Troubleshooting WeakAuras Companion: Common Issues and Quick FixesWeakAuras Companion is a mobile and desktop app that helps World of Warcraft players sync and manage WeakAuras strings between devices and with friends. It’s powerful, but like any third‑party tool interacting with a live game and networked devices, it can run into hiccups. This article walks through the most common problems, how to diagnose them, and practical fixes — from connectivity and authentication to import/export quirks and performance issues.
1) Connection Problems: Companion Won’t Pair with WoW Addon
Symptoms:
- The Companion app cannot detect your game client.
- You get “No client detected” or pairing times out.
- The addon shows “waiting for companion” or doesn’t sync.
Checks and quick fixes:
- Ensure both the in-game WeakAuras Companion addon and the external Companion app are up to date. Outdated versions are the most frequent cause of pairing failures.
- Same network and no VPN: Make sure your phone/desktop running the Companion app and the computer running WoW are on the same local network. Disable VPNs and network profiles that isolate devices (like some guest Wi‑Fi or AP isolation).
- Firewall & antivirus: Temporarily disable or add exceptions for the Companion app and WoW in your OS firewall and security software. On Windows, allow inbound/outbound for both applications. On macOS, allow incoming network connections for the Companion app.
- Correct client IP/port: The Companion app usually auto-discovers the game, but if it asks for an IP or port, verify the PC’s LAN IP and ensure the default port (if used) is not blocked. Restarting the game and app often forces rediscovery.
- Restart everything: Close WoW, quit the Companion app, then launch the game first and the Companion app second. Sometimes ordering resolves discovery race conditions.
- USB tethering alternative: If Wi‑Fi discovery fails, try connecting your phone via USB tethering (enable hotspot/tethering) so both devices share an IP range — useful for flaky local networks.
2) Authentication & Login Issues
Symptoms:
- The Companion app signs you out or reports invalid credentials.
- You cannot push protected strings or private imports.
Checks and quick fixes:
- Reauthenticate the addon: Some operations require reestablishing trust. In WoW type the Companion addon commands (if available) to generate a one‑time code or token and follow the app prompts.
- Account mismatch: Confirm the in‑game addon and the Companion app are linked to the same account or profile when required by that workflow.
- Rate limits & login throttles: If you try many operations in short succession (mass imports/exports), you may hit server or app rate limits. Wait a few minutes and retry.
- Clear cached credentials: In the Companion app settings, sign out and sign back in. On rare occasions, deleting local cache data for the app (or reinstalling) fixes corrupted credential stores.
3) Import/Export Failures (Strings Not Importing or Corrupted)
Symptoms:
- Import attempts fail with parsing errors.
- Auras appear blank or broken after import.
- Shared strings include weird characters or truncated data.
Checks and quick fixes:
- Verify source format: WeakAuras strings must be copied in the correct format. If the author exported multiple auras or a group, ensure you copied the full string. Some websites wrap strings with extra markup — paste into a plain text editor first to strip formatting.
- Use the in‑game import window: Paste strings directly into the WeakAuras import dialog in WoW rather than relying solely on the Companion app. This ensures the game’s parser handles the data.
- Encoding issues: If weird characters appear, the problem can be character encoding (UTF‑8 vs others). Use a plain text editor saved as UTF‑8 before pasting.
- Protected/secure options: Some aura features rely on secure environment code that cannot be set by external apps. When importing, inspect the aura for restricted options (e.g., certain action types) and manually reconfigure them in-game.
- Check addon dependencies: Some auras reference other addons (e.g., MSBT, BigWigs, DBM). Ensure required addons are installed and enabled.
- Update WeakAuras addon: Old WeakAuras versions may not understand new serialized fields. Update the addon in your addon manager or via manual install.
4) Sync Conflicts & Missing Auras After Sync
Symptoms:
- Changes made on one device don’t appear on another.
- Merged changes create duplicates or overwrite desired settings.
Checks and quick fixes:
- Understand sync direction: Know whether you’re pushing from client→app or app→client. Use explicit “push” or “pull” controls rather than assuming automatic bi‑directional sync.
- Manual conflict resolution: If two versions conflict, export both to files, compare, then manually merge favored settings. Keep backups before mass syncs.
- Profiles and namespaces: WeakAuras supports profiles and groups — ensure you’re syncing the right profile. The Companion might sync a different profile than the one active in-game.
- Timestamp and versioning: Rely on timestamps to choose the newest version. If timestamps aren’t obvious, test small changes (e.g., rename an aura) to confirm which side is authoritative.
- Backups: Always export and save backups of important auras before large sync operations. Store them in plain files labeled by date.
5) Performance Issues: Lag, High CPU, or Game Stuttering
Symptoms:
- Frame drops, stuttering when auras trigger.
- High CPU usage from WeakAuras or companion-related tasks.
