One remote to rule them all.
Nobody likes to have a bunch of remotes scattered around their living room. One remote that can control everything is the dream. If you have a Roku, the included remote can probably turn on your TV too.
Most of the Roku remotes since the 2017 Roku Streaming Stick and Roku Ultra have the ability to control your TV’s power and volume. This works through the IR blaster, which is what typical TV remotes use to communicate with the TV. If your Roku remote has this functionality, you’ll see the options shown in the steps below.
Your Roku may also be able to turn on the TV and control volume through HDMI-CEC. This feature allows the Roku to turn on the TV when you AirPlay to it, use a smart home app, and other things that don’t require the physical remote. You have to enable HDMI-CEC on the TV itself to do so.
In this guide, we’re covering how to turn on the TV with the Roku remote. This may not work with your specific TV model. All TVs are slightly different. There’s no guarantee the remote will be able to communicate with yours.
First, navigate to the “Settings” in the sidebar on the left side of the Roku home screen.
Next, go to “Remote s & Devices.”
Now go to “Remotes.”
Select your remote.
Move down the list and select “Set Up Remote for TV Control.”
You’ll first be asked to confirm that you want to set up the remote for TV control. The pop-up will identify your TV brand. If it’s correct, click “Continue.” If not, you can select “Change TV Brand” to manually pick.
The first thing it will do is play some music. If you hear it, click “Yes, Music is Playing.”
The music will now be stopped. If it does stop, click “Yes, the Music Stopped Playing.” If it didn’t stop, click “No” to be sent to a different screen to find your TV model.
That’s all it takes. The remote has now been programmed to work with your TV. Click “OK” to finish up.
Assuming your TV was compatible, you can now use the Roku remote to power on or off your TV and control the volume. No more duplicate remotes getting lost in your couch cushions! This is a very handy feature that is one of many things that make Rokus a great choice.
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Joe Fedewa has been writing about technology for over a decade. He has been covering Android and the rest of the Google ecosystem for years, reviewing devices, hosting podcasts, filming videos, and writing tutorials.
Joe loves all things technology and is also an avid DIYer at heart. He has written thousands of articles, hundreds of tutorials, and dozens of reviews.
Before joining How-To Geek, Joe worked at XDA-Developers as Managing Editor and covered news from the Google ecosystem. He got his start in the industry covering Windows Phone on a small blog, and later moved to Phandroid where he covered Android news, reviewed devices, wrote tutorials, created YouTube videos, and hosted a podcast.
From smartphones to Bluetooth earbuds to Z-Wave switches, Joe is interested in all kinds of technology. After several years of jailbreaking and heavily modifying an iPod Touch, he moved on to his first smartphone, the HTC DROID Eris. He’s been hooked ever since.
Outside of technology, Joe is an avid DIYer, runner, and food enthusiast. If something piques his interest, he will dive into it headfirst and try to learn as much as possible. Joe brings that same passion to How-To Geek.
