Zwift’s Companion app (available for iOS and Android) is a super-handy addition to the Zwift experience. When you’re riding or running it lets you interact with other Zwifters, connect your devices, manage your workout, and drop Ride On bombs. And when you’re not actively zwifting (because everyone needs a break, right?) it lets you browse upcoming events, clubs, and more.
With the recent release of Zwift’s Play Controllers, the Companion app is being used more than ever as a Bluetooth bridge between your devices (smart trainer, HRM, Play Controllers, etc) and your Zwift machine (especially Apple TV). This has resulted in more chatter in the community from Zwifters struggling to keep the Companion app firmly connected to their game session.
Let’s look at how Companion connects to your Zwift session, and some simple troubleshooting/settings tweaks to ensure your Companion connection is stable.
The Basics
While Zwift (the game itself) is running (on your PC, Mac, phone, tablet, or Apple TV) it is putting out a “signal” on your local network, so any device running the Companion app under the same login will “hear” that signal and automatically pair with your game session.
Many Zwifters use Companion while they ride or run simply to interact with other riders, or perhaps to manage their active workout. If you want to use Companion as a Bluetooth bridge, though, you’ll need to have Bluetooth enabled on your phone.
Pairing Bluetooth Devices Through Companion
Connecting Bluetooth devices via the Companion app should be very simple, but it can be confusing if you don’t understand how the system works, or if your devices are already connected elsewhere. To get started:
- Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your phone.
- Do not open your phone’s Bluetooth settings and attempt to pair your smart trainer or HRM there. You don’t need to access this screen at all.
- Most hardware only allows one Bluetooth connection at a time, so if you think your smart trainer or HRM may already be connected to another device, break that connection by disabling the device or rebooting your hardware.
Open up Zwift Companion on your phone, and start up the Zwift game on your Zwift device. (Make sure you’re signed into the same Zwift account in Companion and in the game!) You’ll soon arrive at the pairing screen, which is where all the magic happens.
To use Companion as a Bluetooth bridge, make sure phone-based pairing is the selected Bluetooth connection option on the Zwift pairing screen. (You’ll know it is if you see a phone icon at the top-right, instead of a simple Bluetooth icon).
Not seeing the phone icon? Click “Pair Through Phone” at the top-left.
Companion Isn’t Seeing My Zwift Session!
The most common Companion complaint is that the app isn’t “seeing” your Zwift session. There are a handful of causes (and fixes) for this, but it all boils down to the Companion app not “hearing” the network signals being put out by the game. Two basic things to check:
- Same Network: your phone running Companion must be on the same local network as the Zwift device. For many Zwifters, that means both devices are on the same WiFi. Depending on your network setup you may have a hardwired connection to your Zwift device and a WiFi connection on your phone. Just make sure they’re the same network.
- Same Login: make sure you’re signed into Companion with the same login as the Zwift game.
More Troubleshooting Tips
- Turn on Airplane Mode: if you find that Companion sometimes sees your active Zwift session, and other times it does not, you’ve probably got “WiFi assist” enabled on your phone. If you have WiFi connected as well as a cell signal (which is how most of us have our phones set up at home), your phone may swap between WiFi and cell signal for its data connection depending on which one it thinks will perform best. If it decides to use your cell signal you won’t be connected to your local Zwift game session. To avoid this, put your phone in airplane mode, so only WiFi and Bluetooth are enabled. (You can also turn the “WiFi Assist” option off entirely. This article explains how.)
- Try a Reboot or Reinstall: when all else fails, right? If Companion won’t connect to your Zwift session, try rebooting the Companion app, rebooting your phone, or even deleting and reinstalling Companion.
- Get the Most Recent Companion Version: make sure you’re running the latest version of Companion by going to your list of app updates.
- Firewalls/VPN/Proxy: got a non-standard network setup? You may need to open some firewall ports or make other exceptions so Zwift can function correctly. Learn more on Zwift’s support page.
Weak WiFi? Try Mesh.
Some Zwifters have setups where their WiFi signal is weak, which can mess up your actual Zwift session and/or your Companion connection to Zwift. If you’re willing to invest some cash into improving your home network, we highly recommend getting a mesh system, which should greatly boost your WiFi coverage and speed compared to a typical single-router WiFi setup.
Read more about mesh networks for Zwifting >
Using a Personal Hotspot?
Some Zwifters who lack a strong local network simply use their phone’s cellular signal as a personal hotspot, running their Zwift session over that connection. This should work fine in terms of the Zwift game experience, although game updates may be a bit slow and could eat into limited data.
But in our experience, with this setup your Companion app won’t “see” your Zwift game session even though both would seem to be on the same “local network”. Your experience may vary – if it does, share below!
A Few More Notes
The Companion app doesn’t need to stay in focus on your phone in order for it to stay paired to your Zwift session. But it does need to stay open, so don’t force close the app!
This means you need to keep your phone powered on for any Bluetooth devices paired through Companion to remain connected. So make sure your phone has sufficient battery power to last the duration of your workout.
Questions or Comments?
Check out Zwift’s Companion app support page, or post below!
There’s currently a glitch with the companion bridge (for me on pc at least) whereby if you connect devices via companion and then change world (or teleport) it can say everything is disconnected. If you go into the pairing screen it will all connect up again… Until you go back to the game to pedal where it will all disconnect…
Annoying because the companion gives probably the most solid connection for all devices when using the zwift play controllers
Another one, causing some problems.
I have a WiFi network with 2 signals; 2,4ghz and 5ghz when Atv is for example on 2.4ghz and the phone on 5ghz they won’t find each other.
as a result, I can use companion with ATV. But when I use my iPad, companion will not work.
I’ve also experienced Companion dropouts when my network decided to switch my iphone ann ATV between the 2.4 and 5 GHz channels. Very annoying!
