KlikyIf the Roku is on Wi‑Fi, use your phone: install Kliky, join the same Wi‑Fi and pick the Roku from the list. If the Roku is not on Wi‑Fi (new router, factory reset, new home), no app can reach it yet; reconnect it first using the steps in connect a Roku to Wi‑Fi without a remote.
- Install Kliky
- Join the same Wi‑Fi
- Pick your Roku
1. Use your phone as the Roku remote
Every Roku player and Roku TV listens for remote commands on your home network. A remote app sends the same key presses the plastic remote does.
- Install Kliky from the App Store or Google Play.
- Connect your phone to the same Wi‑Fi as the Roku.
- Open Kliky and pick your Roku from the list.
You get the D‑pad, Home, Back, playback keys, volume on Roku TVs, a keyboard for typing, voice search and shortcuts to your channels. There is no Roku account to sign in to. The official Roku app is another option; Roku asks you to sign in before using it as a remote.
2. Use the button on a Roku TV
Roku TVs from TCL, Hisense, onn., Philips and others have a physical button, usually under the logo in the middle of the bottom edge, or on the back near one side. It turns the TV on and off and steps through inputs. It is enough to switch to a game console, but not to browse channels or type a password.
Roku players and Streaming Sticks have no usable buttons for navigation.
3. Use your TV’s own remote (HDMI‑CEC)
A Roku player plugged into a TV can often be steered with the TV’s remote through HDMI‑CEC. TV makers give it their own names: Anynet+ on Samsung, SimpLink on LG, Bravia Sync on Sony. Turn it on in the TV’s settings, switch to the Roku input and try the arrow keys and OK.
Support varies by TV, and the Home button usually has no equivalent, so treat this as a stopgap.
4. Use a universal remote
Infrared universal remotes work with Roku TVs and with Roku players that have an infrared receiver. They do not work with Streaming Sticks. See universal remotes for Roku for what to check before you buy.
5. Buy a replacement remote
If you want a physical remote again, Roku sells simple and voice remotes directly, and they pair in under a minute. Roku remote replacement explains which one fits which Roku and what each costs.
If the Roku is not connected to Wi‑Fi
This is the hard case, and it catches many people after moving home or changing the router. A phone app talks to the Roku over the network, so an offline Roku is invisible to it. Roku’s support pages are direct about this: you need a Roku remote to connect a Roku to Wi‑Fi.
There are two workarounds, an Ethernet cable on models that have the port and a phone hotspot that imitates your old network. Both are explained in connect a Roku to Wi‑Fi without a remote.
Which method works on which Roku
| Method | Roku TV | Roku box | Streaming Stick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone app on the same Wi‑Fi | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Button on the device | Power and inputs | No | No |
| TV remote over HDMI‑CEC | Not applicable | On many TVs | On many TVs |
| Infrared universal remote | Yes | Yes | No |
| Ethernet to get online | Models with a port | Ultra and others with a port | No |
The phone app is the only method that works on all three, which is why it is first on the list. Its one requirement is that the Roku is already on Wi‑Fi.
What the phone does that the plastic remote does not
A phone is more than a stand-in. In Kliky you type searches and passwords on the phone keyboard, search by voice even if your Roku came with a simple remote, open channels from a list instead of scrolling the Home screen, and listen through headphones connected to the phone. Many people keep using it after the remote turns up.
