Your iPhone can do many things including working as a remote control for your Smart TV. Yes, you read it right! You can use your iPhone to control your TV for convenience or when you lose your remote, or when the remote isn’t working. But to avoid any issues, you need to pair your iPhone beforehand so it can be helpful when you need it.
Read on to know the steps to control Smart TVs using iPhone. The process varies according to the OS or UI that comes with the TV, so make sure to follow the correct method.
As smart home technology is getting more advanced, we also get many benefits in one way or another. For example, you can control most of the popular TVs with your iPhone without doing anything advanced, and you don’t need to be tech-savvy. This makes controlling your TV much more convenient. This guide will walk you through the steps to convert your iPhone into powerful remote for your TV.
How to Control Your Smart TV with iPhone
Control Apple TV with iPhone
If you have an Apple TV or your Smart TV is Airplay-compatible, you can easily control it right from your iPhone using the Apple TV remote quick access shortcut. This is an in-built control introduced with iOS 12. So this will work if your iPhone running iOS 12 or later. If you have an iPad, it must be running iPadOS 13 or later. Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1: First of all, connect both the Apple TV or Airplay-compatible Smart TV and iPhone to the same WiFi network.
Step 2: Open the Control Center and tap the Apple TV Remote icon. If the Apple TV Remote button doesn’t appear, go to Settings > Control Center > Add the Remote icon (iOS 17 or earlier). On iOS 18 or later, access Control Center > Tap on + icon > Add Remote icon.
Step 3: When you tap the Remote icon, it will look for nearby compatible devices. Select your Apple TV or smart TV from the list of available devices.
Step 4: Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
Control Google TV from iPhone
If your TV runs on the Google TV or Android TV operating system, you can use the Google TV mobile app to control it. While these TVs come under Android ecosystem, you can still use iPhone to control these TVs. Here’s what you need to do:
Step 1: Install the Google TV app from the App Store.
Step 2: Ensure to connect both devices to the same WiFi network.
Step 3: Open the app and tap on the Connect TV option.
Step 4: It will fetch nearby compatible devices. Tap your your TV once it appears.
Step 5: Enter the code visible on your TV, then tap Pair.
Step 6: Now tap the Remote icon from the bottom menu and start controlling your TV with iPhone.
Control Roku TV using iPhone
If you have a Roku TV, using the iPhone to control it is very straightforward. The availability of the app we will be using for this method can vary by region. If the app is not available in your region, you can follow the last method. Let’s see how to do this:
Step 1: First things first, install the Roku mobile app on your device.
Step 2: Connect your iPhone and Roku TV to the same network.
Step 3: Now, open the Roku app and skip the welcome screen. Sign in to your Roku account or Continue as Guest.
Step 4: Tap on the Devices tab from the bottom and follow the on-screen instructions to pair your TV.
Step 5: After adding your TV, tap on it, and then you will find Remote option that you can use to control your TV.
Control Fire TV using iPhone
If you own a Fire TV or using a Fire TV Stick, you can use the Amazon Fire TV app to control your Smart TV. Apart from controlling the device, you can also quickly open apps installed on your Fire TV. Here’s how you can use iPhone to control it:
Step 1: First of all, make sure your iPhone is connected to the same network as your Fire TV.
Step 2: Install the Amazon Fire TV app from the App Store. Open the app and grant the necessary permissions.
Step 3: You should then see your Fire TV detected only if you are connected to the same WiFi. Tap on your Fire TV.
Step 4: Finally, enter the code visible on your TV screen to complete the pair. It will then show the Remote that you can use for controlling your Fire TV.
Control a Samsung TV with iPhone
You can also use your iPhone to control your Samsung TV. This is possible through the SmartThings app which is like a Smart Home app from Samsung. Here’s how you can use SmartThings to control your Samsung TV from iPhone.
Step 1: First install the SmartThings app on your iPhone. Connect iPhone and your TV to same WiFi network.
Step 2: Open the app and add your TV by going to the Devices > Add Device. Follow the on-screen instructions to add the TV.
Step 3: Once the TV is added, it will appear in the Devices tab on the app.
Step 4: Tap on your TV, and then tap on the Remote icon. Now you can control your Samsung TV with iPhone.
We have shared a detailed guide on how to control Samsung TV with iPhone. Make sure to check the detailed guide, if you have any queries.
Control your LG TV with iPhone using ThinQ App
LG also has its own app called ThinQ that connect smart home devices. The app was earlier known as ‘LG TV Plus Remote App.’ If you own a LG TV, it is a must have app, as it can save you a lot of time. Now, let’s see how you can use the app to control your LG TV with iPhone.
Step 1: Install the LG ThinQ app on your iPhone from app store. It works on iPhone running iOS 11 or higher.
Step 2: Open the app and sign-in with your account.
Step 3: Tap on Add Device button. It will look for nearby devices. Make sure your iPhone and LG TV are connected to same wifi, otherwise it will not appear in nearby device.
Step 4: Once your TV appear in the devices, tap on it and a code will appear on TV. Enter the same code on your iPhone to connect.
Step 5: Go back to the homepage of the app, and you will see your TV. Tap on it.
Step 6: It will open the Remote layout that you can use to control your LG TV.
Control your Vizio TV with iPhone
Like Samsung and LG TV, there is a dedicated app that iPhone users can use to control Vizio TV. The app is available on app store as Vizio Mobile. Let’s see how it works:
Step 1: First, connect your iPhone and Vizio TV to same WiFi network. Install the Vizio Mobile app on your iPhone.
Step 2: Open the app, you can either sign-in with your account or enter as guest.
Step 3: Now tap on Get Started, or Select a Device. It will now look for nearby Vizio devices on same network.
Step 4: When it show your TV, tap it. You will see a code on your Vizio TV that you need to enter on your iPhone.
Step 5: When you enter the code, both devices will be connected.
Step 6: Select your TV from the app’s homepage, and you can now control your Vizio TV with iPhone.
Control Hisense Smart TV with iPhone
If you own a Hisense Smart TV, you can use RemoteNow app to make controlling possible with iPhone. The app however is quite old, and haven’t updated in a while. But you can still try it, and if it doesn’t work, you still have the last method to follow. Let’s see how it works:
Step 1: Ensure your TV and iPhone are connected to same WiFi network, then install RemoteNOW app on your iPhone.
Step 2: Open the app and in the Home tab, you will be able to add your TV.
Step 3: For adding the TV make sure to follow the on-screen instructions.
Step 4: Once the TV is added, tap on it and you will see the remote layout that you can use to control your Hisense TV.
How to Control Smart TV from iPhone using Third-Party Apps
There are tens of hundreds of third-party applications available on the App Store that you can use to control your Smart TV. However, not all of them are free to use. We tried some app, and found a free remote work that works fine. This app works for most TV brands like Samsung, Roku, LG, Sony, FireTV, Android TV, Vizio, Hisense, TCL, etc. You can also use paid apps as most of them work great. Here’s how you can use it:
Step 1: Install the app from App Store.
Step 2: Connect your phone and TV to the same network.
Step 3: Open the app and go to the Remote section. The tap on the Cast icon.
Step 4: It will look for your TV. Select your TV when its available.
Step 5: Confirm the action on the TV or enter the code to the app visible on the TV screen to complete the setup. Then you can start using the app to control your TV.
Wrapping Up
So, these are the ways through which you can control your smart TV from your iPhone. While you can easily control your Smart TV using the Apple TV Remote app if the TV is AirPlay compatible, you can also look for apps dedicated to their TV OS for controlling them using the iPhone.
If you have any questions related to the article, do let us know in the comments below.
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