Turn on an LG TV without the remote
An LG TV can be switched on from the TV itself, from a device on HDMI or, if you set it up, by a wake signal from your phone. Only the first needs nothing in advance.
Use the button under the screen
LG puts a small button or joystick on the TV. On many models it sits under the bottom edge, below the logo. On others it is at the back, on the right or left. Press it once and the TV switches on. With the TV on, a press often opens a menu where you can pick Input or Settings.
No button where you expect it? Feel at the back for a small dome or stick near the edge. The model number is on a sticker on the back, and LG's manual for it shows the position.
Switch it on from an HDMI device
LG calls HDMI-CEC SIMPLINK. With it switched on, some devices on an HDMI port wake the LG when you start them, and then switch to their own input. Many consoles and streaming boxes can do this, but each also needs its own CEC option turned on. SIMPLINK is under the HDMI or Devices settings, depending on the webOS version.
Wake it from your phone
webOS has no way to switch on through its normal network connection, because that connection stops when the TV goes into standby. LG does have a setting that listens for a wake signal. It is called TV On With Mobile.
- Settings, General, Devices, External devices, TV On With Mobile.
Menu names change with the webOS version, so look for the same words if the path is slightly different on yours.
Tuned reads that setting from the TV. If it finds the setting off, it shows the same instructions on the remote screen. When the setting is on, and Tuned has seen the TV on your network before, the power button sends the wake signal. It needs the TV in standby, plugged in, and joined to your network, either by Wi‑Fi or by cable.
What does not work
- A TV that is unplugged, or that has dropped off your network, cannot be woken by any app.
- An iPhone has no infrared. An Android phone with an infrared blaster can use Tuned's infrared mode, which needs no network.
- The first connection needs the TV on. Switch it on with the button, connect Tuned, then set up the wake setting.
Questions about switching on an LG TV
Why does my LG not wake when I press power in Tuned?
Most often TV On With Mobile is off. It can also be that the TV is unplugged, or has left your Wi‑Fi. Switch it on with its button once and Tuned reconnects.
Does LG ThinQ do this too?
LG's ThinQ app needs an LG account and the TV on the same network. Tuned needs no account.
Does it matter if the TV is on Wi‑Fi or a cable?
Both count as being on your network. Wake signals are usually more dependable over a cable.
Does the wake setting cost power?
It keeps the TV's network chip listening while it is in standby, so the TV may use a little more power when it is off. Switch the setting off if you would rather save it.
Get Tuned
Free to download for iPhone and Android.