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Guides

Straight answers for when the remote is lost, broken, or out of reach — the real fix first, and how your phone can stand in for it meanwhile.

• TV Remote App Keeps Disconnecting? Causes and FixesPhone remote connects, then drops or stops responding? The usual causes are the Wi-Fi, the TV's power saving and an IP address that changes.
• Fire TV Remote App Not Connecting? 7 iPhone FixesFire TV app on your iPhone can't find the Fire TV, or the volume buttons are missing? Seven fixes in order, plus what third-party remote apps need.
• TV Remote App Without Wi-Fi: What Works on iPhoneCan a phone remote app work without Wi-Fi? On an iPhone, not with no network at all — but a hotspot or a travel router often does. What works, by brand.
• Can I Use My iPhone as a TV Remote? Yes, Here's HowYes, if it's a smart TV on your Wi-Fi: Samsung, LG, Roku, Google TV, Fire TV or Vizio. The steps, the one-time pairing, and what an iPhone can't do.
• Roku App Remote Not Working? 8 Fixes, Step by StepThe Roku app remote can't find your TV, or its buttons do nothing? Eight fixes in order: same Wi-Fi, iPhone Local Network access, a Roku setting and more.
• Change TV Input Without a Remote: 4 Ways (Any TV)Hold the button under the TV and pick Input, or switch on the device you want to watch and the TV changes over by itself. Four ways, step by step.
• Control Google TV Without a Remote: 4 Ways (Android TV)Install Google Home or the Google TV app on your phone, join the TV's Wi-Fi and type the code it shows. Or wake it from a connected device. 4 ways.
• How to control a Fire TV without the remoteLost your Fire TV remote? Use the official Fire TV app over Wi-Fi, a connected device, or a replacement — plus the honest limits of each method.
• Find Your TV's IP Address (Samsung, LG, Roku, Fire TV)On a Samsung: Settings → General → Network → Network Status → IP Settings. Paths for LG, Roku, Google TV and Fire TV, and how to find it with no remote.
• LG Magic Remote Not Working? How to Re-pair ItFix an LG Magic Remote that won't respond, won't register or has lost its pointer: fresh batteries, reset and re-pair, plus your phone as a stand-in.
• Lost Roku Remote? Control Your Roku Without ItControl a Roku with no remote — the official app, your phone as a full remote, HDMI-CEC, the TV's own buttons, and a replacement.
• Roku Remote Not Working? How to Fix It (and the App)Fix a Roku remote that won't respond — re-pair the enhanced remote, batteries, a restart — and what to do when the phone app remote stops working too.
• Samsung TV Remote Not Working? How to Fix It FastFix a Samsung remote that won't respond: batteries, re-pairing the Smart Remote, the no-red-light and sensor checks, and running the TV from your phone.
• How to turn on an LG TV without the remoteTurn on an LG TV with no remote — the button under the LG logo, a connected device over SimpLink, or your phone once the TV is on.
• Turn On Samsung TV Without Remote or Power ButtonPress the button under the Samsung logo or the bottom-right corner (on the back on newer sets). No button? Use Anynet+, SmartThings or your phone.
• How to turn on any TV without a remoteTurn on a TV with no remote: the hidden power button, a connected HDMI device, or your phone. Steps for Samsung, LG, Roku, Google TV and Fire TV.