A Fire TV remote that doesn't double as an Amazon billboard
Hisense's Fire TV Edition models (the 4K Omni-style sets sold mostly in the UK and select US markets) are solid. The remote, when it's where it should be, is fine. When it's not, the official Fire TV app on the App Store works but pushes Prime ads at you on every screen. This doesn't.
Free download · Pro from $9.99/year · pricing varies by region
Now controlling
Hisense Fire TV
The honest version
HiRemote pairs with a Hisense Fire TV Edition over your local Wi-Fi using the Amazon Device Messaging API, supports the full Alexa Voice Remote button, and skips the entire Amazon authentication dance. You don't even need a Prime account active. Just point and click.
✓ What works
- Full D-pad, Home, Back, Menu, Settings — everything on the Alexa Voice Remote
- Volume, mute, power (Fire TV Edition Hisense models support wake-on-LAN — make sure the TV's network setting allows LAN control)
- Alexa button — long-press the mic icon to trigger the same Alexa voice prompt the original remote does
- Direct launchers for Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Apple TV+ and any sideloaded app
- Full keyboard — sign into streaming apps without the Fire TV's notoriously slow text input
! Set expectations
- ×Bluetooth-paired peripherals (game controllers, headphones) talk to the TV directly — the app can't proxy those connections
- ×The Alexa voice button triggers the prompt, but actual voice goes to the TV's mic (or the original remote's mic if you have one nearby), not your phone
- ×Fire TV Stick (the dongle) and Fire TV Cube use the same protocol and would work, but this app focuses on Hisense Fire TV Edition built-in TVs only — sticks have their own dedicated remote app
- ×If wake-on-LAN doesn't work on your specific Fire TV Edition model, check Settings → My Fire TV → About → Software Version — make sure you're on the latest firmware, older builds had wake-on-LAN bugs that Hisense has since fixed
Get up and running in 30 seconds
- 1
Make sure your TV is on the same Wi-Fi as your phone
Settings → Network → check connection. Phone needs to be on the same SSID. Some Hisense Fire TV Edition models are 2.4GHz only and some support both bands — if your phone is on 5GHz mesh and the TV doesn't show up, try connecting your phone to the 2.4GHz band.
- 2
Enable mobile app control on the TV
Settings → My Fire TV → Developer options → Apps from Unknown Sources OFF (yes, off — we don't need it for remote control), then back to Settings → Network → check 'Allow LAN device control'. On most Fire TV Edition Hisense models this is on by default.
- 3
Open HiRemote and pick 'Hisense Fire TV'
The app discovers Fire TV devices via mDNS in 5-10 seconds. Yours appears by the device name you set during onboarding (default is 'Hisense Fire TV').
- 4
Confirm the pairing on the TV
Use the original remote (or, in a pinch, the Power button on the TV chassis itself, which doubles as Select on first-pair prompts on most Hisense Fire TV Edition models) to confirm 'Allow this phone to control the TV?' That's the only time you need physical access.
Free download · Pro from $9.99/year · pricing varies by region
Hisense Fire TV questions, answered
Does this work with U-series and A-series Hisense Fire TV Editions?+
Yes — every Hisense Fire TV Edition model that runs current Fire OS exposes the same network control API. The home screen layout (Amazon rows + Alexa button on the original remote) is the giveaway. Older first-gen models can still work but wake-on-LAN reliability varies by firmware.
Do I need an Amazon Prime account?+
No. The TV needs an Amazon account during initial setup (it's a Fire TV, you can't bypass that), but the app doesn't ask for any account. We talk to the TV directly over your local network.
Will this work with my Fire TV Stick or Fire TV Cube?+
Technically yes (same protocol), but this app is tuned for Hisense Fire TV Edition built-in models. For sticks and cubes, Amazon's official Fire TV app is the better fit since it ships with stick-specific features like the volume rocker calibration step.
Why is my Fire TV not appearing in the device list?+
Most common cause: 'Allow LAN device control' is off (Settings → Network). Second most common: phone is on a different VLAN or guest network. Third: ad-blocking DNS (Pi-hole, NextDNS) is blocking Amazon's mDNS service registration — whitelist *.amazon.com and *.amazonaws.com.
Can I use the Alexa voice button to actually talk to Alexa?+
Pressing the mic icon in the app triggers the Alexa voice prompt on the TV. The TV's far-field microphone (Omni Series) listens, or it falls back to expecting the original remote's mic. The app can't pipe your phone's microphone to Fire OS for licensing reasons. You can still type voice commands as text — Alexa Skills work with text input.
Does this drain my phone battery?+
Negligibly — under 1% per hour of active use. Idle (app open but not pressed) is around 0.1%/hr because we use mDNS keepalives, not active polling.