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Setup Guide for Caregivers

This is for YOU - the tech-savvy family member. Your loved one never sees any of this technical stuff. You set it up once, and they just see big friendly buttons.

How It Works

GrandparenTV has three parts:

iPad Shows big buttons for their favorite shows
→
Small Server Runs on something at their home
→
Roku Plays the shows on TV

The "server" sounds scary but it's just a small program that translates iPad taps into Roku commands. It needs to run on something at their home because Roku only accepts commands from the local network.

What You Need

  • A Roku - Any Roku TV or streaming device, already set up
  • An iPad - Any iPad (or Android tablet) with a browser
  • Something to run the server - See options below
  • Streaming accounts - Netflix, etc. logged in on the Roku
  • Same WiFi network - All devices on the same network
One-time Roku setting

On your Roku, go to Settings → System → Advanced system settings → Control by mobile apps and set it to Default or Permissive. This lets the server communicate with your Roku.

Setup Options

Pick whichever works best for your situation:

Option A: Use Their Existing Computer

Easiest if they have an always-on Mac or PC

If they have a computer that stays on (like a desktop in the living room), just run GrandparenTV on it.

  1. Download GrandparenTV
  2. Double-click to run
  3. Set it to start automatically on boot

Downside: If the computer sleeps or restarts, you'll need to restart the app.

Option B: Raspberry Pi (Recommended)

Best permanent solution - $35-50 one-time cost

A Raspberry Pi is a tiny computer that sits quietly and runs 24/7. You set it up once, plug it in at their house, and forget about it.

  1. Buy a Raspberry Pi (any model works, Pi 4 or Pi Zero 2 W recommended)
  2. Flash the GrandparenTV image to an SD card
  3. Plug it in at their home - it auto-starts

We provide a pre-built image so you just flash and go.

Option C: Your Own Server

For tech-savvy users with existing infrastructure

If you already run a home server, NAS, or Docker host:

docker run -d --net=host grandparenttv/server

Or clone the repo and run with Node.js if you prefer.

Set Up Their iPad

This is what your loved one will actually use:

  1. Open Safari and go to the server

    http://[server-ip]:3456

  2. Add to Home Screen

    Tap Share → "Add to Home Screen" → Name it "TV"

  3. Make it the only thing they see (optional)

    Use Guided Access (Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access) to lock the iPad to just this app. They can't accidentally exit to other apps.

iPad tips

  • Keep it charged - Leave it plugged in so it's always ready
  • Auto-Lock: Never - So the screen stays on (Settings → Display)
  • Label it - Put a sticker that says "TV Remote"

Add Their Shows

Once the server is running:

  1. Open the setup page

    Go to http://[server-ip]:3456/setup in your browser

  2. Connect to their Roku

    Click "Find Roku" - it will discover Rokus on the network. Select theirs.

  3. Add their favorite shows

    Search for shows and add them. Use 4-8 shows max to keep it simple. Add shows they'll recognize - with pictures they remember.

  4. Test it

    Tap a show to make sure the TV responds.

Show ideas

Matlock, Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, NCIS, Murder She Wrote, Golden Girls, nature documentaries - whatever they love watching.

That's it!

Hand them the iPad. Show them once: "Tap a picture to watch that show." They'll figure out the rest.