RemoHow to use your iPhone as a TV remote (no IR needed)
iPhone has no infrared (IR) transmitter, so it can't copy an old-style remote. It can control a smart TV over your home Wi‑Fi instead: put the iPhone and the TV on the same network, open a remote app such as Remo, pick your TV from the list and approve the connection once on the TV. This works with Samsung, LG, Sony, Roku, Fire TV, Google TV and Android TV, Vizio, Philips and Panasonic smart TVs, but not with TVs that aren't connected to your network.
Why iPhone doesn't need (or have) IR
Classic remotes send blinks of infrared light. Some Android phones have a small IR transmitter, but no iPhone has ever had one, and no app can add it. Apps that promise “IR on iPhone” either need a separate plug-in accessory or don't work.
Smart TVs don't need IR, though. Samsung, LG, Sony, Roku, Fire TV, Google TV and other smart TVs listen for commands on your home network, the same way their makers' own phone apps control them. A Wi‑Fi remote app uses that route: your iPhone sends the command over Wi‑Fi, and the TV acts on it.
What you need
- A smart TV or streaming device that's on your network, by Wi‑Fi or Ethernet. If the TV has never been connected, set that up first with the TV's own buttons or the original remote.
- Your iPhone on the same Wi‑Fi network. Guest networks usually keep devices apart, so use your main network.
- Local Network permission. iOS asks the first time a remote app looks for devices. Choose Allow. You can check it later in Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network.
- The TV switched on for the first connection.
Which TVs work, and how they pair
Every brand has its own way of approving a new remote. You only do this once per TV.
| TV or device | First connection | Typing from iPhone |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung (Tizen) | Choose Allow on the TV | Yes |
| Samsung (older, pre-Tizen) | Choose Allow on the TV | No |
| LG (webOS) | Select Accept on the TV | Yes |
| Google TV and Android TV (Sony, TCL, Xiaomi, Philips Android TV, Hisense Google TV models, Sharp AQUOS Google TV) | Type the 6‑character code shown on the TV | Yes |
| Sony Bravia (non-Android) | Turn on IP control in the TV's network settings | Yes |
| Roku and Roku TV | No code; Control by mobile apps must be allowed | Yes |
| Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick | Type the 4‑digit PIN shown on the TV | Yes |
| Vizio SmartCast | Type the PIN shown on the TV | No |
| Philips (non-Android) | Newer models show a PIN; older ones need none | No |
| Panasonic Viera | No code | No |
Not supported: Hisense TVs that run only VIDAA, and cable or operator set-top boxes. Panasonic models from about 2019 on accept only encrypted network commands, which Remo doesn't support yet, unless they run Google TV or Android TV.
What a Wi‑Fi remote can and can't do
You get the everyday controls: power off, volume, mute, channels, the arrow pad and OK, home, back, number keys and media controls. On top of that, an iPhone does things a plastic remote can't: a touchpad for quick scrolling and a real keyboard for typing searches and passwords.
Two limits are worth knowing:
- Turning the TV on. Many TVs switch their network off in standby, so no app can wake them. Sony with Remote start enabled and Android TV or Google TV models with network standby on can be turned on over Wi‑Fi; turning off works everywhere.
- It isn't screen mirroring. A remote app sends button presses and text. To show your iPhone's screen on the TV you'd use AirPlay or the TV's own casting features.
One app for every TV in the house
Samsung, LG, Amazon, Google and Roku each make a free app for their own devices. If every TV at home is the same brand, that may be all you need. A universal app like Remo is handier when you have a mix: it lists every TV it finds, remembers them and reconnects automatically, and adds Home Screen, Lock Screen and Control Center widgets so you can mute or turn off the TV without opening the app.
Set up your iPhone as a TV remote
- Connect to the same Wi‑Fi. Make sure the TV is on and your iPhone is on the same Wi‑Fi network as the TV.
- Install a Wi‑Fi remote app. Download Remo from the App Store and open it.
- Allow Local Network access. Tap Allow when iOS asks, so the app can find devices on your network.
- Pick your TV. Choose your TV from the list. If it doesn't appear, add it by its IP address from the TV's network settings.
- Approve the connection once. Accept on the TV or type the code it shows. From then on the app reconnects automatically.
Questions and answers
Does iPhone have an IR blaster?
No. No iPhone model has an infrared transmitter. iPhone remote apps control smart TVs over Wi‑Fi instead.
Can I control an old non-smart TV with my iPhone?
Not over Wi‑Fi. A TV that isn't connected to your network can only be controlled with its IR remote or an external IR accessory.
Do I need an internet connection?
You need a local Wi‑Fi network that both the iPhone and TV are on. The commands travel inside your home network.
Does it work with a TV connected by Ethernet?
Yes, as long as the TV is on the same home network (the same router) as your iPhone's Wi‑Fi.
Can my iPhone turn the TV on?
Only on TVs that keep their network active in standby, such as Sony with Remote start or Android TV and Google TV models with network standby on. Turning off works on every supported TV.