Any TVHow-to

How to Scan for Channels on a TV Without a Remote

“Programming” a TV usually means the channel scan after connecting an antenna or cable. The scan lives in the TV’s menu, so the task is really getting into that menu with no remote.

By the Kliky team · Updated · 2 min read

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On TVs with a Menu button, open Menu, use Volume or Channel to move to Channels › Auto Program (or Channel Scan), and confirm with Input or Menu. On single-button smart TVs, reach the same setting with a phone remote (TV on Wi‑Fi) or a USB keyboard. On Roku TVs the scan is under the Live TV input.

  1. Connect the antenna or cable to the coaxial input.
  2. Press Menu on the TV.
  3. Use Channel up and down to move, and Volume to go into a submenu or change a value.
  4. Find Channels, Tuner or Setup, then Auto Program, Auto Tuning or Channel Scan.
  5. Confirm with Input or Menu, and wait for the scan to finish.

Smart TVs with a single button

The button cannot reach deep menus. Use one of these:

  • Phone remote. With the TV on Wi‑Fi, open the remote app and go to Settings › Channels (Samsung: Broadcasting › Auto Program; LG: Channels › Channel Tuning; Google TV: Channels & Inputs).
  • USB keyboard on TVs that accept one.

Roku TVs

Select the Live TV (Antenna) tile on the Home screen and follow the prompts to scan, or go to Settings › TV inputs › Live TV › Scan for channels. From a phone remote on the same Wi‑Fi this takes a minute.

If you cannot get into the menu at all

An infrared universal remote that lists the TV brand opens any menu and needs no network. For a TV that is used with an antenna, a physical remote with number keys is worth having anyway.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How can I program my TV without a remote?

Open the TV’s menu with its Menu button, or with a phone remote or USB keyboard on a smart TV, and run Auto Program or Channel Scan under the channel settings.

Can I scan channels with my phone?

Yes, on a smart TV connected to the same Wi‑Fi as the phone. Open the TV’s channel settings from the remote app and start the scan.

How do I change channels without a remote?

Use the Channel buttons on the TV if it has them, the single button’s menu on models that offer channels there, or a phone remote.

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