How to turn your TV on from your phone

You lost the remote, grabbed a remote app, switched the TV off from your phone — and the next morning it won't turn back on from the app. You're not doing anything wrong: most phone remotes genuinely can't power a TV on. The good news is that many modern TVs can, using a feature called Wake-on-LAN.

Why most remote apps can't turn your TV on

A phone remote talks to your TV over Wi-Fi. But when a TV is fully off, its network chip is usually asleep too — so there's nothing on the network for the app to talk to. That's why a replacement remote app can often turn the TV off (it's awake then) but not back on.

What Wake-on-LAN actually does

Wake-on-LAN (WoL) is a tiny “magic packet” broadcast on your home network. Even in standby, many TVs keep just their network chip listening for it. When the packet arrives addressed to the TV's hardware (MAC) address, the TV powers up. No internet, no cloud — it all happens on your local Wi-Fi.

What you need

• A TV that supports “Wake on LAN/Wireless”, “Mobile power on”, or “Remote start” (most recent Samsung, LG and Sony sets, and many others).
• The TV left in standard standby — not unplugged and not in a deep “eco” power-off that cuts the network chip.
• Your iPhone on the same Wi-Fi network as the TV.

Turn it on in your TV's settings

The wording differs by brand, but look for one of these. On Samsung: General → Network → Expert Settings → Power On with Mobile (and “Wake on LAN/Wireless”). On LG: General → Mobile TV On → Turn on via Wi-Fi. On Sony / Android TV: Network & Internet → Remote start. Enable the option, then fully power-cycle the TV once so the setting takes hold.

Let LazyBinger do it for you

When you pair a TV, LazyBinger remembers its MAC address. After that, tapping power sends the Wake-on-LAN packet automatically — so the TV comes back on from across the room. You can even wire it to a voice “magic word” or a morning routine. It's all local: no account, no cloud, nothing leaves your network.

Want the brand-specific steps? See our per-TV guides, like the Samsung, LG and Sony remote pages.