How to turn on a TV without a remote
Turning a TV on is harder than controlling it once it’s on, because a sleeping TV may be off the network. Here’s what works.
Short answer
Press the TV’s physical power button (usually under the front logo or on the back right edge). To turn it on from your phone, the TV must keep its network connection in standby: switch on TV On With Mobile (LG), Power on with mobile or Network standby (Samsung), Fast TV start (Roku TV) or a similar option, then use a remote app like TVRemoteX. HDMI-CEC devices can also wake the TV.
Find the power button
Look under the center of the bottom edge, behind the logo, or on the back near the right edge. Some TVs have a single joystick button: press once to turn on.
Make network wake work
| Brand | Setting to switch on |
|---|---|
| LG webOS | All Settings > General > Devices > External Devices > TV On With Mobile > Turn On via Wi-Fi |
| Samsung | Settings > General > Network > Expert Settings > Power On with Mobile (name varies) |
| Roku TV | Settings > System > Power > Fast TV start |
| Android / Google TV | Settings > System > Power & energy, look for networked standby (model-dependent) |
| Sony BRAVIA | Settings > Network & Internet > Remote start (Android/Google TV models) |
Use HDMI-CEC
Turn on a connected console or streaming device; with CEC enabled, the TV turns on too.
Use your iPhone
With network wake enabled, TVRemoteX’s power button can wake supported TVs over Wi-Fi. A TV that is fully unplugged, on a power strip that is off, or that dropped off Wi-Fi in deep standby can’t be reached.
Questions people ask
Why does my phone app turn the TV off but not on?
In standby the TV drops its Wi-Fi connection unless a network wake setting is on. Turn it on, or use Ethernet if your TV supports wake on LAN.
Official sources
Written and checked by BiHai Song, developer of TVHomeX and TVRemoteX