· 5 min read
Lost your TV remote? How to use your iPhone instead
The remote's gone — down the sofa, dead batteries, or the dog got it. Before you order a replacement and wait days for it to arrive, try this: your iPhone can be the remote in about two minutes, for almost any modern TV.
Will my iPhone work as a remote for my TV?
If your TV connects to Wi-Fi — Samsung, LG, Sony, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Hisense and most others from the last several years — then yes. It talks to the TV over your network, so you don't need the infrared line-of-sight a plastic remote uses (handy, since iPhones don't have an infrared blaster).
Set it up in two minutes
- Install <a href="/en/">LazyBinger</a> from the App Store.
- Put your iPhone and your TV on the same Wi-Fi network.
- Open the app — your TV is detected automatically, no IP address to type.
- Tap to pair. Some TVs (like Apple TV) show a one-time code on screen; enter it once and you're done.
The things a spare remote can't do
Once your phone is the remote, you also get extras no plastic clicker has: voice control, a camera that auto-skips intros, a sleep timer, and Wake-on-LAN to switch the TV back on.
Frequently asked
Can I use my iPhone as a TV remote without the original remote? Yes — on most smart TVs the app finds and pairs over Wi-Fi without touching the old remote. A few models show a pairing code on screen, which you can read straight off the TV.
Does it need infrared or special hardware? No. iPhones have no IR blaster, but this works over Wi-Fi, which covers virtually every smart TV. See your TV brand's setup page for specifics.