· 4 min read
How to turn on a Hisense TV without the remote
Hisense sells more televisions than almost anyone, in more shapes than almost anyone, so "where's the button" genuinely depends on which one you bought.
Where to feel for it
- Bottom-centre, tucked under the bezel behind the Hisense logo — the most common position.
- Bottom-right underneath, on many ULED and Mini-LED sets.
- Behind the lower-right corner on the back, near the ports, on the larger models.
- On Laser TV projectors, on the top surface of the unit rather than any panel.
One press switches on. On the models with a joystick rather than a plain button, hold to switch off and push sideways to change source.
VIDAA and the four-digit code
Hisense's own smart platform is called VIDAA, and it does something unusual: it runs a small message broker on the television itself, on port 36669. That's what the RemoteNOW app talks to, and it's what LazyBinger speaks too — key presses and app launches are published to the TV as messages.
On recent model years the TV shows a four-digit code the first time a phone connects. You type it once, and the connection is remembered. Older VIDAA sets accept the standard service credentials without showing anything at all.
Waking it up
Hisense sets that stay on the network in standby can be woken with a magic packet. Look under Settings → Network or System → Power for a quick-start or network-standby option; without it the TV cuts its radio and nothing but the physical button will bring it back.
Frequently asked
Can I use my phone as a Hisense remote? Yes, on VIDAA sets, over your own Wi-Fi. Hisense Roku TVs are a different animal — see the Roku guide instead.
How do I know which platform my Hisense runs? If the home screen says VIDAA, it's VIDAA. If it looks like Roku, it's a Roku TV. Some markets also got Android TV and Google TV versions.
Do I need the RemoteNOW app? No. Anything that speaks the same protocol works, and doesn't need a Hisense account.
More: controlling any TV with no remote and turning a TV on from your phone.