How to Control Your Samsung TV Without a Remote: 6 Ways That Work

You can control a Samsung TV without a remote in several ways: with the physical control button on the TV, with a remote app on your Android phone, with a keyboard, or through another device connected over HDMI. The control button works on every model, while a phone app gives you full control, including typing and app shortcuts.

A lost Samsung TV remote usually turns up in the sofa within a day. Until then, here is how to control your Samsung TV without a remote, starting with the options that need nothing at all.

6 ways to control a Samsung TV without a remote

1. The control button on the TV – basic control, no setup.
2. Your Android phone as a remote – full control over Wi-Fi in about two minutes.
3. Power on from your phone – wake the TV without touching it.
4. A USB or Bluetooth keyboard and mouse – handy for typing and the web browser.
5. HDMI-CEC (Anynet+) – use the remote of your console, soundbar or streaming box.
6. Find the original remote – a quick checklist that solves most cases.

1. Use the Samsung TV control button

Every Samsung TV has at least one physical button. Samsung calls it the TV Controller. It is small, often a single joystick-like button, so it is easy to miss.

Where to find the control button

Check these places first, with the TV switched on so the standby light helps you:

• Front, bottom center – under the Samsung logo, on the underside of the frame.
• Back, bottom right – seen from the front, behind the right-hand side of the screen.
• Back, bottom left or center – on some slim and wall-mounted models.

A long press turns the TV on or off. A short press opens a small control menu on the screen. On most models you move through the menu with short presses and select an option with a long press.

How to change input on a Samsung TV without a remote

1. Press the control button once to open the control menu.
2. Press it again (or tilt it, on joystick models) until Source or the input icon is highlighted.
3. Press and hold to select it, then choose the HDMI port or source you need the same way.

The control button is fine for an emergency. It is slow for anything else: you cannot open apps, type a search or browse menus comfortably.

2. Use your Android phone as a Samsung TV remote

Samsung Smart TVs accept commands over the home network, so your phone can do everything the remote does. A Samsung TV remote app for Android such as the Samsung TV Remote app sets up in three steps:

1. Connect your phone to the same Wi-Fi network as the TV.
2. Open the app and pick your TV from the list of devices it finds.
3. Select Allow on the TV when the connection request appears. With no remote at hand, use the control button to select it.

That is the whole three-step setup. It works with Samsung Smart TVs from 2010 onward; touchpad typing, the mouse pointer and app shortcuts need a 2016 or newer model, as explained in our Samsung TV compatibility guide. You then get a navigation pad, volume and channels, Home and Back, plus things the plastic remote cannot do: a touchpad, a mouse pointer for the TV browser, your phone keyboard for searches and one-tap shortcuts for Netflix, YouTube and all your TV apps.

For a full walkthrough of every control mode, read how to use your Android phone as a Samsung TV remote.

3. Turn on your Samsung TV from your phone

A phone app can also wake the TV, but only after you enable Power On with Mobile once on the TV:

• 2022 and newer models: Settings > All Settings > Connection > Network > Expert Settings
• 2017–2021 models: Settings > General > Network > Expert Settings

Turn the option on while you still have access to the menu, then the power button in the app works even when the TV is in standby. The details and fixes are in our guide to turning on your Samsung TV with your phone.

4. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth keyboard

Samsung Smart TVs support USB keyboards and mice, and most recent models also pair with Bluetooth keyboards. Plug the keyboard into a free USB port on the TV. The arrow keys move the selection, Enter selects and you can type in search fields and the web browser.

Settings for keyboards and mice are on most models under Settings > General > External Device Manager > Input Device Manager. A keyboard is great for typing, but it will not replace the power, volume and source buttons as conveniently as a remote.

5. Use HDMI-CEC (Anynet+) from a console or streaming box

HDMI-CEC lets devices connected by HDMI control each other. Samsung calls it Anynet+. If you have a game console, soundbar or streaming box, its remote or controller can often turn the TV on, switch to the right input and change the volume.

• On the TV, Anynet+ is usually under Settings > General > External Device Manager > Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) and is on by default on many models.
• On the other device, look for "HDMI-CEC", "HDMI Device Link" or a similar setting.

When you start the console or box, the TV switches on and jumps to its input. It is a handy workaround, but you are limited to what the other device supports.

6. Find the lost remote: a 5-minute checklist

Before you order anything, spend five minutes on the places remotes usually end up:

• Between and under the sofa cushions, and under the sofa itself.
• Inside blankets, pillow cases and the laundry basket.
• Next to the kettle, the fridge or the bathroom sink (yes, really).
• In kids' toy boxes and under the bed.
• In coat pockets and bags of whoever watched TV last.

Replacement remote or phone app?

If the remote is gone for good or broken, you can buy a Samsung TV remote replacement, use your phone, or do both. Here is how they compare.

Many people do both: they order a remote and use the phone in the meantime, then keep the app for typing and casting. If your remote is still there but has stopped responding, try our fixes for a Samsung TV remote that is not working first.

Conclusion

You never really need the original remote to control a Samsung TV without a remote: the control button handles the basics, HDMI-CEC and a keyboard help in specific cases, and an Android phone gives you full control in a couple of minutes. Set up the phone remote and Power On with Mobile now, and the next lost remote will not interrupt your evening.

Frequently asked questions