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Frequently Asked Questions

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General

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What RomM version do I need?

Grout aggressively adopts new RomM features. The required RomM version matches the first three components of Grout's version number.

For example, Grout v4.6.1.0 requires RomM 4.6.1 or newer. The fourth component is for Grout-specific patches.

Grout may still function on older RomM versions, but support will not be provided.

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Which devices and firmware are supported?

See the Quick Start Guide for the full list of supported platforms and installation instructions.

Connection & Login

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I can't connect to my RomM server. What should I check?

  1. Wi-Fi - Confirm your device is connected to Wi-Fi and can reach the server.
  2. Hostname - Make sure the hostname or IP address is correct and reachable from your device's network.
  3. Protocol - Try switching between HTTP and HTTPS. If you get an "Access Forbidden" error, you're likely using the wrong one.
  4. Port - If your RomM instance runs on a non-standard port, include it in the port field.
  5. Firewall - Ensure your server's firewall allows connections from your device's network.

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I'm getting SSL / certificate errors

If you're using a self-signed certificate, set SSL Certificates to Skip Verification on the login screen.

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My connection keeps timing out

Increase the API Timeout and Download Timeout in Settings > Advanced.

The default may be too short for slow networks, remote servers, large downloads, or RomM instances with a large games collection.

Downloading Games

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Can I filter the games list?

Yes. Press Y from any game list to filter by genre, franchise, company, game mode, region, language, age rating, or tag. Only categories with available values for the current platform are shown. Press B to clear all filters.

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Can I download multiple games at once?

Yes. Press Select to enter multi-select mode, then use A to toggle individual games, R1 to select all, or L1 to deselect all. Press Start to confirm and begin downloading.

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How do multi-disc games work?

When you download a multi-disc game, Grout automatically extracts and creates an .m3u playlist file.

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What does the "Archived Downloads" setting do?

When set to Uncompress, Grout will automatically extract downloaded .zip and .7z archives after downloading. When set to Do Nothing, the archive is saved as-is.

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What's the difference between the downloaded game indicators?

In Settings, the Downloaded Games option controls how already-downloaded games appear in the games list:

  • Do Nothing - No visual difference
  • Mark - Downloaded games are shown with a download icon
  • Filter - Downloaded games are hidden from the list entirely

Box Art & Artwork

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What are the different art types?

The Download Art Kind setting controls which artwork Grout downloads from RomM:

  • Default - Uses whatever artwork RomM provides as the default cover
  • Box2D - Flat front box art
  • Box3D - 3D rendered box art with perspective
  • MixImage - Composite image combining box art, screenshots, and system logos

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Can I download artwork for games I already have?

Yes! Use Tools > Download Missing Art to scan all mapped platforms and download cover art for any games missing cached artwork.

Save Sync

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How does Grout match my local games to RomM?

Grout matches by platform and filename - the local save filename (without extension) is matched against the ROM filenames in your RomM library for the same platform, with a forgiving case-insensitive fallback. For the best experience, keep your local ROM filenames consistent with the names in your RomM library.

For more details, see the Save Sync Guide.

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What's the difference between save files and save states?

Save files (.srm, .sav, etc.) are created by the emulated game itself - like saving at a save point. These are what Grout syncs.

Save states are snapshots of the entire emulator state at a moment in time. These are emulator-specific and are not currently synced by Grout.

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Will my saves be overwritten?

Grout always creates a backup of the existing local save before downloading a save from RomM. Sync decisions are made by the RomM server: unchanged saves are left alone, and if both the local and the server save have changed since the last sync, Grout asks you to resolve the conflict — defaulting to Skip, which touches nothing.

Platform Mappings

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Can I change my platform mappings later?

Yes. Go to Settings > Directory Mappings to reconfigure which local folder maps to each RomM platform.

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What happens if I skip a platform during mapping?

Games for that platform won't be visible in Grout and can't be downloaded until a mapping is configured.

BIOS Files

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How do I download BIOS files?

Navigate to a platform's game list. If the platform in RomM has BIOS files, Grout will show a prompt in the footer to press Menu (or L2 on Miyoo devices). From there Grout will list the BIOS files along with their status (Ready or Missing).

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Not all platforms show a BIOS option. Why?

The option will only appear when the platform in RomM has BIOS files associated with it.

Settings & Configuration

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What is Kid Mode?

Kid Mode hides Settings, Save Sync, Game Options, and BIOS downloads, leaving only game browsing and downloading. To temporarily access these while Kid Mode is enabled, press L1 + R1 + Menu during the Grout splash screen.

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Will updating Grout erase my settings?

No. The in-app updater and manual updates both preserve your config.json file, which contains your API token and platform mappings.

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What log level should I use?

  • Error - Only shows errors. Use this for normal operation.
  • Info - Shows general activity. Useful for understanding what Grout is doing.
  • Debug - Verbose logging. Use this when troubleshooting issues or filing bug reports.

Troubleshooting

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Where are the log files?

Log files are stored alongside the Grout binary in a logs directory. The exact path depends on your firmware and installation location.

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My cache seems wrong or outdated

Go to Settings > Advanced > Rebuild Cache. This clears and rebuilds the local database from your RomM server.

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Downloads are slow or failing

  1. Increase the Download Timeout in Settings > Advanced.
  2. Check your Wi-Fi signal strength - handheld devices often have limited range.
  3. Verify your RomM server isn't under heavy load.

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I found a bug or have a feature request

Please create an issue on GitHub and fill out the template completely. Include your Grout version, RomM version, device, firmware, and relevant log output.