Can You Control Your TCL TV With Your Phone?

Did you know that you can control your TV with your phone? That’s right, no need to pick up that remote that you’re always losing track of. TCL TVs can easily be controlled with a smartphone remote. 

There are several useful remote apps available for download in app stores. The best match for you depends on whether you have a Roku, Android TV, or Google TV. These also present the opportunity for you to control your TV through vocal commands. 

In the sections below, you’ll learn how to control your TCL TV with your remote. For your convenience, the instructions have been separated by operating system: Roku, Android TV, and Google TV.

How To Control Your TCL TV With Your Phone

No longer do you have to worry about losing your remote. If you have a TCL TV, you can download a remote on your phone. The process varies depending on which model of TCL TV you purchased and what the operating system is on it.

If You Have A Roku

You can control your TV with the official Roku App, available for download on both Google Play and the iOS store.  

Once you have the app downloaded, accessing the remote is simple:

• Touch “Connect Your Device”
• As long as your Wi-Fi connection is working, your TV should pop up on the list.
• Select your TV when it appears.
• Choose the Remote option, which is located on the bottom toolbar and under the device name.

If You Have An Android TV or Google TV

If you either have or intend to purchase a 3 or 4 series TCL TV, then you may have Android TV as the default operating system on your model. It’s easy to use your phone as a remote if you have an Android TV, such as the one found here.

1. Download the Google TV app onto your phone/tablet.
2. Open the app. Tap Remote on the bottom right.
3. Go to the top and select Scanning For Devices.
4. Choose Your TV from the list.
5. Follow the instructions on your phone and TV screens to complete the setup.

For owners of the 4, 5, and 6 series TCL TVs, there’s the option to purchase a model with Google TV as the operating system. The steps for using your phone as a remote will be the same as above.

Using Google Home On Your Phone To Control Your TV

With Google Home, you can control your TV by giving voice commands through your phone. For example, you can say “Turn Roku TV off” or “Go to Netflix on the Roku”. To get started, you will need to download the Google Home app onto your mobile device.

• Software Update: make sure that the latest software update has been installed on your TV.

Go to the Google Home app on your mobile device.

• Click the + sign in the  upper left corner 
• Then choose Add A New Device.
• Then select “Works with Google” from the list in the middle of the screen.
• If you have a Roku TV, search “Roku” in the search bar at the top of the screen.
• You will be prompted to sign in to your Roku account and then accept the Terms & Conditions.

To give voice commands on Google Home, just simply open the app and make sure that your TV is connected. Then tap the microphone on the screen and give a vocal command.

What commands can you give? You can direct the TV to go to certain HDMI ports or apps, turn the volume up or down, start/pause and turn the TV on and off. There are limitations on the vocal commands that you can give, especially when it comes to navigating apps, like Hulu or Netflix.

If You Have An Android Or Google TV: How To Connect To Google Home

If you already have TCL Android TV or  Google TV, then Google Assistant is already built-in. This makes the TV super easy to use with Google Home on your mobile device. 

• Download the Google Home app onto your phone.
• Once you’ve signed into the app, press the + button in the upper left corner to add a new device.
• From the menu, select “New Devices”. In the description, it says that you can add any device labeled as having “Seamless Setup with the Google Home App”.
• As soon as you select this option, it will begin scanning for your TV.

Chromecast allows you to seamlessly cast media from your phone onto your TV, just as long as you are using a Chromecast-enabled app. 

Final Thoughts

If you have a TCL Roku TV, you can control the TV from your phone by downloading the official Roku App. For Google and Android TVs, you will need to download the Google TV app. You can also control your TV by giving vocal commands through your phone if you download the Google Home app.