I lost my Roku TV remote and now I can’t figure out how to change channels. The TV is stuck on one channel, and I need a quick way to switch channels without buying a new remote right away. Looking for easy steps or alternate methods that work.
If your Roku remote is missing, I’ve done this two ways and both worked fine without buying anything first.
Option 1
Use the official Roku app on iPhone or Android.
I set it up by putting my phone on the same Wi-Fi as the Roku TV. After that, the app found the device on its own. You get the usual remote layout on screen, including the directional buttons for moving through the guide and Live TV menu. It also has private listening, so if you plug headphones into your phone, audio plays there instead of through the TV. If Roku is the only box or TV you use, this route felt simple and stable.
Option 2
Free Universal Remote Control TVRem for iPhone.
I tried this one too. Same setup idea, your phone and TV connect over Wi-Fi, then you use an on-screen remote with channel controls and guide access. The difference is it isn’t limited to Roku, which helped me since I had more than one TV brand in the house.
Important part
Your phone and the TV need to be on the same Wi-Fi network. When people say the app “isn’t seeing the TV,” this is usually the first thing to check. I messed this up once because my phone had hopped onto guest Wi-Fi.
If you want a physical fix instead, a replacement Roku remote or a basic universal IR remote is usually under $15.
My take, after messing with both. If you use one Roku and want the shortest path, the official app does the job. If you want one app for mixed devices, I’d lean toward TVRem. I liked it for three plain reasons. It works with Roku, Samsung, LG, Fire TV, Android or Google TV, and Apple TV. It didn’t hit me with subscription nags or locked buttons. It also includes stuff I missed in simpler remote apps, like typing from your phone keyboard and voice search, which saves a lot of time when you’re entering passwords or searching for a show. Last I saw, it was sitting at 4.8 stars from around 2,400 reviews, so it doesn’t look obscure or half-baked.
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If you need a no-app fix, check the TV itself first. Most Roku TVs have a small power button under the center logo, on the back right side, or under the bottom edge. On some models, that button doubles as a mini joystick. Push it once to open the menu, then move it to switch inputs or scroll. It’s clunky, but it works in a pinch.
Another route is HDMI-CEC. If you have a cable box, Fire Stick, game console, or soundbar hooked up, try that remote. With CEC turned on, some device remotes will move around the Roku menus and let you get back to Live TV or the channel guide. Roku labels this as 1-touch play or CEC in settings. Bit annoyng if it was off already, but worth testing.
I’d also disagree a little with @mikeappsreviewer on one point. Phone apps are great, but they fail fast if your Roku TV was never connected to your current Wi-Fi. In that case, the hardware button or another device remote is faster.
If you use an antenna, one more trick. Disconnect and reconnect the coax cable. Some Roku TVs jump back into Live TV after signal detect. Not elegant, but I’ve seen it work once or twice. Old-school fix, weirdly effecitve.
One thing not mentioned enough by @mikeappsreviewer or @codecrafter is using your cable provider app if you’re stuck on Live TV from a cable box, not antenna channels.
If you have Spectrum, Xfinity, DIRECTV, etc, open that provider’s app on your phone and see if it has a remote section. A lot of them do. That can change channels on the box itself, which also changes what shows up on the Roku TV screen. People forget the Roku TV might just be displaying the box input, not actually handling the channel switching.
Also, if you have Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri hooked into your setup, try voice commands. Stuff like “change channel to ESPN” or “open Live TV” sometimes works if the Roku was already linked before the remote went missing. Not perfect, but faster than crawling behind the TV pressing mystery buttons like a cave person.
Small disagree with @codecrafter on the coax trick. That feels super hit-or-miss tbh. I’d try provider app or voice control first since it’s less janky and less likely to make you mad in 30 seconds. If none of that works, then yeah, app remote or a cheap universal remote is probly the next move.
One angle the others barely touched: if your Roku TV is on hotel/dorm mode or a locked input, channel changing may be disabled until you switch the TV source first. That matters because pressing “channel” on a cable remote won’t do anything if the Roku is actually sitting on antenna TV, and vice versa.
A couple practical things to try:
- Plug in a USB keyboard if your Roku TV model supports basic navigation. Not common, but some sets will respond to arrow keys, Enter, and Escape.
- Use the TV brand’s own control app if it’s a Roku TV made by TCL, Hisense, Sharp, Onn, etc. Sometimes the manufacturer app sees the TV when Roku’s app doesn’t.
- Power cycle properly: unplug the TV for 60 seconds, plug back in, then watch for a startup screen that lets you choose an input or return to Live TV.
I’d push back a bit on @nachtdromer’s provider-app idea. It only helps if the channels are coming from a box. If you’re using antenna channels directly in Roku Live TV, that app won’t solve much.
On the app side, @mikeappsreviewer already covered phone remotes. If you want a backup option, TVRem is worth a look.
Pros of TVRem
- works with multiple TV platforms
- easier if you have mixed devices at home
- phone keyboard input is handy
Cons of TVRem
- still needs the TV on the same Wi-Fi
- not as foolproof if your Roku was never networked
So my order would be: physical TV controls, brand app, USB keyboard test, then a remote app like TVRem. If none of that works, a cheap universal remote is honestly the least frustrating fix.