Checks and quick fixes:
- Audit auras for heavy logic: Complex custom code, frequent OnUpdate triggers, or intensive group scanning can cause CPU spikes. Convert OnUpdate checks to event‑driven triggers when possible.
- Throttle frequency: For triggers that poll, increase the interval (for example, check every 0.2–0.5s instead of every frame).
- Disable debug mode: Some auras or the Companion addon may have debug logging enabled — turn it off.
- Reduce loaded auras: Disable groups of auras not relevant to your current activity (e.g., raid auras while soloing).
- Use local instead of global imports: Running many shared auras from the Companion that aren’t optimized can add overhead. Import only what you need.
- Profile performance: Use in‑game CPU profiling (Blizzard’s tools) or WoW addon performance tools to identify heavy auras and optimize or remove them.
6) Visual/Display Problems: Icons, Text, or Positions Off
Symptoms:
- Icons missing or replaced by question marks.
- Text overlays clipped or misaligned.
- Auras positioned in the wrong place on screen.
Checks and quick fixes:
- Font and media dependencies: Some auras reference custom fonts, textures, or icons that you don’t have installed. Install required media or edit the aura to use default assets.
- UI scale & anchor issues: Check UI scale and the anchor points for the aura. Reposition using the WeakAuras editor and then save.
- Pixel‑perfect vs scale rounding: Slight misplacements can be due to rounding with different UI scales. Try toggling “Pixel Perfect” or adjusting scale by small increments.
- Texture path changes: If an aura references an outdated file path (e.g., from a retired addon or old installation), change it to a valid path or swap the texture.
7) Mobile Companion App Crashes or Unresponsive Behavior
Symptoms:
- App crashes on launch, freezes during sync, or battery heats up.
Checks and quick fixes:
- Update the app & OS: Ensure the Companion app and your phone’s OS are current.
- Clear app cache/data or reinstall: If the app is corrupted, clear its cache or reinstall. Back up any local data first if possible.
- Limit background activity: Some phones aggressively suspend background network access. Keep the app open in foreground during an initial pairing.
- Check mobile firewall apps: Some security apps can block local network discovery; grant permissions or disable them for testing.
- Watch battery/CPU usage: If the app causes overheating, avoid prolonged heavy syncs and report the issue with logs to the developer.
8) Addon Errors & LUA Stack Traces
Symptoms:
- LUA errors when interacting with WeakAuras or Companion.
- Error traces referencing missing fields, nil values, or indexing.
Checks and quick fixes:
- Read the stack trace: It indicates which file and line triggered the error. Note the addon name and function.
- Update all addons: Conflicts often arise from outdated dependencies. Update WeakAuras, its libraries (Ace3, LibStub, etc.), and any aura‑related addons.
- Disable conflicting addons: Temporarily disable other addons to isolate the source.
- Safe mode import: Import the aura in a fresh profile or after disabling other addons to see if it’s an aura problem.
- Report with details: If it’s a WeakAuras bug, capture the full error text, relevant aura strings, and steps to reproduce, then file a bug report with the author or on the addon’s issue tracker.
9) Group Sharing & Friends Sync Not Working
Symptoms:
- You can’t send or receive auras with friends.
- Shared auras appear corrupted on the recipient.
Checks and quick fixes:
- Compatibility: Ensure both parties run compatible versions of WeakAuras and Companion.
- Network discovery: Both devices must be reachable on the local network or connected via a method that allows direct device pairing.
- Permissions & visibility: Some devices or routers isolate clients or block local sharing — enable LAN visibility or use an alternate network.
- Share via export files: When direct sharing fails, export the aura to a text file and send via chat/email. The recipient can import the file in-game.
10) Best Practices to Avoid Future Issues
- Keep everything updated: Regularly update the WeakAuras addon, Companion app, and related libraries.
- Backup before changes: Export important auras before mass edits or syncs.
- Use descriptive names: Name auras with version/date tags when iterating (e.g., “ReaverCD_v2_2025‑09‑01”).
- Minimize custom Lua where possible: Custom code increases error and maintenance risk.
- Test incremental changes: Make small edits and test in a controlled environment (solo instance or target dummy) before using in raids.
- Document dependencies: Note any fonts, textures, or addons auras require and keep them accessible.
When to Seek Help / What to Provide
If troubleshooting fails, collect:
- The WeakAuras string (export) causing issues.
- Exact addon and Companion app versions.
- The full LUA error text and stack trace, if any.
- Steps to reproduce and screenshots or short screen recordings. Provide these to the addon’s issue tracker or community forums; they’ll speed up diagnosis.
Troubleshooting WeakAuras Companion usually comes down to network discovery, version mismatches, import formatting, or heavy/buggy auras. Systematic checks, backups, and updating components solve most problems quickly.
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