iPhone TV remote
The universal TV remote app for iPhone
One app for Roku, Samsung, LG, Sony, Fire TV, Apple TV, Vizio, Hisense, Philips, Panasonic, Toshiba, Chromecast and Android/Google TV. Built by one developer who got tired of a drawer full of remotes, and of remote apps that pretend to work.
Get A Decent Remote on the App Store Works over Wi-Fi. No IR blaster, no extra hardware 
Android? Join the test 
Works with every major TV brand
How it works
- Put your iPhone on the same Wi-Fi network as your TV.
- Open the app. It scans the network and finds every TV automatically.
- Tap your TV. Some brands show a one-time allow prompt or PIN on the screen; approve it once and you have power, volume, apps, a d-pad, a touchpad and a real keyboard.
Guides
Lost your remote?
- Lost Your Fire TV Remote? Use Your iPhone as the Remote
How to control a Fire TV Stick from an iPhone when the remote is lost, including the HDMI-CEC trick that gets you past the on-screen approval.
- Lost Your LG TV Remote? Your iPhone Can Replace It
Control any LG webOS TV from your iPhone without the Magic Remote, including approving the pairing prompt when you have no remote at all.
- Lost Your Roku Remote? Use Your iPhone Instead
No Roku remote? Turn your iPhone into a full Roku remote in about two minutes, plus the hotspot trick for when the Roku is not on Wi-Fi.
- Lost Your Samsung TV Remote? Control It From Your iPhone
How to control a Samsung smart TV from an iPhone when the remote is gone, including how to approve the connection with no remote at all.
- Lost Your Vizio Remote? Pair Your iPhone in Two Minutes
Vizio SmartCast TVs show a pairing PIN on screen, no remote needed at all. Here is how to control a Vizio TV from your iPhone, step by step.
Your TV brand, from an iPhone
- Element TV Remote App for iPhone: Roku, Fire TV, Google TV
Element TVs run Roku, Google TV, Fire TV or Xumo. How to tell which yours is, which ones an iPhone can control, and how to pair it step by step.
- Insignia TV Remote App for iPhone: No Official One Exists
Insignia never made a remote app. Most Insignia TVs are Fire TV models (older ones Roku), and your iPhone controls both. Steps and the approval trick.
- Lost Your onn TV Remote? Your iPhone Replaces It
Walmart onn TVs and boxes run Roku or Google TV, both controllable from an iPhone in under a minute. Pairing steps, the code screen, and volume tips.
- TCL TV Remote App: Control Any TCL From Your iPhone
Every TCL runs Roku, Google TV or Fire TV, so one iPhone app controls them all. How to tell which yours is, pair it, and fix the common snags.
- Use Your iPhone as an Android TV / Google TV Remote
Pair an iPhone with any Android TV or Google TV in under a minute: a PIN on screen, no old remote needed. Works for Sony, TCL, Hisense, Philips and more.
- Use Your iPhone as an Apple TV Remote (Lost Remote? No Problem)
The Siri Remote is gone again. Every way to control an Apple TV from an iPhone, including the pairing fix when the Apple TV refuses new connections.
- Control a Chromecast From Your iPhone (No Remote Needed)
Cast-only Chromecasts have no remote to lose; your phone is the remote. What an iPhone can control on a Chromecast, and which Chromecast you actually have.
- Lost Your Hisense Remote? First, Find Out Which Hisense You Have
Hisense TVs run four different systems (VIDAA, Roku, Google TV, or Fire TV) and the iPhone remote fix differs for each. How to tell, and what to do next.
- Panasonic TV Remote Apps: What Works and What Honestly Does Not
Pre-2019 Panasonic Viera sets connect with no pairing at all. From 2019 the protocol is encrypted and pairs with the PIN the TV shows. Both routes, honestly.
- Philips TV Remote App for iPhone (All Generations)
Philips TVs from 2014 to the newest Titan OS sets can be controlled from an iPhone. Which generation you have, how pairing works, and the honest limits.
- Control a Sony TV With Your iPhone (Lost Remote Included)
Sony Bravia TVs pair with a PIN shown on screen, no remote needed. How to control a Sony TV from an iPhone, plus the pre-shared-key option that never expires.
