How to Control a TCL TV With Your Phone

I run a TCL Q6 (55Q650G) on Google TV in the living room and a small TCL S4 in the bedroom. I control both from my iPhone every day — mostly to type searches, which is miserable on a D-pad. My honest take: the phone is the better daily remote for search and volume, but for scrubbing through a movie in a dark room I still grab the plastic clicker.

There are four real ways to control a TCL TV from your phone, and they do different jobs. Below is each one with exact steps and its honest limit, so you can pick by what you actually want to do. If your existing remote is just glitchy rather than gone, start with the TCL remote not working checklist first. Not sure which of the four fits your set? Our interactive TCL remote finder narrows it down in a few taps.

The 30-second test

Before you install anything, work out which method fits. It comes down to what your TCL runs and what you want to do. This quick check points you at the right section below.

1. 1Want a full remote — D-pad, volume, keyboard? A free remote app (Method 1) is the fastest route and covers every TCL on Wi-Fi.
2. 2Only own Roku TVs, or want private listening in headphones? TCL's own platform app (Method 2) is built for that.
3. 3Just want to watch one app on the big screen? Casting from your phone (Method 3) needs no remote app at all.
4. 4Have a TCL Google TV and like talking to it? Google Assistant on your phone (Method 4) handles hands-free control.

Method 1: Use a free remote app

This is the closest thing to the plastic remote, and it works on every TCL that's on Wi-Fi. A universal app like Smart TV Remote pairs with both TCL Roku and TCL Google TV sets from one app, so you don't need to know which platform yours runs.

1. 1Install a remote app. Download Smart TV Remote free from the App Store on your iPhone or iPad. It works with both TCL Roku and TCL Google TV sets from a single app.
2. 2Join the same Wi-Fi as the TCL. Put your phone on the exact Wi-Fi network your TCL TV uses. The app reaches the TV over that shared network, not by infrared, so the two must match.
3. 3Pick your TCL in the app. Open the app and let it scan. Tap your TCL TV in the detected list to connect. A universal app needs no pairing code; TCL's Google TV sets show one on-screen once.
4. 4Control power, volume, and search. Use the on-screen D-pad, OK, volume, playback, and keyboard exactly like the plastic remote — the keyboard makes typing a search far faster than a D-pad.

Catch: it runs over the network, so the TV has to be on and on the same Wi-Fi — a fully unplugged set can't be woken from a phone. If the set won't power up at all, fix that first with TCL TV won't turn on. New to pairing? The step-by-step connection guide walks the first setup, and the TCL TV remote app overview compares the app options side by side and maps what each app replaces button by button.

Method 2: Use TCL's own platform app

TCL doesn't make one remote app — the right official app depends on what your TV runs. TCL Google TV sets use the Google Home app; TCL Roku TVs use the Roku app, which adds private listening through your phone's headphones. Both are free and controlled entirely over Wi-Fi.

1. 1Find your platform: TCL Roku TVs run Roku OS; TCL Google TV sets (like the Q-series) run Google TV on Android.
2. 2For a Google TV set, install Google Home, sign in, and tap your TV under the linked devices to open its remote.
3. 3For a Roku TV, install the Roku app, sign in to your Roku account, and tap Devices to connect on the same network.
4. 4On a Roku TV running Roku OS 14.1 or newer, first enable Settings › System › Advanced system settings › Control by mobile apps.

Catch: each official app makes you sign in and only covers its own platform, so a mixed household needs two apps. TCL documents the Google TV route on its official Google Home support page, and there's a dedicated TCL Roku TV app guide and TCL Google TV app guide for each side.

Method 3: Cast or mirror from your phone

Casting isn't a remote, but it's how a lot of people actually drive the TV. You start a video in a phone app, then send it to the screen — the phone becomes the play, pause, and volume controller for that one app. It's the quickest way to get something playing without touching a remote at all. On a TCL Roku TV you can go further and mirror your whole phone or laptop display — our full guide to how to screen mirror on a Roku TV covers the Miracast and AirPlay steps for each device.

1. 1Put your phone and TCL TV on the same Wi-Fi network.
2. 2Open a casting-capable app (YouTube, Netflix, Disney+) on your phone.
3. 3Tap the cast icon and pick your TCL TV; on Google TV models this uses built-in Chromecast, and iPhones can also AirPlay to AirPlay-enabled TCL sets.
4. 4Use your phone's in-app controls to pause, seek, and adjust volume.

Catch: casting only controls the app you're casting — it won't change inputs, open Settings, or navigate the home screen. For that you still want a remote app. No home network to cast over? See how to run a TCL TV remote app without Wi-Fi over a phone hotspot.

Method 4: Control the TV by voice

If you have a TCL Google TV, your phone can control it hands-free through Google Assistant. Once the TV is linked to the same Google account, you say “open Netflix on the living room TV” or “pause the TV” into your phone, and it obeys. It's handy when your hands are full and you don't want to look at a screen.

1. 1Open the Google Home app on your phone and make sure your TCL Google TV appears under your linked devices.
2. 2Confirm the phone and TV are signed in to the same Google account.
3. 3Say your command to the Assistant — power, app launch, playback, and volume all work by voice.

Catch: this is Google TV only — TCL Roku TVs don't use Google Assistant, and voice won't reach a set that's fully asleep on the network. It's a great add-on, not a full replacement for a remote app.

Which phone control method fits you?

All four let your phone control a TCL TV, but they do different jobs. Here's what each one actually covers, so you can match the method to the task.

My pick for most people: use a free remote app as your everyday controller, then lean on casting and voice for the jobs they're best at. If your remote is gone for good and you want every option — not just the phone ones — the full remote-for-TCL-TV guide also covers replacement and universal remotes.

Frequently Asked Questions