it won't connect to the smartthings app, gets stuck on 'connecting to your robot' forever.

Diagnosis

The "Connecting to your robot" hang is almost always caused by a handshake failure between the SmartThings app, your smartphone, and the robot's internal wireless module. The primary culprit is the dual-band nature of modern routers. The Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI utilizes a 2.4GHz wireless chip for long-range penetration through walls; it cannot "see" or authenticate with 5GHz bands. When your phone is on 5GHz and the robot is attempting to bridge to the router, the SmartThings app often fails to pass the SSID and password credentials correctly, leaving the robot in a perpetual state of waiting for a confirmation packet that never arrives.

Secondary causes include "Smart Network Selection" or "Band Steering" enabled on your router, which forces devices to a specific band based on signal strength. If the router tries to push the robot to 5GHz during the pairing process, the connection will time out. You can confirm this by checking your router's connected devices list; if the robot appears as "Connected" in the router but "Connecting" in the app, the issue is a firewall or IP conflict. If it doesn't appear in the router list at all, it is a frequency or credential mismatch.

How to Fix It

Follow these exact steps to force a successful handshake:

1. Isolate the 2.4GHz Band: Enter your router settings via your web browser. Temporarily disable the 5GHz band or, preferably, create a separate SSID for the 2.4GHz band (e.g., change "HomeWiFi" to "HomeWiFi_2G"). Save and restart the router.
2. Phone Configuration: On your smartphone, go to Wi-Fi settings and "Forget" all previous networks. Connect specifically to the newly created 2.4GHz network. Turn off "Mobile Data" in your phone settings to prevent the app from switching to LTE/5G when the Wi-Fi signal momentarily drops during pairing.
3. Hardware Reset: Power off the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo using the physical power switch on the unit. Wait 10 seconds, then power it back on. Place the robot on the Clean Station charging pins to ensure it has full power; a low battery can cause the Wi-Fi module to enter a power-saving mode that rejects new pairings.
4. App Sequence: Open the SmartThings app. Delete any previous "ghost" versions of the robot from your device list. Tap the "+" icon, select "Add Device," and choose "Vacuum." When prompted, allow the app to access "Precise Location" and "Nearby Devices" permissions—without these, the app cannot scan for the robot's temporary setup broadcast.
5. Final Pairing: Follow the on-screen prompts. When the app asks for the Wi-Fi password, double-check for typos. The robot's status light should blink rapidly during the "Connecting" phase and then turn solid once the handshake is complete.

If That Didn't Work

• Disable Router Security Protocols: Some Bespoke models struggle with WPA3 security. Log into your router and change the security mode to WPA2-PSK (AES). Once the robot is connected, you can try switching back to WPA3, though WPA2 is the most stable for Samsung AI appliances.
• Clear SmartThings Cache: On Android, go to Settings > Apps > SmartThings > Storage > Clear Cache and Clear Data. On iOS, offload the app and reinstall it. This removes corrupted temporary pairing tokens that may be blocking the new connection.
• Change DNS Settings: In your router's WAN settings, change the DNS server to Google's Public DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4). Samsung's cloud servers occasionally fail to authenticate the robot's MAC address if the ISP's default DNS is lagging.
• Test with a Mobile Hotspot: To determine if the router is the problem, set up a mobile hotspot on a second phone using a 2.4GHz setting. Try connecting the robot to this hotspot. If it connects instantly, your home router's firewall or "Airtime Fairness" setting is blocking the robot.

Heads Up

• Avoid Special Characters: Ensure your Wi-Fi password does not contain complex symbols (like @, #, or $) as some firmware versions of the Jet Bot Combo fail to parse these characters correctly during the initial setup.
• Signal Dead Zones: The Clean Station acts as a shield. If your router is too far, the robot may connect but frequently drop off. Ensure the router is within 15 feet of the Clean Station for the initial pairing.
• Firmware Updates: Immediately after a successful connection, check for a firmware update in the SmartThings app. Samsung frequently releases patches specifically to improve Wi-Fi stability and connectivity.
• VPN Interference: Disable any active VPNs or Ad-Blockers (like NextDNS or AdGuard) on your phone during the setup process, as these intercept the local network discovery packets required for the "Connecting" phase.