Litter-Robot EVO: Unable to onboard

If your Litter-Robot EVO won’t complete onboarding in the Whisker app or is not connecting to your WiFi, follow this guide for step-by-step troubleshooting and error-specific fixes.

Before you begin

• Ensure the Litter-Robot EVO is placed on a level surface and plugged into a stable power source.
• Keep your phone within a few feet of the unit during onboarding.
• Verify that bluetooth is enabled on your phone.
• Make sure your router is on and broadcasting a 2.4 GHz WiFi network. (Litter-Robot EVO does not support 5 GHz.)
• Confirm that the Whisker app is updated to the latest version (version 1.31.0 or newer) and sign in.
• Have your WiFi name (SSID) and password ready.
• If the unit was previously onboarded to another account, perform a Factory Reset before starting. 
  • A Factory Reset can be performed by simultaneously pressing the Cycle + Cancel buttons for three seconds.

Onboarding checklist (recommended order)

• Open the Whisker app and tap Add a Device.
  
  
  
  
• Select Litter-Robot EVO and follow the prompts.
  
  
  
  
• When prompted, press the Connect button on your robot to enter setup mode (the LED Indicator Light will blink blue).

• Select your WiFi network and carefully type your password.
  
  
  
  
• Keep the app open until onboarding completes and the LED Indicator Light turns solid white.
• Send a manual Cycle command in the app to ensure communication is active.
  • Tap your device → Controls → Cycle

If onboarding fails, review the error shown in the app and use the sections below to troubleshoot.

Common error messages and fixes

During onboarding, you might see one of the following messages:

• “The WiFi password is invalid. Check your credentials and try again.”
• “Onboarding timed out. Please try again.”
• “The serial number is invalid or in use.”
• “An unknown error occurred. Please try again.”
• “Device failed to reboot during the setup process.”
• “Device could not connect to the WiFi network. Check connection and try again.”
• “Unable to connect device to your phone. Confirm phone is nearby, bluetooth is enabled, and try again.”
• “Bluetooth device not found. Make sure the device is nearby and in pairing mode.”
• “Bluetooth scanning failed. Please check if bluetooth is enabled.”
• “Failed to establish bluetooth connection.”
• “Device could not connect to the cloud service.”

Each error generally relates to WiFi setup, bluetooth pairing, or communication between your phone and the robot.

WiFi errors

Messages:

“The WiFi password is invalid.”
“The WiFi network name (SSID) is invalid.”
“Device could not connect to the WiFi network.”

How to fix:

• Verify your WiFi password and re-enter it manually (avoid pasting spaces).
• Confirm your network is 2.4 GHz only — EVO cannot connect to 5 GHz networks.
• Move the robot closer to your router during onboarding.
• Restart your router if needed and retry setup.
• If you’ve replaced your router or changed credentials, open the Whisker app: 

  • Tap your Litter-Robot EVO → Device Settings → Update Network.

Phone bluetooth errors

Messages:
“Unable to connect device to your phone.”
“Bluetooth device not found.”
“Failed to establish bluetooth connection.”

How to fix:

• Make sure bluetooth is enabled on your phone.
• Keep the phone within a few feet of the robot during setup.
• Toggle your phone's bluetooth OFF/ON, then reopen the app. 
• Press the Connect button on the robot again to re-enter pairing mode (LED blinking blue).

• If bluetooth scanning fails, close and reopen the Whisker app.
• Restart your phone if the issue continues.

Timeout or failed onboarding

Messages:
“Onboarding timed out.”
“Device failed to reboot during the setup process.”

How to fix:

• Keep the Whisker app open and in the foreground while onboarding.
• Confirm strong WiFi signal and stable internet.
• Perform a Hard Reset: hold the Power button for six seconds, wait for reboot, and retry onboarding.

Serial number or cloud errors

Messages:
“The serial number is invalid or in use.”
“Device could not connect to the cloud service.”
“Failed to establish secure session.”

How to fix:

• Make sure you’re signed into the correct Whisker account.
• If the serial number was registered on another account, contact Whisker Customer Experience for more assistance.
• Verify your internet connection is active and unrestricted (no captive portals or VPN).
• If the issue persists, perform a Factory Reset (instructions below) before retrying onboarding.

Hard Reset and Factory Reset

• Hard Reset: With the unit powered ON, hold Power for six seconds, release, and wait for the reboot.

• Factory Reset: With the unit powered ON, hold Cycle + Cancel for three seconds. Follow the LCD prompts to confirm. This clears saved network data and restores factory defaults.

• Retry onboarding after the reset completes.

Network tips

• Litter-Robot EVO supports only 2.4 GHz WiFi.
• If your router provides dual bands, select the 2.4 GHz network during onboarding.
• Keep the robot within a strong signal range during setup.
• Avoid VPNs, firewalls, or guest networks that may block new devices.
  
  

Need more help?

If onboarding still fails after these steps:

• Take a screenshot of the exact error message.
• Note your phone model/OS, router brand, and what steps you’ve already tried.
• Contact Whisker Customer Experience for further assistance.