The mobile app cannot find the restaurant
Nothing is lost. Start with the Restaurly PC, then check the local network in this order.
Applies to: Android, iPhone, waiter, and POS.
1. Check the PC app
Open Restaurly on the restaurant PC and wait until it reaches its normal Dashboard state.
If the PC shows Set up Restaurly, finish that form on the PC first. The mobile app cannot perform administrator setup.
Success looks like: the PC app is open without a license, database, or update-recovery page.
If Restaurly is closed, still starting, or blocked by a recovery message, the mobile app cannot connect yet.
2. Check the local network
- Confirm Wi-Fi is enabled on the phone.
- Confirm the phone and PC are connected to the same restaurant network.
- Turn off mobile-data preference or VPN routing temporarily if it prevents local-network access; you do not need to disable mobile data entirely when the phone still uses local Wi-Fi correctly.
- Check that Restaurly has local-network permission in the phone's system settings.
- Return to Restaurly, choose the role again, and wait while the app looks for the Restaurly PC.
Success looks like: the app leaves the search screen and opens login or an update/compatibility message.
3. Check guest Wi-Fi and network separation
Guest Wi-Fi often prevents devices from seeing one another. Ask the network administrator whether client isolation, separate VLANs/subnets, or a second router separates the phone from the PC.
Restaurly's current automatic discovery is intended for a simple local network segment. It does not provide a manual PC-address field or general cross-network discovery.
Success looks like: both devices are placed on the same trusted local network segment and discovery reaches login.
4. Check the desktop firewall
Ask an administrator to confirm that Restaurly may accept local connections on the trusted private network.
Do not turn off the operating system's firewall or expose the PC to the public internet. Create only the narrow local/private-network permission needed by Restaurly, or ask your network administrator for help.
Success looks like: another device on the same network can reach the PC app and Restaurly opens the mobile login page.
5. Read the next message
If the PC is now found but Restaurly shows an update message, update the PC and mobile app together. If login opens but the credentials are rejected, verify the selected role, employee ID, and PIN with the administrator.
Still cannot connect?
Keep the PC app open and contact Restaurly support with:
- the PC and mobile app versions;
- Android or iPhone model and OS version;
- the exact on-screen message;
- whether both devices are on Wi-Fi or the PC uses Ethernet;
- whether another Restaurly device can connect; and
- a simple description of the router/guest-network setup.
Do not send employee PINs, the administrator password, license files, or a customer database.