If your TV is a smart TV on your Wi-Fi, a remote app turns your phone into its remote in about a minute. If your Android phone has an infrared (IR) emitter, it can control almost any TV, even without Wi-Fi. Otherwise, use the buttons on the TV and order a replacement remote.
Use your phone over Wi-Fi
- Turn the TV onPress the power button on the TV. Can't find it?
- Join the same Wi-FiConnect your phone to the Wi-Fi network your TV uses, not a guest network, and turn off any VPN.
- Tap your TV in the appUniversal TV Remote Control finds the smart TVs on your network in seconds. Tap yours.
- Approve onceSome TVs show a code to type in the app. Others ask you to select Allow on the TV: here's how without a remote.
Use your phone's infrared
If your Android phone has an infrared (IR) emitter, it works like the TV's own remote: point the top of the phone at the TV. It works with almost any TV, smart or not, even without Wi-Fi. Does my phone have one?
Use the buttons on the TV
Most TVs have a power button, sometimes with a few more buttons or a small control stick, under the bottom edge of the screen (often under the logo), on the back or on a side. Depending on the model, they turn the TV on and off and change the volume, channel or input, but they usually can't select options such as Allow.
Order a replacement remote
Find your TV's model number on the label on the back of the TV, then order the original remote from the TV's maker or a store. A universal infrared remote also works with most TVs.
No Wi-Fi?
Over Wi-Fi, your phone and TV need to be on the same network. Without Wi-Fi, you need a phone with an infrared (IR) emitter: the app offers infrared only on phones that have one. Otherwise, use the buttons on the TV or a replacement remote.
Good to know
- Fire TV: the app needs ADB debugging, which takes the Fire TV's menus once, and Fire TV sticks have no USB port for a keyboard. Fire TV guide.
- Roku: on devices that support the lost remote finder, the app's Find my remote key makes a compatible remote play a sound.
