Table of contents(15)+
- 01Quick verdict by household setup
- 02What Roku app does better
- 03What HiRemote does better
- 04Feature parity table
- 05Best of both worlds — install both
- 06Setup speed side-by-side
- 07Roku Official (fresh install → paired)
- 08HiRemote (fresh install → paired)
- 09FAQ
- 10Which one is faster on a Hisense Roku TV specifically?
- 11Is HiRemote as reliable as Roku's own app?
- 12Can I use Roku voice search from HiRemote?
- 13Does HiRemote work on non-Roku Hisense TVs too?
- 14Do I need to uninstall Roku app to use HiRemote?
- 15Related guides
Short answer: if your Hisense TV runs Roku OS and it's the only smart TV in your house, the official Roku app (4.7★ with 5.4M ratings) is genuinely great and probably wins on pure reliability. If you have a mixed-platform household — Hisense Roku TV in the bedroom, Hisense VIDAA in the living room, or a Google TV / Fire TV Edition anywhere — HiRemote is the honest pick because it covers all four Hisense platforms with one app and skips the Roku account requirement.
Quick verdict by household setup
| Your setup | Best pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Only one Hisense, and it's a Roku TV | Roku Official App | Deepest Roku features (voice search, private listening, Cast) |
| Multiple Hisense TVs across platforms (VIDAA + Roku + etc.) | HiRemote | One app, one pairing UI, works everywhere |
| Roku TV + you want Apple Watch or Lock Screen widget | HiRemote | Roku app has no watchOS version |
| Roku TV + you refuse to make a Roku account | HiRemote | HiRemote pairs with no account |
| Roku TV + you use Private Listening (headphones through phone) | Roku Official App | HiRemote does not stream TV audio to phone |
| Roku TV + you use voice search all the time | Roku Official App | Slightly deeper Roku voice integration |
What Roku app does better
- Private Listening. Roku app streams the TV's audio to your phone in real time so you can watch with headphones without waking anyone. HiRemote does not stream audio — this is Roku-app-only.
- Voice search from the app. Both apps forward voice to the Roku voice engine, but the Roku app's mic UI is one tap from home; HiRemote is two taps.
- Cast from the app. Roku's own "Play on Roku" for casting phone photos and videos is deeper than HiRemote's mirror function.
- Massive user base = active updates. Roku ships app updates every 2-4 weeks. HiRemote ships every 4-6 weeks — same magnitude but Roku has more resources.
What HiRemote does better
- No Roku account required. Roku app asks for a Roku account with email + verification before you can pair. HiRemote pairs on the local network, no account. Big deal if your Roku TV was setup by a previous owner or you refuse to hand your email to Roku.
- Works on VIDAA, Roku, Google TV, and Fire TV Edition. Roku app only works on Roku TVs. If you have a Hisense R6 (Roku) in the bedroom and a U7K (VIDAA) in the living room, the Roku app is useless in the living room — HiRemote handles both.
- Apple Watch companion. Roku has no Apple Watch app at all.
- Lock Screen widget. HiRemote Pro puts volume + play/pause on your iPhone's Lock Screen. Roku app has no lock-screen surface.
- Ad-free free tier. Roku app is ad-free — same. But HiRemote's free tier includes every remote function (Roku's does too — this is a tie in favor of "both fine").
- Faster first pairing on Roku TVs. HiRemote uses Roku's own ECP HTTP API which needs no PIN. Roku app takes ~45 sec because it enrolls in your Roku account first. HiRemote is ~30 sec.
Feature parity table
| Feature | Roku Official App | HiRemote |
|---|---|---|
| Works on Hisense Roku TV | Yes | Yes |
| Works on Hisense VIDAA | No | Yes |
| Works on Hisense Google TV | No | Yes |
| Works on Hisense Fire TV Edition | No | Yes |
| Account required | Yes (Roku account) | No |
| First-pair time | ~45 sec (with account) | ~30 sec |
| Private Listening (audio to phone) | Yes | No |
| Voice search | Yes (deep) | Yes (via TV) |
| Cast phone photos / video | Yes (deep) | Screen mirror only |
| QWERTY keyboard | Yes | Yes |
| App shortcuts (Netflix / YouTube) | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch app | No | Yes (Pro) |
| Lock Screen widget | No | Yes (Pro) |
| App Store rating (US) | 4.7★ (5.4M ratings) | 4.5★ (1,420 ratings) |
| Free tier | Full features | Full features |
| Pro tier | N/A | $9.99/year |
Best of both worlds — install both
They don't conflict. Both apps use different local-network channels to talk to a Roku TV:
- Roku Official app authenticates through your Roku account and uses Roku's Cloud + local API.
- HiRemote uses only the local ECP HTTP API (port 8060) — no cloud.
You can have both installed and switch based on what you need — Roku app for Private Listening at night, HiRemote for controlling the VIDAA TV in the kitchen, or HiRemote's Apple Watch when the phone is charging in another room.
Setup speed side-by-side
Roku Official (fresh install → paired)
- Install → open
- Sign up for or log in to Roku account (email + password + 6-digit verification)
- Grant network permission
- App auto-discovers Roku TVs on your Wi-Fi
- Tap TV → connect
- Total: 45-90 sec on first setup
HiRemote (fresh install → paired)
- Install → open
- App auto-discovers Hisense TVs on your Wi-Fi (all platforms)
- Tap Hisense Roku TV → connect (no PIN needed on Roku)
- Total: 25-40 sec
FAQ
Which one is faster on a Hisense Roku TV specifically?
Command latency is identical (both use Roku's ECP HTTP API on port 8060, ~10-30 ms per button). First-pair setup is faster on HiRemote (~30 sec vs ~45-90 sec for Roku's account-required flow).
Is HiRemote as reliable as Roku's own app?
For raw remote-control commands, yes — same underlying protocol, same success rate. For Roku-specific extras like Private Listening or Cast, no — those are Roku-app-only.
Can I use Roku voice search from HiRemote?
HiRemote forwards voice queries to your Hisense Roku TV's own voice engine (same as pressing the mic on the physical Roku voice remote). It works, but Roku's official app has a slightly more integrated mic UI.
Does HiRemote work on non-Roku Hisense TVs too?
Yes — VIDAA, Google TV, and Fire TV Edition are also supported. That's the main reason to use HiRemote over Roku app: one app across your whole household.
Do I need to uninstall Roku app to use HiRemote?
No. Both can coexist. Different network channels, no conflict.
