Connect an LG TV to Wi‑Fi without a remote
An LG with no remote and no network is a puzzle, because phone apps need the TV online. Get the TV onto the network first, then your phone can take over. These are the ways in.
Plug in a cable
Most LG TVs have an Ethernet port on the back. Connect it to your router and the TV usually joins the network by itself. Once it is online, Tuned can find it as long as your phone is on the same router. You can swap to Wi‑Fi later.
Try the hotspot trick
If the TV used to be on your Wi‑Fi, it still remembers the network's name and password. Change your phone's hotspot to the same name and password, switch it on, and restart the TV. It joins the hotspot, and your phone is now on the same network as the TV. Then use Tuned to move the TV to your real Wi‑Fi. Some phones broadcast only on 2.4 GHz, and a few TVs struggle with that, so if it does not work in a couple of minutes, try another way.
Navigate with the TV's joystick
The button under the bottom edge, or at the back, can open an on-screen menu. From there go to Settings, then All Settings (the gear icon). The Wi‑Fi page sits under Network on some webOS versions and under Connection on others. Choose Wi‑Fi Connection, pick your network and type the password. Typing a password with a joystick is slow, so take care with it.
If your LG's single button only powers the TV on and off, that route is closed. Then the cable or hotspot route is the way.
Borrow a way to press buttons
- A universal infrared remote set to LG.
- An Android phone with an infrared blaster. Tuned has an infrared mode for those, with no Wi‑Fi involved.
- LG's ThinQ app also needs the TV already on the network, and an LG account.
Once the TV is online
Open Tuned with your phone on the same network. Tap the LG. A new LG shows a code on screen to type into the phone. Older webOS shows a prompt that needs a press on the TV. Then you have the full remote, including typing, which makes a long password easy. Tuned cannot join an offline TV to Wi‑Fi itself.
Questions about LG Wi‑Fi without a remote
Can I set up my new LG TV with only my phone?
Not with Tuned. A TV that is offline cannot be reached over the network. Use a cable or the TV's own button to get through set-up, then use Tuned.
Will the hotspot trick break my phone's connection?
While the hotspot is on, your phone is the network. It uses mobile data only if the TV goes online through it. Switch it off when the TV is back on your home Wi‑Fi.
Where is the Wi‑Fi setting on an LG?
Under Settings, All Settings, in a section called Network or Connection, depending on the webOS version. Look for Wi‑Fi Connection.
Does Tuned work on an LG over a cable?
Yes. A TV on a cable counts as being on your network, as long as your phone is on the same router.
Get Tuned
Free to download for iPhone and Android.