Zwift’s Companion app (for iOS and Android) is a useful tool whether you’re on the bike or not, allowing you to (among other things) search for events, interact with clubs, browse routes, and interact with the game and riders in real-time during an active session.
But sometimes it’s a struggle to get the app to “see” your live Zwift session. This is almost always due to network issues on your end: firewalls/permissions, separate networks, etc. That’s why we published an entire post on the topic (see How to Ensure Reliable Companion App Connection when Zwifting).
I recently received a well-illustrated email from a Zwifter explaining how he fixed his Companion connection issue by adjusting a setting on his Apple Macbook (the device he uses to run Zwift). If you’re running Zwift on a Mac or iPad and find yourself struggling to get Companion to see your live session, this may help! Here’s what Jim sent…
I just discovered the fix to my Zwift Companion app not displaying my active riding or the map and I want to share this with you so you might consider including this in ZI. I have noticed that there are A LOT of Zwifters who do not show the iPhone icon in the “Zwifters Nearby” leaderboard:
(It could be that a lot of people around me just don’t use the app. But I recall seeing that icon a lot, and now it’s kinda rare, so I thought this might indicate a wider problem.)
My Zwift Companion app stopped displaying the map and my active ride about 6-7 months ago, about the time there was both an Apple OS update followed closely by a Zwift update. Consequently, I felt the sudden inability to see the map and my active ride was somehow related to one of those updates. Not being terribly computer savvy, I could only follow conventional wisdom to fix it: I made sure the laptop which I run Zwift on and the iPhone that has the Companion app were on the same network, I rebooted the app, I deleted the app then reinstalled it, and I rebooted my router. But none of that worked.
Then just this morning I came across a blog post on Apple about apps not having permission to access their user’s network, and though I didn’t think it was related to my problem, I had exhausted all other possibilities many months ago. So I tried this and it fixed the problem!
(Editor’s note: Apple released a new “Local Network Privacy” feature to MacOS in September 2024, and it’s this feature that caused Jim’s connection issue. The instructions below explain how to give the Zwift app permission to interact with other devices on your local network, such as your iPhone…)
I run Zwift on a Mac Air laptop, so these instructions are referring to that platform:
1. Click on the Apple logo in the top, left corner, then click on System Settings.
2. Click on General, then Privacy & Security:
4. Scroll down and click on Local Network:
I discovered that all the sliders were off, but as soon as I turned the Zwift slider on, the map popped up on my Companion app. Problem solved!
I have no idea how that slider (or the others) were turned off but I know it’s nothing I did.
Hopefully this fix works for everyone.
Jim Farrar
Telluride, CO
For iPad and iPhone Zwifters
One addendum: the same “Local Network Privacy” feature is active on iPadOS and iOS, so if you run Zwift on an iPad or even an iPhone, you’ll need to give it permission to access devices on your local network in order for the Companion app to connect to your Zwift session.
You should get a prompt asking for this permission when you install Zwift. But if you want to toggle the setting manually, or verify it’s enabled, the setting can be found under Settings, Privacy & Security, Local Network:
Note: at this time, Apple says Local Network Privacy is not implemented in tvOS. So Apple TV Zwifters don’t need to worry about this setting.
Questions or Comments?
Did this post help you out? Got Companion connection issues that still aren’t solved? Share below?
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