…solved it by forcing my Zwift setup onto the 5 GHz channels but still very annoying.
How can you force this?
I had to alter my network setup to have two distinct SSIDs. One for 2.4 and one for 5. Then I put my Zwift setup on the 5 network. It limits the flexibility of the router to move things around as it sees fit but keeps my Zwift connection more stable. Hopefully, the software side of
[Oops! I hit “post” prematurely. I meant to delete the sentence fragment at the end.]
Yeah – some routers will work this way. One nice thing about a mesh system (all of them, as far as I know) is you don’t have to worry about 2.4 vs 5. It’s just all one one fast, solid network.
The old “single wireless router” thing just doesn’t compare to the mesh experience in my opinion.
You sure? Because when I google mesh, it should be a single router with several satellites. And that is my current setup. One point is 2 meters from my zwift set-up. And I still have differences with 2.4 and 5ghz connections.
Are you saying you have Google mesh, Ronald? I’m a bit confused.
I know I’ve used Google mesh here at my house for years, and have never had issues with it swapping between the different connection types. Seems like everyone can see each other just fine, all the time.
I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, I googled the definition of mesh.
On the same location, my iPad is on another frequency than my iPhone and ATV. While, after googling the defenition, I believe I have a mesh network. (1 router and 2 wired extra WiFi points) while 1 is 2 meter of my Zwift setup.
You are right, Ronald. Mesh means: 1 Host (usually a router) and clients, that connect to each other and your devices, that switch between all of them depending on the best available connection.
Automatic switching between 2,4 and 5 Ghz WiFi doesnt have to do anything with Mesh, since u can have that automatic switching even w/o using Mesh.
Very helpful tips!
Great article! Cleared up some things I thought I knew but wasn’t sure.
I have been using the companion app as a bridge now that I have the play controllers. Erg mode will not work if I’m using the companion app as a bridge, but it works fine if I connect with the AppleTV. Does anyone else have this issue? I want to use the Play controllers, so the Companion app as a bridge is needed due to AppleTV’s Bluetooth limitations.
Maybe I’m having a similar issue. The trainer don’t simulate the elevation it’s like it is only registering / transmiting power. Also, the name connected on the pair screen put a 202 after Kickr Core xxxxxxx.
I don’t know why, or how I was able to solve it, but I’m trying to disconnect everything, calibrate on the Wahoo app, and connect again, and it started working, but I don’t know yet, for sure, if this is the “recipe” to solve the issue
Do you have your trainer paired in the “controllable” box on the pairing screen? Or just the “power” box?
Both. I tested again, All connected trough Companion App:
Both Power and Controllable on Kickr Core B35D 202, Cadence connect also to the trainer and the Zwift Play connected. Started riding and no elevation control. -2% feel the same as 2%.
Disconnected all, connected only the Core on Power, Cadence and Controllable and it works well.
Next step will be to try to connect Zwift Play only after started riding
That’s odd – haven’t heard from others with that issue. Be sure to reach out to Zwift support.
If you’re on Apple TV this would make sense, since it doesn’t have enough connections to let you connect Play plus the trainer unless you connect through Companion…
But if you’re on a different device then that’s really weird.
I’m having the same issue with the Kickr Climb through the companion app. It works fine through the AppleTV, but that means I lose the controllers since I run out of bluetooth connections after the Kickr and the heart rate monitor.
Some mesh networks break Companion connectivity. Run an Ethernet cable between multiple access points if that becomes a problem. Use powerline adapters if necessary – they’re usually more stable than WiFi repeaters. You can get a powerline adapter set where one end has a built in WiFi access point. Also, phones and tablets can be connected to Ethernet networks with an adapter – you don’t have to use WiFi.
Turn of mobile data on your mobile and you won’t have issues. No need for flight mode. Just turn of mobile data.
I got a wired Ethernet adapter for my iPhone, connected that to same switch/router that my AppleTV is connected to.
My issue is that if I connect my Kickr Bike via my iPhone and Zwift Companion, I sometimes lose the Kickr Bike signal. My HR signal doesn’t stop, but the Kickr Bike does. When I connect directly to the AppleTV, I’ve had no issues in hundreds of sessions.
VPN is a common issue for me. On my MacBook Pro I use a VPN for work that tunnels *all* network traffic through the remote network. If I don’t remember to disconnect the VPN before I launch Zwift, the Companion app won’t connect because it’s effectively on a different network even though both devices are connected to the same wifi network in my house. There are different types of VPNs so not all will exhibit this behavior, but it’s something to keep in mind if you use one regularly…
Really well written article, but unfortunately I have now done everything on the list and it’s still not working. I’ve updated Zwift on both my phone and my iPad and also deleted both the apps and the companion app. All updated, all on the right WiFi.
It has been working for me flawlessly for three months and now (the day I had my longest ride) it’s stopped.
would you or anyone be happy to contact me, please? I miss giving people a ride on lol 😆
I don’t do Zwift support. 😀But they do! https://support.zwift.com/
You might try disabling cell phone services on your phone (and iPad if it has that) so make sure the data flowing is just via the Internet connection (WiFi).
I use Apple TV for the game and ZC as a bridge. Have successful done this for years. Both apps are up to date. Starting today (10/30), the phone bridge doesn’t work. The game sees my iPhone but either does not find my hrm and/or cadence meter or finds them but reports no signal. I have re- signed in, closed and re-opened the apps, togelled both bluetooth on my phone and devise connection in ZC off anf on. Strong network signal. Don’t know what else to do. Any suggestions?
@Har Kuller, I’m having the same issue started at the same time. Have you found a solution?
Nope. I believe Zwift support is investigating
I believe Zwift support is working on this. In one communication they identified this as a known problem. But still no fix. Have you had any success?