- Lost Your Toshiba TV Remote? Your iPhone Can Take Over
Toshiba Fire TV editions and older REGZA smart sets can both be controlled from an iPhone, but the setup differs. Which Toshiba you have and what to do.
Typing and search on the TV
- YouTube Search on Your TV From an iPhone: Photo Walkthrough
Every screen from the App Store to YouTube results on the TV, photographed on a real LG. About five minutes end to end, no TV remote involved.
- Apple TV Keyboard Not Popping Up on iPhone? Here Is the Fix
The "type on Apple TV from iPhone" notification is handy until it stops appearing. Why it breaks, every fix, and the route that types regardless.
- How to Search YouTube on Your TV From Your iPhone
Skip the letter grid. Two ways to search YouTube on the big screen using your iPhone keyboard, including one that works across six TV platforms.
- Can You Type Into Netflix on a TV? The Honest Answer
Mostly no, and it is Netflix's doing, not your remote app's. Why external keyboards are ignored, and the two workarounds that actually hold up.
- How to Type on Fire TV and Android TV From Your iPhone
Passwords and searches without the letter grid: how iPhone keyboard input works on Fire TV and Android/Google TV, what it covers, and where the limits are.
- How to Type on a Roku TV Without the On-Screen Keyboard
Stop hunting letters with the arrow keys. How to type into Roku search from a real keyboard on your iPhone, and why it works on every Roku.
Fixes and troubleshooting
- Bush TV Remote App: The Official One and an iPhone Option
The free Bush TV remote app, how to tell whether your Bush runs Freeview Play, TiVo, Android TV or Fire TV, and how to pair A Decent Remote on an iPhone.
- Free Fire Stick Remote App for iPhone and Android: The Honest Answer
Amazon's Fire TV app is a free Fire Stick remote on iPhone and Android. What it gives you, how to set it up, and when one app for every TV is worth more.
- Free LG TV Remote App: LG ThinQ and What Else Works
LG ThinQ is the free LG TV remote app, and it is real. What it asks for, how to set it up, and when a no-account remote app on your iPhone is quicker.
- Free Samsung TV Remote App: SmartThings and What Else Works
SmartThings is the free Samsung remote app, and it is good. What it asks for, how to set it up, and when a no-account remote app on your iPhone is quicker.
- Free Vizio Remote App: Vizio's Own and What Else Works
Vizio's own remote app is free and it is good. What it asks for, how to spot the real one, and when a no-account iPhone remote is quicker.
- Insignia TV Remote Not Working? Fix It or Use Your iPhone
Why an Insignia remote stops working on Fire TV and Roku models, how to re-pair or reset it, and how to run the TV from your phone while you sort it out.
- LG TV Remote App Without Wi-Fi: What Works and What Doesn't
An LG remote app needs a network, not the internet. How to put an LG on Wi-Fi with no remote, use your iPhone hotspot, and why no iPhone app can use infrared.
- Philips TV Remote Not Working? Fixes, Re-Pairing, Phone Backup
Philips remote dead or ignored by the TV? Check the batteries and the TV, re-pair for Titan OS, Google TV or Android, and run the TV from your iPhone meanwhile.
- How to Set Up an Apple TV Without a Remote (What Works)
Set up, turn on or put an Apple TV on Wi-Fi without its remote: what your iPhone can do, what still needs a remote, and the Ethernet shortcut.
- Fire Stick Without a Remote: How to Set Up, Reset or Turn On
What works on a Fire TV Stick with no remote: getting through setup, a factory reset that does not strand you, turning it on, and when your iPhone takes over.
- Sony TV Remote Not Working? Fix It or Use Your Phone
Why a Sony Bravia remote stops responding, how to reset or re-pair it, and how to run the TV from your iPhone while you sort out the remote.
- TCL Remote Control Not Working? Fix It or Use Your iPhone
Why a TCL remote stops working on Roku TV and Google TV sets, how to re-pair it, what to do about a dead mic button, and how your iPhone takes over today.
- How to Turn On an LG TV Without a Remote (or Turn It Off)
The button under the LG logo turns the TV on and off. Then the one setting that lets your phone do it for you, and what to do if the remote's power key is dead.
- How to Turn On a TCL TV Without a Remote (Button or Phone)
Where the power button hides on a TCL Roku TV and Google TV, what to do if it does nothing, and the standby setting that lets your iPhone switch the TV on.
