in Settings, or try again in a moment. | Anything else. | Check the address, then try again. |
Works at home, not away
Section titled “Works at home, not away”That’s an address problem, not an app problem: your home address only works on your home network. Add an Away address that reaches the server from anywhere, such as a Tailscale address or a domain of your own. See Away from home.
Worked yesterday, not today
Section titled “Worked yesterday, not today”- The password changed: update it in Settings › Connection.
- The certificate changed: the app asks before trusting a new one. See Certificate questions.
- The server’s address changed: a new IP address from your router. Give the server a fixed address in your router, and update At home.
- The server is down: Settings › Server Status says Not responding.