KlikyFor a Roku Streaming Stick, buy a Roku Voice Remote or Voice Remote Pro; infrared remotes cannot reach a stick hidden behind the TV. For a Roku TV or a Roku player with an infrared receiver, the cheaper simple remote works too. If the Roku is on Wi‑Fi, you can also skip the purchase: Kliky turns your phone into the remote.
Roku’s remotes compared
| Simple remote | Voice Remote | Voice Remote Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connection | Infrared, needs line of sight | Wireless, paired | Wireless, paired |
| Works with Streaming Sticks | No | Yes | Yes |
| Voice search | No | Push to talk | Push to talk and hands-free |
| TV power and volume | On Roku TV versions | Yes | Yes |
| Power | AAA batteries | AAA batteries | Rechargeable |
| Lost remote finder | No | No | Yes |
Confirm compatibility for your exact model on Roku’s comparison page before buying.
Which one fits your Roku
- Streaming Stick, Streaming Stick 4K, Streaming Stick+: voice remote only.
- Roku Express, Premiere, Ultra and other boxes: simple or voice remotes. Boxes have an infrared window on the front.
- Roku TV (TCL, Hisense, onn., Philips, Element, Westinghouse and others): the Roku TV simple remote, or any Roku voice remote. Remotes are not tied to the TV brand; a remote for a TCL Roku TV works on a Hisense Roku TV.
Third-party and universal remotes
Cheap replacement remotes sold for Roku TVs are infrared. They are fine for Roku TVs and boxes, and useless for sticks. They rarely have voice search. If you want one remote for the TV, soundbar and Roku, see universal remotes for Roku.
No purchase needed: use your phone
A Roku that is connected to Wi‑Fi can be controlled from a phone on the same network. Kliky gives you the full remote, a keyboard, voice search and private listening through your phone’s headphones, and you already carry it.
A phone remote does not replace a plastic one in every case. It needs the Roku to be online, and a guest or a child may prefer real buttons. Many households keep both: a basic remote on the sofa and the app as the one that never gets lost.
Setting up the new remote
A simple remote works as soon as the batteries are in. A voice remote needs pairing: hold the pairing button, or Back and Home, for 5 seconds. Full steps are in how to pair a Roku remote.
Before you buy: is the remote really dead?
- Put in fresh batteries, or charge a rechargeable remote for a few hours.
- Pair a voice remote again: hold the pairing button, or Back + Home, for 5 seconds.
- Point a simple remote at your phone camera and press a key; a flash means it still works and the Roku’s sensor is blocked.
Many “broken” Roku remotes come back with one of these. The steps are in Roku remote not working.
Replacement for a TCL, Hisense or onn. Roku TV
Roku TV remotes belong to the Roku software, not to the TV maker. A remote sold as “for TCL Roku TV” works on a Hisense, onn., Philips or Sharp Roku TV, and Roku’s own Voice Remote pairs with all of them. What does not carry over is a remote from a TCL or Hisense Google TV: same brand, different software.
