From the support desk 2026-10

Why can't I delete my old Primary Controller, or pick a new one?

In short

Roomie never deletes the controller that is currently the Primary. Choose a new Primary first in Settings › Homes › Primary Controller, then remove the old entry in Settings › Controllers. If the old device is gone, it shows as "(Unreachable)" and can't be chosen. Pick This Controller, Automatic, or another controller that is online right now.

Why the delete is refused

The Primary Controller holds the home's configuration and relays commands for every other controller, so the app won't remove it, even when it hasn't been seen for weeks. Move the Primary role somewhere else first and the old entry can then be deleted.

Why the controller you want isn't in the list

The Primary Controller menu lists only controllers that are online at that moment: on the same network, with Roomie open, and already part of this home. A phone that's asleep, on cellular, or set up in a different home won't appear. The simplest way to make a particular device the Primary is to open Roomie on that device and choose This Controller there.

If the setting is greyed out

Only a controller with Full Access can change the Primary, and only for the home it is currently using. Make the change from a controller that has Full Access. If none of your remaining controllers has Full Access because the old Primary is gone, contact support before resetting or deleting anything, so we can help you keep your configuration.

Before you restore anything

Restoring an iPhone or iPad from its iCloud device backup also brings back an older copy of Roomie's settings for that device, including old permissions and the old Primary. It won't undo a Primary Controller problem and can make it harder to fix. Use Roomie's own backups in Settings › Homes instead.

Tidying up old entries

Once the new Primary is set, delete leftover controllers in Settings › Controllers, such as old phones or entries from a previous install. A controller must be offline to be deleted. "Update Needed" beside a controller only means it is running an older version of Roomie than the others.

In the QuickStart Guide

Distilled from real support conversations, with details generalized. Every setup differs — if this doesn't resolve it, contact support with diagnostics.