Common issues
Pairing and connection
TV turns on, but no other command works
Turning the TV on uses Wake on LAN, which works even when the Samsung API does not. Everything else needs a compatible TV, an allowed pairing, and a network where Homebridge can reach the TV.
- Confirm the TV is compatible.
- Check that you did not choose Deny on the pairing prompt. See Clicked Deny by mistake.
- The TV and Homebridge have to be on the same subnet. Across a VLAN, Wake on LAN may still turn the TV on while commands fail.
- Guest networks and wireless client isolation (AP isolation) block the connection. Turn them off for the network the TV uses.
- If Homebridge runs in Docker, use host networking.
Test in the settings screen only checks the basic API of the TV. It can pass while the connection used for commands is still blocked.
The pairing prompt is not shown
- The TV has to be on. If the log says
Waiting for the TV to turn on to pair..., turn the TV on. - The TV and Homebridge have to be on the same subnet. From another subnet or VLAN, the TV rejects pairing without showing the prompt, and the log says
Failed to open socket (ms.channel.timeOut). The basic API and Test can still work. If Homebridge cannot move, give the Homebridge host an address on the TV's subnet, for example with a VLAN interface. - The TV may be incompatible.
- A previous Deny may still be stored. See Clicked Deny by mistake.
If none of that helps, open an issue with debug logs.
TV keeps asking for permission
Allow returns a token that is saved in samsung-tizen.json (usually ~/.homebridge/accessories/samsung-tizen.json). If Homebridge cannot write that file, the prompt comes back every start. In debug mode the log shows the storage for that TV after pairing, and it should contain the token.
[homebridge-samsung-tizen] [Bedroom TV] Device storage: {"token":"77050680","firmware":"2.0.25","model":"QE55Q80TATXXH","frameSupport":false,"tokenSupport":true,"powerStateSupport":true}On the TV, open Settings → General → External Device Manager → Device Connection Manager and set Access Notification to Off. On newer TVs the menu is General & Privacy instead of General.
TV is not supported
Test in the settings screen says TV not supported, or the log says The TV ... is not supported by this plugin!. The TV answered, but this plugin cannot control it. The plugin supports Tizen TVs from 2017 onward. Older TVs that pair with a PIN are not supported.
Home app
I added the main bridge and the TVs are missing
TVs are external accessories. Each one is published on its own, and has to be added in Home separately. The child bridge option is not needed for this plugin. If it is on, turn it off.
The TV does not appear when I try to add it in Home
Each TV has an identity built from its MAC address. If the TV was removed from Home but is still known to Homebridge, Home will not offer it again.
Set uuid to any short string. The identity becomes the MAC plus that string. Restart Homebridge and add the TV again.
{
"name": "Bedroom TV",
"ip": "10.20.30.40",
"mac": "A0:B1:C2:D3:E4:F5",
"uuid": "a1"
}Inputs appear as separate accessories
HomeKit sometimes takes a while to attach new inputs to the TV. Force-quit the Home app and open it again. If they are still separate, wait.
The TV shows on or off with a delay
The TV announces itself on the network when it turns on and off, and the plugin listens for those announcements. If your network filters multicast traffic between the TV and Homebridge, the plugin falls back to checking the TV on its own. The state is still updated, but it can take up to a minute.
Volume and mute do not follow the TV
The TV connects back to Homebridge to send volume and mute changes. Commands still work if it cannot, but Home keeps an old value. See If the volume does not update.
Devices use a different port after a restart
Homebridge chooses the port for each external accessory. To keep them in a range, set ports in the Homebridge config:
{
"bridge": {},
"ports": {
"start": 51510,
"end": 51550
},
"platforms": []
}Homebridge shows a speaker that Home does not
The speaker is how the Control Center remote sets the volume. Homebridge UI lists it. The Home app does not show it as a tile. See Volume.
Remote
Add buttons to the Apple TV remote
The plugin cannot choose which buttons the Control Center remote shows. It can only choose the command each button sends. See Keys.
Hide a TV from the Apple TV remote
There is no setting for that. Home adds every TV accessory to that remote.
Inputs and switches
My inputs or switches are missing from the settings screen
Inputs and switches can be global or set on a TV. The Inputs and Switches tabs on the dashboard only list the global ones. The ones set on a TV are listed when you edit that TV.
A switch turns back off and the log says the TV is off
Switch "..." was turned back off because the TV is off. The switch was used while the TV was off, and it does not turn the TV on. Turn on Power on TV before running actions for that switch if it should wake the TV. See power.
A switch turns off right after I turn it on
Switches with only power, volume or commands have no state to read, so they turn off after they run. A channel switch without SmartThings turns off at the next check, because the plugin cannot read the channel. See The state in Home.
Digital TV or Art Mode never shows as the active input
Digital TV is detected only through SmartThings, and only while SmartThings reports a channel. Check that SmartThings is connected and that the TV has a deviceId.
Art Mode inputs work only on a Frame.
SmartThings
I do not want SmartThings
That is fine. Power, volume, mute, apps, remote keys and Art Mode work without it. You will not be able to select a source such as HDMI, a picture mode or a sound mode, and a full power off on a newer Frame may not work. See SmartThings features.
SmartThings features do not work
- The SmartThings card in the settings screen has to show Connected.
- The TV needs a
deviceId. See Pick the TV. - Restart Homebridge after the first connection.
- The TV has to be online in the SmartThings app, and you can control it from there.
The log says invalid device state
SmartThings returns invalid device state for any command sent to a TV that is no longer online in your SmartThings account. This usually happens after the SmartThings app on your phone is left unused for a long time.
Open the SmartThings app and check the TV. The app may tell you it has not been used for a while, and the TV may show as offline or with the cloud icon turned off.
Remove the TV from the SmartThings app and add it again. SmartThings commands should work again after that.
The wizard fails, or SmartThings returns 401 or 403
See Troubleshooting on the SmartThings integration page.
The card shows Expired
The token could not be refreshed. Choose Re-authorize SmartThings and go through the wizard again. See Connection status.
Frame TVs
Frame tile does not turn the TV fully off
By default the tile follows Art Mode. OFF means Art Mode, not standby. A full power off uses the Power switch, or Frame.RealPowerMode on the tile, and it needs SmartThings on newer Frames. See Frame TVs.
Art Mode does not change or does not update
Sometimes a Frame stops answering Art Mode requests, while everything else still works. Home then keeps showing an old Art Mode state, and turning Art Mode on or off from Home does nothing. This is a problem on the TV, and restarting Homebridge does not fix it.
Restart the TV:
- Hard restart. Hold the power button on the TV remote until the Samsung logo appears.
- Better, unplug it. Unplug the TV from power for 2 to 3 minutes, then plug it back in.
After the restart, Art Mode should work again.
Settings screen
The new settings screen does not load
The settings screen needs Homebridge Config UI X v5.27.0 or newer. Older versions show a notice and the basic editor. You can still edit config.json. See Setting the device.
The log warns about v5 settings
After an upgrade from version 5, the log lists every old setting still in your config, and what to change. The old values keep working for now. See Upgrading from version 5.