TCL TV Remote App: Control Your TCL Roku & Google TV From Your Phone

A TCL TV remote app turns your iPhone into a full remote for a TCL Roku TV or TCL Google TV. It connects over your home Wi-Fi — no infrared, no dongle — and gives you a D-pad, volume, playback, and a real keyboard for typing searches. Download one free and it finds your TV on its own, so you stop hunting for the plastic remote.

There are three practical ways to do this, depending on which TCL you own and whether you want one app for every TV in the house. Here they are, with the exact steps and the honest catches for each. If you just want the linear walkthrough, jump to how to connect your phone to a TCL TV as a remote. Prefer a side-by-side of the routes? See the four ways to control a TCL TV with your phone. Lost the clicker for good? Compare every remote for a TCL TV — including physical replacements. On an iPhone specifically? See how to use your iPhone as a TCL smart TV remote app. Want the buttons mapped out first? See the button-by-button map of what a phone remote replaces. Wondering if there's an official TCL remote app (and what T-Cast actually does)? We answer that separately. Just want to be sure it's free? See which TCL TV remote apps are truly free. In a hurry? Let our TCL remote finder tool match your TV to the exact app in a few taps.

Method 1: Use a universal remote app for any TCL TV

A universal app such as Smart TV Remote pairs with both TCL Roku TVs and TCL Google TV models — and other Wi-Fi TVs — from a single app, so you don't care which platform a given set runs. This is the simplest route if your household mixes TCL models or brands.

1. 1Download the app. Install Smart TV Remote free from the App Store on your iPhone or iPad (iOS 16.0 or later).
2. 2Join the same Wi-Fi as the TV. Connect your iPhone to the exact same home Wi-Fi network your TCL TV is on. That shared network is how the phone reaches the TV.
3. 3Pick your TCL TV. Open the app and it scans the network. Tap your TCL TV in the detected list to connect — no pairing code needed.
4. 4Start controlling. Use the on-screen D-pad, OK, volume, playback, and keyboard exactly like the plastic remote. The TV reconnects automatically next time.

Catch: because it works over the network, the TV has to be on and joined to the same Wi-Fi. A TV that's fully unplugged can't be woken from a phone.

Method 2: Use the official Roku app for a TCL Roku TV

If your TCL runs Roku OS, Roku's own mobile app is a solid single-TV option with a nice extra: private listening, which pipes the TV audio to your headphones through the phone.

1. 1Install the Roku app from the App Store and sign in with a free Roku account.
2. 2Put your iPhone on the same Wi-Fi network as the TCL Roku TV.
3. 3Open the Devices tab — the app lists your TCL Roku TV; tap to connect.
4. 4Use the on-screen remote, keyboard, and private-listening button.

Catch: it only pairs with Roku-powered TVs and needs a Roku account. It won't touch a TCL Google TV model. Full pairing details and fixes are in our TCL Roku TV remote app guide.

Method 3: Use the Google TV app for a TCL Google TV

TCL sets that run Google TV or Android TV can be driven by Google's own app, which includes a built-in remote with a D-pad, voice search, and a keyboard. It also lets you cast to Chromecast-built-in TCL TVs.

1. 1Install the Google TV app (formerly Google Home / Android TV Remote) and sign in with your Google account.
2. 2Connect your iPhone to the same Wi-Fi as the TCL Google TV.
3. 3Open the app, tap the remote icon, and select your TCL TV.
4. 4Confirm the pairing code shown on the TV, then control it from the phone.

Catch: it only works with Google/Android TV models, and the first connection asks for a one-time pairing code shown on the TV screen. Full setup and troubleshooting are in our TCL Google TV remote app guide. For an older set on the pre-Google-TV platform, the dedicated TCL Android TV remote app guide covers the retired Android TV Remote Control app and its replacement.

Which TCL remote app should you use?

All three control a TCL over Wi-Fi. The difference is how many TVs each one covers and what extras you get.

What a phone remote replaces, button by button

A phone remote app does more than the plastic clicker, not less. Here's every control on a standard TCL remote and how each app type handles it — so you know exactly what you gain and the one or two things that don't carry over.

The app also adds what the clicker can't — a real keyboard for typing searches, and, in the Roku app, private listening through your headphones. Only device-specific infrared buttons don't carry over.

FAQ