Troubleshooting

Most TetherDroid hiccups come down to a phone permission that needs re-enabling, the phone being offline, or TetherDroid intentionally stepping back while you're using the phone. This guide covers the common ones and how to fix them. If you're just getting set up, start with the Getting Started guide.

1. Accessibility service turned off (most common)
2. Messages or the phone screen won't load
3. "No phones online" on the desktop
4. Notifications aren't mirroring
5. Screen mirroring won't start
6. It stopped working while I was holding my phone
7. Nothing works when the phone is locked / battery is low
8. A message won't send
9. Pairing didn't complete
10. Still stuck?

Accessibility service turned off (most common)

TetherDroid's Accessibility service is what lets it read the on-screen conversation and drive Google Messages and the Phone app for you. Android frequently turns this service off on its own — most often right after the TetherDroid app updates, but sometimes after a reboot or a system update.

When it's off, you'll typically see the desktop unable to load messages or the phone screen, sometimes with a notice to enable accessibility on the phone.

Fix — re-toggle the Accessibility service:

1. On the phone, open Settings → Accessibility.
2. Find TetherDroid in the list of installed services.
3. If it's already on, toggle it off and back on (re-toggling clears the stuck state).
4. Return to TetherDroid; messages and screen should load again within a few seconds.

Tip: it's worth checking this first any time the desktop suddenly can't load content — especially just after updating the app.

Messages or the phone screen won't load

If conversations show "Loading…" and never fill in, or the phone-screen preview stays blank:

• Re-toggle the Accessibility service (see above) — this is the #1 cause.
• Make sure the phone is unlocked and its screen is reachable; TetherDroid can't scrape a locked device.
• Confirm Google Messages is installed and set as the default messaging app.
• Confirm the phone is online and signed in to TetherDroid.

"No phones online" on the desktop

The desktop client only connects to phones that are currently online on your account.

• Open the TetherDroid app on your phone and confirm you're signed in with the same account you're using on the desktop.
• Check the phone has a working internet connection.
• If the app was closed or the phone was asleep for a long time, reopen the app so it reconnects, then retry from the desktop.

Notifications aren't mirroring

If phone notifications don't appear on the desktop:

• On the phone, confirm Notification access is granted to TetherDroid (Android: Settings → Notifications → Device & app notifications / Notification access).
• As with accessibility, this permission can be dropped after an app update — re-grant it if needed.

Screen mirroring won't start

The Screen tab needs two things: screen sharing enabled in the TetherDroid app, and Android's per-session capture consent.

• If the desktop shows "Screen mirroring not enabled," open the TetherDroid app on the phone and enable Screen sharing.
• When a mirror session starts, Android shows its own system prompt asking you to allow screen capture — approve it on the phone. Android asks each time a new capture session begins; this is a built-in Android privacy protection, not a TetherDroid setting.

It stopped working while I was holding my phone

This is expected. TetherDroid automatically steps back when you're actively using your phone so it never fights you for control or interrupts what you're doing. When that happens, desktop actions (like sending or scraping) may pause and you may see a "Device In Use" notice.

• Simply set the phone down / stop interacting with it, and TetherDroid resumes on its own.
• If you'd rather it not defer to on-phone activity, you can adjust the "don't automate while the phone is in use" behavior in TetherDroid's settings.

Nothing works when the phone is locked or the battery is low

• Locked phone: TetherDroid needs the phone unlocked to drive Messages and the Phone app. Unlock it (and keep the screen reachable) for full functionality.
• Battery safety: if you've enabled the battery guard, TetherDroid stops keeping the phone awake and lets it lock once the battery drops below your configured level (and it isn't charging), so it can't drain your phone. Charge the phone or lower/disable the guard level in settings to resume.

A message won't send

• Make sure the phone is unlocked and the Accessibility service is on (TetherDroid sends by driving Google Messages on the phone).
• If you have "Confirm before sending" enabled, the message is staged on the phone and only sent after you click Confirm & Send on the desktop — check you completed that step.
• If the phone is in active use, the send is deferred (see above) — try again once you've set the phone down.

Pairing didn't complete

• Pairing requires confirming the one-time code shown on the desktop on the phone. If it timed out or you cancelled, just start the pairing step again — the desktop will show a fresh code.
• If the code won't confirm, make sure both devices are signed in to the same account and online, then retry.
• Re-installing the app or switching phones will require re-pairing — this is normal and keeps your encryption keys tied to your current devices (see Security & Encryption).

Still stuck?

If you've tried the steps above and something still isn't working:

1. In the desktop client, use Help → Save Logs to export your logs.
2. Contact Us and attach your logs — it helps us pinpoint the issue quickly.