- Vizio TV Remote Not Working? Fix It or Use Your iPhone
Why a Vizio remote stops working, the 60-second TV reset that fixes most cases, and how to pair your iPhone as the remote with the PIN the TV shows.
- Vizio TV Without a Remote: Power On, Wi-Fi and Channels
Turn a Vizio on, change channels and get it onto Wi-Fi with no remote: the buttons on the TV, Ethernet, the hotspot trick, and your iPhone once it is online.
- Android TV Remote Not Working? Fix It or Use Your Phone
Mi Box, Mi TV Stick, Chromecast with Google TV or a TCL Google TV: why the remote stopped, how to re-pair it, and how your iPhone takes over tonight.
- Apple TV Remote Not Working? Fix It or Use Your iPhone
Siri Remote not responding, touchpad dead, or an Apple TV 2 remote gone quiet? Charge, re-pair or swap the battery, and steer the Apple TV from your iPhone.
- Amazon Fire Stick Remote Control Not Working? What to Do
Why a Fire Stick remote stops responding, how to re-pair or reset it, and how to run the stick from your iPhone while the remote is broken.
- LG TV Remote Not Working? Fix It, or Use Your Phone Now
Dead batteries, a dropped Bluetooth link or a hidden pointer: how to tell which, re-pair the Magic Remote, and run your LG TV from an iPhone meanwhile.
- Samsung TV Remote Not Responding? Re-Pair It or Use Your iPhone
Why a Samsung TV remote stops working, how to re-pair or reset a Smart or Solar remote, and how your iPhone runs the TV while you sort it out.
- How to Use Your Android Phone as a Fire Stick Remote
Amazon's free app works and needs no remote to pair. When that is enough, when a universal app is better, and what to do if the USB debugging prompt is missing.
- Android TV Box Remote App: X96, TX6 and Generic Boxes
Generic Android boxes rarely work with the Google TV app. How to run one from your iPhone or Android phone, the one setting it needs, and boxes seen working.
- Best TV Remote Apps for Android, by What You Own
The ten biggest universal remote apps on Google Play, with real downloads, ratings, ads and prices, plus the free official app for each TV brand.
- How to Control a Samsung TV From Your Galaxy Phone
SmartThings is free and already on your Galaxy, but it is not always the quickest. When to use it, when not to, and how to fix the prompt that blocks you.
- How to Use an iPad as a TV Remote
Your iPad can run most smart TVs over Wi-Fi. What it needs, which apps to use, and why a tablet on the sofa makes a better keyboard than the remote ever did.
- Can the iPhone Control Center Remote Run a Samsung or LG TV?
Your iPhone has a built-in TV remote, but it was made for Apple TV. When it works on a Samsung or LG, how to set it up, and what to use when it does not.
- TV Remote on Your iPhone Lock Screen: Play, Pause and Mute
Pause or mute your TV without unlocking your iPhone. How the lock screen card works, which TVs it covers, and how to remove one you do not want there.
- LG TV Remote App: Which Models Work, by Model Number
Find your LG TV's year from its model number, then see which UHD, NanoCell, QNED and OLED sets have worked with a phone remote on iPhone and Android.
- Philips Ambilight TV Remote App: Models That Work
Philips Ambilight sets are among the easiest TVs to run from a phone. Which PUS and PFS models we have seen working, how pairing goes, and what no app can do.
- How to Reset an Android TV or Box Without a Remote
Restart first, and factory reset only if you must. The menu route, the reset button on boxes, and how to avoid getting stuck on the setup screen afterwards.
- Samsung The Frame Remote App: Phone Control and Art Mode
Run The Frame from your phone, even with the remote missing. How to connect it, why power goes to Art Mode, and which Frame models we have seen working.
- Samsung QLED and Crystal UHD Remote App: Check Your Model
Read one letter in your Samsung model number to find its year, then see which QLED, Crystal UHD and OLED models have worked with a phone remote so far.
- How to Stop Casting From an Android Phone to Your TV
A casted video and a mirrored screen stop in different places. Where to end each one on Android, and what to do when the phone that started it is gone.
