Where Is the Power Button on a TCL TV?

I've hunted for this button on three TCLs — a 5-Series Roku TV (55S546), a 4-Series Google TV (43S455), and an older 32-inch in the bedroom. My honest take: once you know TCL almost always puts it center-bottom or as a little joystick under the front, it takes two seconds. The catch is what it can't do — it powers the TV and switches inputs, but it can't open apps or type a search.

Below is where the button sits on each model, then everything you can actually do with it — turn the set on and off, change the input, and open a basic menu on joystick models. If your goal is simply powering on a dead-off set with no remote, the fuller playbook (connected device, voice, and more) is in how to turn on a TCL TV without a remote. And if the button does nothing at all, that's a power fault, not a button one — see TCL TV won't turn on.

Find your power button in 30 seconds

Before you assume there isn't one, run your fingers along these three spots in order. TCL hides the control in one of them on nearly every set, and it's a single button or stick, never a row.

1. 1Center-bottom underside: reach under the front panel behind the TCL logo — most 2020-and-newer sets put a single button or joystick right here.
2. 2Back lower-right corner: on older and larger TCLs, a labeled power button sits back here, often next to the HDMI ports.
3. 3Left or right underside nub: some slim models use a tiny joystick you press in to power on and nudge to navigate — feel for a movable stick, not a flat button.

Method 1: Locate the button on your TCL model

Where the button lands depends on when your TCL was made and how slim it is. Knowing the pattern for your model saves the blind bezel hunt. Here are the three designs TCL has shipped in the US.

1. 1Back-mounted button (older / larger sets): a labeled, clearly marked power button on the rear panel, usually lower-right near the inputs. Easiest to see with a flashlight from the side.
2. 2Center-bottom button (most recent flat models): a single recessed button underneath the front, dead center behind the TCL logo. You feel for it rather than see it.
3. 3Joystick nub (slim and newer QLED models): a small stick under the front-center or one corner. Press in for power; it also moves to control the set, which the plain button can't.

Catch: placement varies by model year even within a series, so treat this as the typical layout, not a guarantee. If you can't find it, look up your exact model number on TCL's support site. Not sure which platform your set runs? Our TCL remote finder tool sorts it in a few taps. On a Roku set specifically, the TCL Roku TV power button guide covers navigating Roku with the joystick and the reset pinhole.

Method 2: Turn the TV on and off with the button

This is the one job every TCL button does the same way, on Roku, Google TV, and Android TV alike. No Wi-Fi, no app, no setup — just the button. Here's the exact sequence, including the standby-light check most people skip.

1. 1Locate the single button. Feel along the center-bottom underside behind the TCL logo first — that's where most 2020-and-newer sets hide it. Older and larger TVs put a labeled button on the back near the ports instead. You're looking for one recessed button or a small stick, not a row of keys.
2. 2Short press to turn the TV on. Tap the button once and let go. The standby light changes and the picture follows in three to five seconds. If nothing happens on the first tap, hold it for two seconds — some models need a slightly longer press from a full-off state.
3. 3Press once more to turn it off. A single short press from the home screen powers the set back down to standby. On a few joystick models you press the stick straight in to toggle power, so a nudge sideways changes input instead of turning it off.
4. 4Read the standby light if it won't respond. No reaction at all means you're either pressing an input key or the set has no power. Confirm the standby light is lit and you're on the real power control, not a menu button. A dark light points to the outlet or cable, not the button.

Catch: if the standby light is lit but a correct press does nothing, the set is likely frozen, not broken. A 60-second power drain fixes it — unplug the TV, hold the button 15 seconds, then plug back in. The full walkthrough is in our TCL TV won't turn on guide.

Method 3: Switch inputs and open menus with it

The button does more than power on some models. A joystick control can move you around the TV without a remote at all — handy for reaching a console or streaming stick. A plain button is more limited. Here's what each type can do.

1. 1Joystick models: press in to power on, then nudge up and down for volume, left and right to change the input, and hold it in for a second to open a basic on-screen menu.
2. 2Plain single-button models: a short press is power only. On some TCL sets, repeated presses cycle through the HDMI inputs, but there's no volume control from the button.
3. 3Every model: the button reaches inputs, so you can jump to a game console or Fire Stick. It can't browse the app grid or type a search — that always needs a remote or an app.

Catch: whether your button navigates at all comes down to the joystick vs. plain-button design in Method 1. If yours is a flat button and you need real navigation, the remote or a phone app is the only way — see TCL remote not working if the clicker's the problem, or lost TCL remote if it's gone.

Method 4: When the button isn't enough

The button is great for power and inputs, but it can't browse apps or type. That's where your phone takes over — a remote app like Smart TV Remote gives you the full button layout, a D-pad, and a keyboard over Wi-Fi, no plastic clicker needed.

1. 1Get the TV on first: use the power button once, since a fully-off set drops its Wi-Fi unless network standby was already enabled.
2. 2Install the app and join the same Wi-Fi: put your phone on the exact network the TV uses, not a guest or 5 GHz-only band.
3. 3Open the app and tap your TCL: it lists the set by name, then gives you power, volume, a D-pad, and a real keyboard for search.

Honest catch: to power the TV on from the app when it's fully off, network standby (Fast TV Start on Roku) must be on first — otherwise the button gets you in, and the app takes over from there. More detail is in control a TCL TV with your phone.

Power button location by TCL series

Placement follows a rough pattern by series and age. Use this to know where to reach first — but confirm against the model sticker on the back, since TCL changes the layout between model years.

My advice: find the button once and note where it is, then set up a phone app so you never crouch for it again. The button is the reliable fallback; the app is the day-to-day control. If your remote is the real problem, start with turning it on without a remote instead.

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