How to Use Your iPhone as a TCL Google TV Remote App

I run a TCL Q6 (55Q650G) on Google TV and a smaller TCL S4 in the bedroom. When the stock remote's battery died mid-episode, my iPhone took over the Q6 in about a minute. Both apps below drive these sets fine. My honest gripe: voice search on the phone is a half-second slower than the physical mic button.

There are two solid ways to do this, plus a fix for when the phone won't see the TV. Here they are with exact menu paths and the real catches. If your TCL runs Roku instead of Google TV, use the TCL Roku TV remote app guide — that platform pairs differently.

The 30-second test

Before you install anything, confirm the two devices can actually reach each other. This one check saves most "it won't connect" headaches.

1. 1On the TV, open Settings › Network & Internet and note the Wi-Fi name it's joined to.
2. 2On your iPhone, open Settings › Wi-Fi and confirm it shows the same network name.
3. 3If both match, either app will find the TV. If they differ (or the phone is on cellular or guest Wi-Fi), no phone remote will connect until you fix that first.

Method 1: Set up the free Google TV app

Google's own app is the no-cost route for any TCL running Google TV or Android TV. It has a built-in remote with a D-pad, OK button, voice search, and a keyboard, and it can cast to Chromecast-built-in TCL sets.

1. 1Install the Google TV app. Download the Google TV app free from the App Store and sign in with the Google account you already use on the TV.
2. 2Join the same Wi-Fi as your TCL. Put your iPhone on the exact Wi-Fi network the TCL Google TV uses. The app reaches the TV over that shared network, not by infrared.
3. 3Tap the remote icon. Open the app, tap the remote icon at the top of the screen, and let it scan for nearby Google TV devices on your network.
4. 4Pair with the on-screen code. Select your TCL TV, then type the pairing code shown on the TV. After that first pair, the phone reconnects on its own.

Catch: it only pairs with Google/Android TV models, so it ignores a TCL Roku TV entirely. Google's Google TV Help covers the remote if a step looks different on your build.

Method 2: Use a universal remote app for any TCL

If your household mixes TCL platforms — say a Google TV in the living room and a Roku TV in the kids' room — a universal app like Smart TV Remote pairs with both from one place. There's no account sign-in, and it finds the TV on its own.

1. 1Install Smart TV Remote free from the App Store (iOS 16.0 or later).
2. 2Join your iPhone to the same Wi-Fi network as the TCL Google TV.
3. 3Open the app — it scans the network and lists your TCL TV; tap it to connect, no pairing code needed.
4. 4Use the on-screen D-pad, OK, volume, playback, and keyboard just like the plastic remote.

Catch: like every phone remote, it needs the TV on and on the same Wi-Fi — it can't wake a TV that's fully unplugged. For a step-by-step first pairing, see how to connect your phone to a TCL TV as a remote.

Method 3: Fix a TCL Google TV your phone can't find

If the app scans and shows nothing, the fault is almost never the app. Work through these in order — most people are back in control by the third one.

1. 1Turn off any VPN on the iPhone. A VPN routes the phone off the local network, so it can't see the TV.
2. 2On the TV, open Settings › System › About and check for a software update, then reboot the TV.
3. 3In Settings › Apps or Settings › Remotes & Accessories, confirm network or remote control isn't disabled.
4. 4Force-quit the app, rejoin the 2.4GHz band if your router splits bands, and reopen the app to rescan.

Still stuck? TCL's official support pages list model-specific network settings, and a general TCL remote not working checklist covers the hardware side.

Google TV app vs a universal remote

Both control a TCL Google TV over Wi-Fi. The difference is how many TVs each one covers and what you sign into.

Pick the Google TV app if you own one TCL and already sign into Google on it. Pick a universal app if you juggle a TCL Roku TV in the mix, or just want one remote that skips the account step. Not sure which OS your set runs? The TCL TV remote app overview walks through both platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions