LG hides the power button well, which is why this trips people up. Once you know where it is, turning the TV on without the remote takes a second.
1. Press the button under the LG logo
On most modern LG TVs — including the OLED and webOS sets — there’s a single button on the underside of the panel, at the centre-bottom, directly behind or just below the LG logo. Reach under and press it once to turn the TV on.
On many models that button is a joystick:
- Press to turn on or select.
- Push up / down for volume, left / right to change channel or move through a menu.
- Press and hold to open a small menu with power off and input (HDMI).
That’s enough to switch inputs and get back to whatever you were watching.
2. Turn it on from a connected device (SimpLink)
If something is plugged into the TV over HDMI — a console, a soundbar, an Apple TV — turning that device on will often wake the TV and switch to its input automatically. LG’s name for this HDMI-CEC feature is SimpLink, and it’s on by default on most sets.
3. Control it from your phone
Once the TV is on and on your Wi-Fi, your phone becomes the remote. LG’s own ThinQ app does this, and so does Zapp, which also gives you the Magic Remote pointer — drag on the phone and the on-screen cursor follows — plus the real input list and a keyboard for search, with no subscription.
One honest caveat: a TV that is fully off and has never been paired can’t be woken by an app, because its network sleeps with it. Once it’s been paired, though, Zapp can wake it from standby over Wi-Fi.
4. A replacement remote
An LG Magic Remote or a universal remote will pair with the TV and is the right permanent fix if the original is gone — but it won’t help you tonight, so use the button or a connected device to get going now.