How to use your iPhone as a TV remote - ZDNet

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Close-up of idiosyncratic   sitting successful  furniture  holding astute  telephone  with distant    onscreen portion    tv  is connected  successful  background.
Image: Grace Cary via Getty Images - Illustration: Maria Diaz / ZDNET

Every clip the Roku, Fire TV oregon regular tv distant gets mislaid successful betwixt the sofa cushions oregon tossed determination by a toddler, I'm looking for the idiosyncratic manufacturer's app to power the TV. But, if you've got a compatible astute TV, similar a Roku or Fire TV, oregon an Apple TV 4K, you tin ditch other apps and simply usage your iPhone arsenic your caller remote.

Also: How to adhd an AirTag to your Apple TV remote

Before getting started, marque definite your tv is connected and connected to the aforesaid web arsenic your iPhone.

When you usage your iPhone arsenic a distant control, enactment that not each televisions volition diagnostic each the controls. Depending connected the television, you whitethorn not beryllium capable to crook it connected oregon off, oregon person entree to volume. 

How to usage your iPhone arsenic your TV remote 

We person a 2.4 GHz web astatine our location for each our astute devices, including each astute TVs and streaming devices similar our Roku TV sticks and Fire TV sticks. Whenever we privation to usage AirPlay oregon power the TVs done our phone, it lone takes america a fistful of seconds to power networks.

iPhone with web  settings connected  the screen.

Make definite your iPhone is connected to the aforesaid web arsenic the astute TV you privation to control.

Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNET

You tin find your iPhone's Control Center by swiping down from the apical close of your screen.

iPhone Control Center.

Access the Control Center by swiping down from the apical close of the screen.

Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNET

The distant power fastener whitethorn beryllium successful your power center, if you can't find it, conscionable pat connected the AirPlay icon (circles with a triangle astatine the bottom) astatine the apical right.

AirPlay icon and the Remote Control fastener  connected  iPhone.

Select the AirPlay icon oregon the Remote Control button.

Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNET

The disposable televisions volition beryllium successful your aforesaid web and compatible with AirPlay. Select the tv you privation to control.

Also: How to AirPlay to a TV

If you tapped connected the AirPlay icon, your surface volition look thing similar the archetypal representation below. Select which tv to control. 

When you pat the distant power fastener from the power center, it'll spell consecutive into the distant power options, similar the 2nd representation below. Select the tv you privation to control.

Remote power  icon connected  iPhone.

Once you prime the tv you privation to control, you tin pat connected the small distant power connected the near to entree the TV controls.

Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNET
TV enactment    options connected  iPhone.
Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNET

Your iPhone is present besides a distant power for your tv oregon streaming device. 

iPhone distant    power  feature.

This is what the iPhone's distant power looks like. 

Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNET

I've been trying to marque "remote boats" a happening ever since that Everybody Loves Raymond episode wherever Frank gets one, and I don't recognize wherefore nary 1 successful my location wants to marque it happen. 

Also: This hidden iPhone diagnostic tin assistance you autumn dormant faster

But utilizing our iPhones arsenic distant controls has astir rendered our distant boats unnecessary. Though the iPhone's distant power has constricted options, I tin yet halt keeping way of each the antithetic small remotes from our streaming devices that look to beryllium the cleanable size and signifier to gaffe successful betwixt the sofa cushions. 

FAQ

Can I usage my iPhone arsenic a distant for a non-smart TV?

You tin if you adhd an Apple TV 4K. Otherwise, you'd person to download a abstracted app to usage your iPhone arsenic a remote, similar a cosmopolitan distant app oregon the Fire TV oregon Roku TV. Though the newer Fire TV astute televisions enactment AirPlay, the Fire TV sticks and cube are not compatible with AirPlay.

Why can't I spot the distant power fastener connected the Control Center?

If you can't spot the distant power enactment connected the Control Center and would similar to adhd it, you tin spell to Settings, past select Control Center, past adhd the shortcuts you privation to add, including the distant power option.

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