- TV Remote App for Android With No Ads: What to Look For
Full-screen ads on a remote are more than annoying when the film has started. Why so many remote apps have them, how to spot them, and your ad-free options.
- TV Remote App for Android With No IR Blaster Needed
Most Android phones have no infrared, and most TVs do not need it. How to check your phone, why some remote apps cannot work on it, and what to use instead.
- How to Use Your Android Phone as a TV Remote
Infrared or Wi-Fi, the free app or a universal one. How to pick the right route for your phone and your TV, and what an Android phone still cannot do.
- How to Use an Android TV or Google TV Without a Remote
Lost the remote? A button, a phone, or a USB mouse will each run an Android TV. What each one can do, and how to get in when the TV has no network.
- Mi Box and Xiaomi TV Remote App for iPhone and Android
Lost the Mi Box remote, or want to use your phone? How to pair a Mi Box, Mi TV Stick or Xiaomi TV with no remote, and which ones we have seen working so far.
- Are TV Remote Apps Safe? What They Can Actually See
What Local Network permission really grants, what a pairing PIN proves, why "works with all TVs" is usually false, and how to check any app before paying.
- How to Connect a TV to Wi-Fi Without the Remote
Four ways to get a smart TV onto Wi-Fi with no remote: Ethernet, a USB keyboard, the TV's own buttons, and the hotspot trick that makes it rejoin on its own.
- How to Reset a TV Without the Remote (Read This First)
A power-cycle drain fixes most of what people factory reset for, and takes two minutes. A factory reset without a remote can leave you stuck in a setup wizard.
- How to Turn On a TV Without the Remote
Check the standby light first: it tells you whether this is a remote problem or a dead TV. Then the hidden button and the CEC trick.
- How to Cancel a TV Remote App Subscription (and Get a Refund)
Cancel any iPhone remote app subscription in four taps, work out which app is actually charging you, and how to ask Apple for a refund on an unexpected charge.
- Free TV Remote Apps With No Subscription: The Honest List
Which remote apps are genuinely free, which only look free, and what the free ones cost you instead. Real App Store prices for the ten biggest universal apps.
- Top 10 TV Remote Apps for iPhone, Ranked by What a Year Costs
Every price pulled from the App Store listing: cheapest yearly plan, the plan Apple lists first, ads, download size. Nine of ten sell a weekly subscription.
- Pairing an iPhone With Your TV: Every Step, Photographed
From a cold start to a working remote in about three minutes: scan, tap your TV, type the PIN it puts on screen. Shot on a real LG, one run.
- How to Use Your iPhone as a TV Remote (Any Brand)
Yes, on almost any smart TV made since about 2014. What it needs, what it cannot do, and the exact pairing step for every major brand.
- TV Remote Apps in Hotels and Airbnbs: What Works and Why
Remote apps work great in Airbnbs (normal TVs, normal Wi-Fi) and usually fail in hotels (locked firmware, isolated Wi-Fi). What to expect and why.
- Sharp TV Remote App: First Find Out Which Sharp You Have
US Sharps are Roku TVs and pair instantly with an iPhone. Newer models elsewhere run Android TV or Fire TV. Old Aquos sets honestly cannot be controlled.
- How to Turn Up the Volume on a TV Without the Remote
Where the hidden volume buttons are on Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, TCL and Hisense TVs, what a single joystick button does, and the faster fix from your phone.
- Can a Remote App Control an Old Non-Smart TV?
iPhones have no IR blaster, so no app controls a dumb TV directly. The honest fix: a cheap streaming stick makes any TV with HDMI phone-controllable.
- How We Price a TV Remote App (Exact Numbers, No Tricks)
A Decent Remote went from free to paid for new users. The exact prices, why early users keep it free forever, and why we refused weekly pricing.
- Change Input on an LG TV Without the Remote (3 Ways)
LG TV stuck on the wrong HDMI? The joystick under the logo, a USB mouse, or your phone can all reach the input menu. Here is exactly how.
- Change Input on a Panasonic TV Without the Remote
Every Panasonic has physical controls that reach the input list, and pre-2019 sets accept phone control with no pairing. Both routes, plus the 2019+ answer.
- Samsung TV Input Button: Change Source Without the Remote
Switch a Samsung TV to HDMI 1, HDMI 2 or live TV with no remote: the hidden controller button, a phone app, or HDMI-CEC. All three ways, step by step.
