Control Your LG TV Without the Remote From Your Phone
You can control your LG TV without the remote using the free LG ThinQ app on your phone, a streaming stick like a Roku or Fire TV Stick, or a plug in mouse.
The phone app is the quickest fix, and it turns your phone into a full remote in a couple of minutes. Here is each option, starting with the easiest.
How do you control an LG TV without the remote?
Modern LG TVs are built to be run from a phone. LG’s own app talks to the TV over your home WiFi.
One heads up: the old LG TV Plus app is gone. LG folded it into the LG ThinQ app, so ThinQ is the one to download now.
Use the LG ThinQ app on your phone
This gives you every button the plastic remote had, plus a touchpad.
- On your phone, open the App Store or Google Play and install LG ThinQ (it is free).
- Connect your phone to the same WiFi network as the TV. On most LG TVs this needs the 2.4GHz network.
- Make sure the TV is turned on.
- Open ThinQ, sign in, then tap the plus sign to add a product.
- Choose TV from the list and let the app find your set.
- Tap your TV model when it appears. An eight digit code shows on the TV screen.
- Type that code into the app. The TV and phone are now linked.
You will see power, volume, channel, a home button, arrow keys, and a touchpad. You can also type with the phone keyboard, which beats pecking at on screen letters.
Use a streaming device instead
If you already have a Roku, a Fire TV Stick, or an Apple TV plugged into the LG, its remote can often power and control the TV.
These devices use a feature called HDMI CEC to send power and volume commands down the cable. Turn CEC on in the streaming device settings, and its remote handles the TV for you.
You can even start the whole thing hands free. Here is how to turn on an LG TV with an Apple TV.
Use a USB or Bluetooth mouse
An LG webOS TV can be steered with a computer mouse, which is handy in a pinch.
- For a wired mouse, plug it into a USB port on the back of the TV. It should work right away.
- For a Bluetooth mouse, open the TV settings and find the Bluetooth or wireless device menu, then pair the mouse.
- Use the pointer to click apps and menus on screen.
This does not help you power the TV on, but it is a solid way to navigate once it is on.
How to turn on an LG TV without a remote
Every LG TV has a physical power button on the set itself.
On most models it sits underneath the screen in the center, or just behind the lower edge as a small joystick or button. Press it once to turn the TV on, and you can often click it to open a basic menu too.
FAQ
Does the LG ThinQ app work on older LG TVs?
It works on LG smart TVs from recent years. Very old sets may not appear in the app, so those lean on the TV button or a streaming device remote instead.
Can I control the LG TV without WiFi?
The phone app needs WiFi, but a plug in USB mouse and the TV power button do not. A streaming remote using HDMI CEC also works without your phone.
My LG TV turns on but shows nothing. Is that a remote problem?
No, that is a different issue. Walk through our fix for an LG TV that turns on but has no picture or sound.
What if my LG screen goes black on its own?
That points to a power saving setting or a panel issue, not the remote. See our guide on an LG TV screen that goes black randomly.