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TV Remote App: How to Control Any TV From Your Phone

Your phone can replace almost any lost or broken TV remote. Here's how to set up a free remote app for Samsung, LG, Roku, Hisense, and older non-smart TVs.

Dmytro Petukh

August 17, 20268 min read

TV Remote App: How to Control Any TV From Your Phone

Table of contents(13)+

01The 30-second test: will a phone app even work?
02Method 1: Install your TV maker's official remote app
03Method 2: Control a Hisense TV with HiRemote
04Method 3: Turn an old phone into a remote with its IR blaster
05Method 4: Run every device from one universal remote app
06TV remote apps compared by brand
07Frequently Asked Questions
08Is there a free TV remote app?
09Can I use my phone as a TV remote without Wi-Fi?
10Does a TV remote app work with any TV?
11Why won't my TV remote app connect to my TV?
12Can an iPhone work as a TV remote?
13Related guides

I've set up phone remotes on a pile of TVs — a Samsung Q60B in the living room, an LG C2 OLED, a Roku-powered TCL, and my own Hisense U7K. Every brand does it a little differently. Some pair in ten seconds; one made me dig through a settings menu first. Here's what actually works, brand by brand, and where each app quietly falls short.

The 30-second test: will a phone app even work?

Before you download anything, check one thing: does your TV connect to Wi-Fi? Open your TV's Settings → Network. If it shows a Wi-Fi connection, a phone remote app will control it. If there's no network menu at all, you own an older non-smart TV — skip to Method 3, the infrared route.

Smart TV on Wi-Fi (2016 or newer) — use your brand's free app (Method 1 or 2).
Old non-smart TV — you need a phone with an infrared blaster (Method 3).
Phone and TV on different networks — put both on the same Wi-Fi first, or nothing pairs.

Method 1: Install your TV maker's official remote app

Every major TV brand ships a free remote app. The catch: you have to match the app to the operating system inside your TV, not the badge on the front. A Hisense can run Roku, VIDAA, Google TV, or Fire TV, and each one wants a different app.

Here's the right app by platform:

Roku TVs (Hisense Roku, TCL, Onn) — the official Roku app.
Samsung — SmartThings (it replaced the old Smart View app).
LG (webOS) — LG ThinQ.
Google TV / Android TV (Sony, some Hisense and TCL) — the Google TV app.
Hisense VIDAA — RemoteNOW.

Setup is the same idea across all of them. Put your phone on the same Wi-Fi as the TV. Install the app, open it, and let it scan the network. Tap your TV when it appears, then approve the code that pops up on screen. Most pair in under a minute.

One honest limit: these apps only see a TV that's awake and on the same network. If yours won't show up, walk through why a remote app won't connect before you blame the app. And if you just want to tap buttons without installing anything, you can use a Roku remote in your browser instead.

Method 2: Control a Hisense TV with HiRemote

If your TV is a Hisense, HiRemote is the app I reach for. It's built only for Hisense sets, so it covers all four systems Hisense ships — VIDAA, Roku, Google TV, and the older Fire TV Edition models — from one app instead of four.

To set it up:

Download HiRemote free from the App Store.
Put your iPhone on the same Wi-Fi as the Hisense TV.
Open the app and pick your TV from the list.
On a Google TV Hisense, type the 4-digit PIN shown on screen. Roku and VIDAA models pair instantly.

It runs from an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, and it includes the full menu — not just volume and channel. If you don't want to download it at all, the browser remote at hiremote.app/hisense-roku-tv-remote controls a Hisense Roku TV from any phone.

The obvious limit: HiRemote is Hisense-only. If you own a Samsung or LG, go back to Method 1 and grab that brand's app. For a wider look at the Hisense options, I compared the Hisense remote apps for iPhone side by side.

Method 3: Turn an old phone into a remote with its IR blaster

Some Android phones have an infrared (IR) blaster built in — a tiny emitter that fires the same signal as a physical remote. That's the only way to control a TV over the air with no Wi-Fi, and the only way to control an old non-smart set.

Phones with an IR blaster include many Xiaomi and Redmi models, some TCL phones, and older Samsung Galaxy S4 through S6. iPhones have never had one, so this method is Android-only.

Open the built-in remote app — Mi Remote on Xiaomi, or install AnyMote or Peel. Pick your TV brand, point the top of the phone at the TV, and test the power button. If the TV reacts, you're set.

Two honest catches. You need line of sight, just like a normal remote. And most phones sold after about 2016 dropped the IR hardware, so a modern flagship usually can't do this at all.

Method 4: Run every device from one universal remote app

Got a TV, a soundbar, and a streaming stick? A universal remote app can hold them all in one place, so you stop juggling three remotes. There are two kinds, and the difference matters.

Wi-Fi universal apps — SmartThings and Google Home control several smart devices on your network. They can't touch anything that isn't network-connected.
IR universal apps — AnyMote drives almost any device with a remote, including old speakers and cable boxes, but only on a phone with an IR blaster.

My honest take: no single free app controls literally everything. A Wi-Fi app is easiest if all your gear is modern and online. Reach for an IR app only when you have older equipment and a phone that can beam infrared.

TV remote apps compared by brand

TV brand / OS	Best free app	How it connects	Works with non-smart TVs?
Roku TVs (Hisense, TCL, Onn)	Roku app	Wi-Fi (same network)	No
Samsung	SmartThings	Wi-Fi	No
LG (webOS)	LG ThinQ	Wi-Fi	No
Google / Android TV	Google TV	Wi-Fi	No
Hisense (VIDAA / Roku / Google)	HiRemote or RemoteNOW	Wi-Fi	No
Any TV, including non-smart	AnyMote / Mi Remote	Infrared (IR blaster phone)	Yes

Two quick sources worth a look: the official Roku mobile app page and Samsung's SmartThings hub, which both list exactly which TV years they support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free TV remote app?

Yes — every major brand's remote app is free. The Roku app, Samsung SmartThings, LG ThinQ, Google TV, and Hisense's HiRemote all cost nothing and never expire. You don't need a paid version to get volume, channel, and full menu control. Some ask you to create a free account on first launch, but the remote itself stays free.

Can I use my phone as a TV remote without Wi-Fi?

Only if your phone has an infrared (IR) blaster. IR sends the same signal as a physical remote, so it needs no Wi-Fi and works on old non-smart TVs. Many Xiaomi and Redmi phones have it; iPhones never did. Every Wi-Fi remote app, by contrast, needs both the phone and TV on the same network.

Does a TV remote app work with any TV?

No. Wi-Fi remote apps only work with smart TVs made from about 2016 onward, connected to your network. A basic non-smart TV has no way to receive a Wi-Fi command. For those, you need a phone with an IR blaster, or a plain infrared universal remote. Check your TV's Network menu to see which camp you're in.

Why won't my TV remote app connect to my TV?

Nine times out of ten, the phone and TV are on different Wi-Fi networks — a 2.4GHz and a 5GHz band count as separate. Put both on the same one. Then make sure the TV is fully on, not in standby, and that mobile control is enabled in its network settings. A quick TV restart clears most stubborn cases.

Can an iPhone work as a TV remote?

Yes, over Wi-Fi. An iPhone can't send infrared, so it won't control old non-smart TVs, but it pairs fine with any smart TV using the brand's app. For a Hisense, HiRemote runs on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. For other brands, use SmartThings, LG ThinQ, the Roku app, or Google TV.

Skip the troubleshooting next time.

Use your iPhone as a Hisense remote. Free, no account, pairs in 30 seconds.

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