- A TV Remote You Can Rearrange: Custom Layouts on iPhone
Physical remotes decide for you: forty buttons, six you use. How a customizable remote layout works, and why moving the touchpad matters more than it sounds.
- Hisense TV Not Responding to the Remote? Fix It From Your Phone
Dead batteries, broken IR, or a Bluetooth remote that unpaired: why Hisense remotes stop working per model type, and the phone takeover that ends it.
- Use a Philips TV Without the Remote: Inputs, Apps, Setup
The joystick under the bezel, a USB keyboard on Android models, and the phone route that works from 2014 sets to Titan OS. Every way in, step by step.
- How to Restart a Frozen Fire TV Stick (No Remote Needed)
Fire TV Stick frozen or unresponsive? The 30-second power cycle, the proper menu restart via HDMI-CEC or phone, and the fix that stops it recurring.
- Use a Sony TV Without Its Remote: Power, Inputs, Volume
Every Sony Bravia can be run without the original remote: the physical button, HDMI-CEC, a USB keyboard, or your phone. Where each one is and how to start.
- How to Stop or Take Over Casting on a Chromecast
Someone cast YouTube and left with their phone? Any iPhone on the network can pause, mute or stop a Chromecast session. How it works and how to lock it down.
- Toshiba Fire TV Remote Not Pairing? Do This, in Order
The reset sequence that fixes most Toshiba Fire TV remotes, the 10-device limit nobody mentions, and the phone fallback that works while you fix it.
- How to Turn On an Android TV / Google TV Without the Remote
Power button locations, the HDMI-CEC wake trick, and how a phone turns an Android TV on over Wi-Fi, including the one thing you must do while it still works.
- Vizio SmartCast Not Loading? Fixes That Actually Work
SmartCast stuck on the loading screen or "not available"? The power cycle that clears it, the network causes behind it, and how to keep control meanwhile.
- The Best TV Remote App for iPhone, by Brand (Honest Guide)
Official brand apps vs universal remote apps, what pairing each TV brand actually requires, and the cases where you don't need to install anything at all.
- iPhone as a TV Remote Without Wi-Fi: The Honest Answer
iPhones have no IR blaster, so no app controls a TV with zero network. But "no Wi-Fi" rarely means that: the hotspot method works with no internet at all.
- Remote App Cannot Find Your TV? The Network Checklist That Fixes It
When a TV remote app shows an empty device list, the cause is almost always one of seven network conditions. Work down this checklist in order. Two minutes.
- TV Will Not Turn On From the Remote App? Standby Is the Culprit
Remote apps can only wake a TV whose network stays on in standby. Which setting to flip per brand (Samsung, LG, Sony, Android TV, Vizio, Roku) and why.
Frequently asked questions
Which TVs work with a universal remote app on iPhone?
A Decent Remote controls Roku, Samsung, LG, Sony, Fire TV, Apple TV, Vizio, Hisense, Philips, Panasonic, Toshiba, Chromecast and Android/Google TV over Wi-Fi. That covers TCL, onn and Insignia sets too, since those run Roku, Fire TV or Google TV under the hood. Learn more
Does a TV remote app work without Wi-Fi?
Not directly: iPhones have no IR blaster, so every remote app needs a network path to the TV. When the router is down there is a hotspot trick that recreates the network your TV remembers. Learn more
Why is my TV not showing up in the app?
Nine times out of ten it is the iPhone's Local Network permission or the TV sitting on a different Wi-Fi band. Both take under a minute to check and fix. Learn more
Can my iPhone turn the TV on?
Yes on most brands. The app wakes TVs over Wi-Fi using Wake-on-LAN plus each platform's own power command; the TV's quick-start or networked-standby setting decides whether it responds. Learn more
Can I type on the TV with my iPhone keyboard?
Yes. Type into TV search fields with the iPhone keyboard instead of pecking at the on-screen letter grid, and jump straight into YouTube search results on every major platform. Learn more
Is A Decent Remote free?
Free to download, free to pair, and free for your first 50 button presses. After that it is $4.99 a month, or $14.99 a year. No ads, no weekly pricing. Learn more
Download A Decent Remote Free to try on your own TV. 50 free presses before any paywall Android? Join the test