TCL Roku TV remote not working
This page covers TVs that run Roku, including many TCL and Hisense sets. A Roku remote is one of two kinds, and the right fix depends on which. Work out yours first, then follow the matching steps. Your phone can be the remote while you do.
Which kind of Roku remote is it?
- A simple remote: sends infrared. It has to be pointed at the TV and needs a clear line to the sensor. There is no pairing.
- An enhanced or voice remote: works by radio, so you can point it anywhere, and it has a small pairing button inside the battery compartment. It must be paired with the TV.
The quickest test: open the battery cover. A little pairing button and a light mean it is the radio kind.
If it is a simple (infrared) remote
- Replace both batteries.
- Use the camera test: point the remote at your phone's front camera and press a button. If nothing flickers on screen, the remote is not sending.
- Clear the line between the remote and the TV's sensor on the lower edge.
- If the TV reacts to its own button but not the remote, buy a replacement. Simple remotes are inexpensive.
If it is an enhanced or voice remote
Most of the time it has lost its pairing. The steps are in Roku remote won't pair.
Use the TV's own button
A Roku TV has a power button, but what else it does depends on the model. Some have a single button that only switches the TV on and off or changes input. It is often on the bottom edge, at the back near a corner, or under the front panel. Check your model's guide. If it is only a power button, it is enough to turn the TV on, but not to get around menus.
Other ways to control a Roku TV
- Roku's own mobile app. It works as a remote, with the phone and TV on the same network.
- HDMI-CEC. Roku has a setting called Control other devices (CEC), under Settings, System. With it on, a console or box on HDMI can switch the TV on.
- A universal remote set to your TV's brand, for the basic keys.
Where Tuned fits
Tuned is a free remote for iPhone and Android. A Roku TV has one setting to switch on first, Control by mobile apps, under Settings, System, Advanced system settings. If it is already enabled, tap your TV in Tuned and the remote opens. There is no code and no Roku account. If it is switched off and you cannot get to the menu, you will need a remote or a replacement once.
The TV must be on, and on the same Wi‑Fi or wired network as your phone. See also the Roku remote guide and the TCL guide, which helps you tell a Roku TCL from a Google TV one.
Questions about a Roku TV remote that has stopped working
Is my TCL a Roku TV?
If the home screen shows the Roku home screen, a grid of channel tiles, with the Roku name, it is. Some TCL sets run Google TV instead, and the steps differ. The TCL guide shows how to tell.
Why does my Roku remote have no pairing button?
Because it is an infrared remote. It is not paired. Point it at the TV, replace the batteries and check the sensor.
Do I need the Roku app or a Roku account for Tuned?
No. Tuned talks to the TV on your home network and does not ask you to sign in to Roku.
Why does Tuned say my Roku refuses commands?
Control by mobile apps is off, or limited to a network the phone is not on. Turn it on in the TV's settings.
Get Tuned
Free to download for iPhone and Android.