How to type on your TV with your iPhone keyboard
Entering a password with an on-screen keyboard and a D-pad takes forever. Most smart TVs accept text from a phone instead.
Short answer
On Apple TV, a keyboard notification appears on your iPhone automatically when a text field is selected. For other TVs, open a remote app such as TVRemoteX, select a text field on the TV, open the app’s keyboard and type. Support depends on the TV platform; if typing doesn’t appear, select the search or login field on the TV first.
Support by platform
| Platform | Phone keyboard | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple TV | Yes | iPhone shows a keyboard prompt automatically |
| Google TV / Android TV | Yes | Text goes into the focused field |
| Fire TV | Yes | Through the debugging connection |
| Samsung Tizen | Yes, in most apps | Field must be active on the TV |
| LG webOS | Yes, in most apps | Field must be active on the TV |
| Roku | Yes | Characters are sent one by one |
Steps
- Connect TVRemoteX to the TVSame Wi-Fi, Local Network allowed.
- Select a text field on the TVSearch box, login or Wi-Fi password.
- Open the keyboard in the app and typeUse autofill for passwords saved on your iPhone.
Questions people ask
Why doesn’t my typing appear?
The TV needs an active text field, and some apps use their own keyboards that ignore external input.
Official sources
Written and checked by BiHai Song, developer of TVHomeX and TVRemoteX