# Can't connect

> Every message Fregata Mobile shows when it can't reach your NVR — refused connections, names that don't resolve, timeouts, HTTPS and certificate problems, wrong passwords, proxies and sign-in limits — what each means and how to fix it.

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](https://mobile.fregata.app/docs/troubleshooting/certificates/). |
| **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](https://mobile.fregata.app/docs/getting-started/connect/#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

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](https://mobile.fregata.app/docs/getting-started/remote-access/).

## 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](https://mobile.fregata.app/docs/troubleshooting/certificates/).
- **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**.