How to Control a TCL Roku TV With No Remote

I've lost the remote on all three TCL Roku TVs in my house — a 5-Series 55S546, a 4-Series 43S446, and a 32-inch 3-Series in the kids' room. My honest take: the phone app is the real fix, not a workaround. The only catch is chicken-and-egg. The app needs the TV already awake and on your network, so a fully-off set needs the button first.

Below are the five real ways to control a TCL Roku TV with no remote, ordered by what actually helps most. The phone app leads because it restores everything; the rest wake the set or get you basic control. Each has exact steps and the honest catch. If the remote is gone for good, our remote for a TCL Roku TV guide covers replacements.

The 30-second test

Answer one question before you try anything: is the TV already on and showing a picture? If yes, skip straight to the phone app — it restores full control in under a minute. If the screen is black and the set is off, you need to wake it first. Run these three checks in order.

1. 1Is there a picture on screen? If yes, the TV is on Wi-Fi and a phone app will reach it.
2. 2Is the standby light lit but the screen black? The set has power; press the power button once to wake it.
3. 3Is the light off entirely? Check the outlet and cable, then find the power button below.

Method 1: Control it fully with a phone app

This is the only route that gives you everything a remote does — D-pad, back, home, volume, and a real keyboard for typing search. The official Roku app is free on iOS and Android, and it works today. Not sure your set even runs Roku? The free online TCL remote finder confirms it and points you to the exact way to drive your TCL from your phone — no original remote, nothing to install, no account.

1. 1Join the TV's Wi-Fi on your phone. Put your phone on the exact network the TCL Roku TV uses — not a guest network, and not a 5 GHz band the TV can't see. The app and the set have to sit on the same Wi-Fi to find each other.
2. 2Open the Roku app and let it scan. The free official Roku app searches the network on launch and lists your TCL Roku TV by name within a few seconds. If it doesn't appear, confirm both devices are on the same router.
3. 3Tap the set to connect. Once you tap your TV, you get the full remote — an on-screen D-pad, back and home, a keyboard for typing search, and volume. It beats hunting for a plastic clicker when the TV is already on.

Catch: the app needs the TV already on and joined to Wi-Fi. If the set is fully off, it can't wake it unless Fast TV Start was left on under Settings › System › Power. When the TV is on, though, this beats hunting for a plastic clicker. Our TCL Roku remote app guide covers the apps in depth, and the TCL remote finder tool confirms your set runs Roku in a few taps.

Method 2: Power it on with the TV's button

Every TCL Roku TV has a physical power control, and it needs no Wi-Fi at all. It's the reliable way to wake a fully-off set so a phone app can take over. The button hides in one of three spots.

1. 1Back lower-right corner. Many TCL Roku sets label a power button here.
2. 2Center-bottom underside. Reach under the front panel behind the TCL logo — many models put a single button here.
3. 3Underside joystick nub. Some models use a tiny stick you press in to power on and nudge to switch inputs.

Catch: the button turns the set on and switches inputs, but it can't open channels or type a search. That's why it pairs so well with a phone app. For a full walkthrough of what the control does, see our TCL Roku TV power button guide, or check your exact model on TCL's support site.

Method 3: Wake it with a connected device

Got a console, streaming stick, or soundbar plugged into HDMI? Turning that device on can wake the TV and switch to its input. It works through HDMI-CEC, which Roku calls 1-Touch Play, and it needs no network.

1. 1Press power on the connected device — a PlayStation, Xbox, Fire TV, or Chromecast.
2. 2Wait a few seconds. If 1-Touch Play is on, the TV wakes and jumps to that HDMI input.
3. 3Nothing happened? CEC is off, which is the catch below.

Catch: 1-Touch Play has to be enabled first, under Settings › System › Control other devices (CEC). If it was never turned on, use the power button once to get in and switch it on for next time. Your console needs its own CEC setting on too.

Method 4: Turn it on and run basics by voice

If your TCL Roku TV is linked to Alexa or Google Home, you can power it on hands-free. It's the fastest option when a smart speaker is nearby, though it shares one requirement with the app.

1. 1Link the TV first. Add the Roku skill or channel in the Alexa or Google Home app while you still have a working remote.
2. 2Say the command. "Alexa, turn on the TV" or "Hey Google, turn on [TV name]" wakes a linked set.
3. 3Use voice for the basics. Power, volume, and launching channels work, but menus and typing still want an app.

Catch: this needs prior linking and Fast TV Start left on. It won't rescue a set that was fully powered down with those off. Set it up while a remote still works. Roku's own steps live on Roku's support site.

Method 5: Replace the remote for good

A phone app is the fast fix, but a spare physical remote is worth having. You have three options, and one of them costs nothing but time.

1. 1Order an official Roku or TCL replacement. Roku voice remotes and TCL-branded remotes both work with a TCL Roku TV.
2. 2Grab a compatible universal remote. Many name TCL and Roku on the box, and they cost little.
3. 3Pair whichever you get. Enhanced voice remotes pair with the button inside the battery bay — hold it 3 to 5 seconds until it links. Simple IR remotes need no pairing; just point and press.

Catch: a voice remote must pair over the TV's own radio, so it needs the set powered on to link. Our free TCL Roku TV remote guide covers the no-cost control options if you'd rather not buy.

Which method to use

Here's how the five compare on what they control and what each one needs first.

My advice: press the power button to wake the set now, then set up a phone app so you never crouch for that button again. No home network at all? See how to control a TCL Roku TV without a remote or Wi-Fi for the offline-only routes. If the set won't wake at all, our turn on a TCL Roku TV without a remote guide goes deeper on the power-on paths.

Frequently Asked Questions