Nanoleaf panel lights are a great way to light up your home in style. However, there may be times when you receive an error message.
This article will explain nine reasons why you might receive an error message saying, “Read/Write operation failed,” and what you can do to fix it.
Why Does Nanoleaf Say Read Write Operation Failed?
1. Your Nanoleaf lights are on a different network than your home hub
This error message has been directly addressed by Nanoleaf to their customers. They said the most common reason for this message is that your Nanoleaf devices and your Home Hub are on different networks. The best way to fix this is to make sure that all your devices are connected to the same network.
Fix: Make sure that Nanoleaf and your home hub are on the same network
If you use Ethernet for your home hub, make sure your Nanoleaf lights are connected to that network.
Note: Nanoleaf will only connect to a 2.4 GHz WiFi band.
2. There might be a glitch in your Nanoleaf controller
Whenever an electronic device has an issue, it’s always good to try a power cycle. Power cycling helps reinitialize devices and helps them recover from any bugs or glitches causing them to malfunction.
Fix: Power cycle your Nanoleaf controller
To do a correct power cycle of your Nanoleaf controller, follow these steps:
Step One: Unplug your Nanoleaf controller from the wall.
Step Two: Wait one minute.
Step Three: Plug the controller back into the wall.
Step Four: Wait another minute.
3. Your internet router might need a power cycle
You may need to do a power cycle on your internet router. In fact, power cycling your router is recommended any time you are having connection issues with any of your devices.
Fix: Perform a power cycle on your internet router
To do a correct power cycle on your internet router, follow these steps:
Step One: Turn your router off and unplug it.
Step Two: Let it sit for 30 seconds before you plug it back in.
Step Three: Before you turn the router back on, wait for two minutes.
Step Four: Turn your router back on and test your connection.
4. Your Apple TV might be interfering with your Nanoleaf panels
Many Nanoleaf users have found that their Apple TV is to blame for causing the “Read/Write operation failed” message. They have found that removing their Apple TV as their home hub solves the problem.
Fix: Disconnect your Apple TV from your Homekit
If you use an Apple TV as your home hub, follow these steps to disconnect it:
Step One: Go to your Apple TV homepage.
Step Two: Click on “Settings.”
Step Three: Click “AirPlay and HomeKit.”
Step Four: Click on “Home Hub.”
Step Five: Click on “My Home.”
Step Six: Click “Disabled.”
5. The Nanoleaf panel that the controller is connected to is causing an issue
Your Nanoleaf controller is one of the most important pieces of your Nanoleaf setup. It is what your mobile app communicates with. If your controller is connected to a panel that is too far from your internet router or is having other issues, it may not function properly.
Fix: Disconnect the controller from its current panel and connect it to a different one
To connect your Nanoleaf controller to a different light panel, simply take it out of its current panel and click it into another panel.
Note: You need one controller for every 80 panels and one power supply for every 22 panels. Sometimes, having more than one controller can cause issues with power distribution. This can cause the controllers to not work properly. If you have more than 22 panels, Nanoleaf recommends enabling “Power Diagnostic Mode.”
Follow these steps to enable “Power Diagnostic Mode”:
Step One: On your mobile app, click on the “More” tab if you have an iPhone or the side menu if you have an Android.
Step Two: Click on “Settings.”
Step Three: Click on “Warnings.”
Step Four: Click on “Power Limited.”
If the light panel is green, it has good power. If the light panel is red, the power supply should move. If the panel is blue, it is missing a power supply. A white panel indicates that it is a better place to add a power supply.
6. Your Nanoleaf App may need to be updated
Anytime developers find glitches or bugs in their mobile apps, they attempt to fix them. After they fix them, they offer free updates in the App Store on your phone. It’s always a good idea to get any software updates on your app as soon as they become available.
Fix: Check for available updates
To see if there is an available update to your Nanoleaf app, follow the steps below:
Step One: Go to the App Store if you have an iPhone or to the Google Play store if you have an Android phone.
Step Two: Do a search for the Nanoleaf mobile app.
Step Three: It will tell you at the top of the app page if there is an update available.
7. There may be a glitch with your Nanoleaf App
If updating your app doesn’t do it, you can try deleting your Nanoleaf mobile app from your phone and then reinstalling it. This will not only ensure that you have the latest version of the app, but it will delete all of its files and cache.
Fix: Reinstall the Nanoleaf App
If you have an iPhone, follow these steps to delete and then reinstall the Nanoleaf mobile app:
Step One: Go to “Settings” on your main screen.
Step Two: Scroll down and click on the “General” tab.
Step Three: Click on the “iPhone Storage” tab.
Step Four: From here, you can scroll down, find the Nanoleaf app, and click on it.
Step Five: Click on the “Delete App” button.
Step Six: Go to the App Store on your phone and search for the Nanoleaf mobile app.
Step Seven: Click the “Get” button to reinstall the app.
If you have an Android, follow these steps to uninstall and then reinstall the Nanoleaf mobile app:
Option One: Uninstall from the Google Play Store
Step One: Go to the Play Store and click on the icon with three parallel lines in the upper corner.
Step Two: When the menu pops up, click on “My apps & games.”
Step Three: Click on the tab at the top that says “Installed.”
Step Four: Once you are on the app’s page, click the “Uninstall” button and then confirm that you want to uninstall it.
Option Two: Uninstall from your home screen.
Step One: Find the Nanoleaf app on your home screen.
Step Two: Press and hold down on the app until a small menu appears.
Step Three: Click the “Uninstall” icon and confirm that you want to uninstall the app.
Note: Depending on your Android home screen, the process of Option Two might differ slightly. Some home screens have you physically drag the app to a button that says, “Uninstall.”
After you have uninstalled the Nanoleaf app, you can then open the Google Play Store, find the Nanoleaf app again, and reinstall it.
8. You might need to do a soft reset of your light panels
A soft reset of your Nanoleaf light panels will allow you to switch WiFi networks, change your primary user on iOS, and unpair your device. A soft reset might also fix any kind of glitch that might be causing the Nanoleaf panels to not work properly.
Fix: Soft Reset your Nanoleaf panels
Follow these steps to correctly do a soft reset of your Nanoleaf light panels:
Step One: Make sure your Nanoleaf light panels are plugged into power.
Step Two: Press and hold down the two buttons on the controller for at least three seconds.
Step Three: Let go of the buttons. You can now delete your device.
Step Four: After deleting the device, you can pair it again.
9. You might need to do a hard reset of your light panels
A hard reset is a full factory reset that deletes WiFi settings, pairing information, and custom scenes. Only do this action as a last resort if none of the other options have worked.
Fix: Hard Reset your Nanoleaf panels
To do a proper hard reset of your Nanoleaf light panels, follow the steps below:
Step One: Uplug the controller from the wall.
Step Two: Hold down both buttons while you plug the controller back into the wall.
Step Three: Keep holding the buttons down until a light starts to flash on the controller.
Step Four: Release the buttons and wait for the light to become steady.
Step Five: Delete your device and pair it again.
My Final Thoughts
In summary, the most common ways of fixing the “Read/Write operation failed” error message are: checking your network connections, power cycling your Nanoleaf controller and internet router, moving the Nanoleaf controller to a different panel, checking for software updates, reinstalling your Nanoleaf mobile app, or doing a soft or hard reset of your Nanoleaf panels.
If you have tried all of these fixes and are still experiencing issues with the “Read/Write operation failed” error, you may need to contact Nanoleaf. The Nanoleaf support team may want to schedule a live debugging session with you.