How to control a TCL TV with your iPhone

Which iPhone app works with which TCL TV?

TCL does not use one system on all its TVs. As of October 2026, TCL's US store lists TVs "with Google TV" and TVs "with Fire TV". TCL's US support site also has sections for Roku TV and Android TV models. Google TV and Android TV use the same remote service, so the Google TV app and Tivi control both. Roku TV and Fire TV each need their own app.

TCL also has its own app, TCL Home. A section below tells you what it does and what it asks for.

How do you know which system your TCL TV runs?

The quickest check is the product name, because TCL puts the system in it. TCL's US store sells the QM8K Series as a "Smart TV with Google TV" and the F8D Series as a "Smart TV with Fire TV". TCL calls its Roku models TCL Roku TVs. Look for these words on the box, on the receipt or on the product page for your model.

TCL's US support site sorts its TV help by the same systems: Roku TV, Google TV, Fire TV and Android TV. It also has a section for NXTVISION TVs, which the US store sells with Google TV. Older TCL models with Android TV are still in use, and TCL's own guide to TV systems names the TCL S4500A as an example.

Google TV and Android TV are two versions of Google's TV system. For a remote app, they are almost the same, because the phone speaks to the same remote service and pairs with a code on the TV. If you want to know which of the two you have, read the difference between Android TV and Google TV.

TCL Google TV and Android TV: the Google TV app

Google's Google TV app for iPhone includes a remote. Google says that you can use the app "to control your Google TV or Android TV". It is the app for most TVs in TCL's current US store, and for older TCL models with Android TV.

Connect the iPhone and the TV to the same Wi-Fi network. Then do these steps from Google's instructions:

1. Open the Google TV app on the iPhone.
2. Near the bottom right, tap the button that shows the number of TVs nearby.
3. Select your TCL TV.
4. Enter the code that the TV shows on its screen.
5. Tap Pair.

Google lists these functions for the remote: turn the TV on or off, change the volume, control playback, start Google Assistant, and enter text. You type the text on the iPhone keyboard. You also enter the pairing code on the iPhone, so you do not need the TCL remote for the first connection.

TCL's support page for its Android TV models tells iPhone users to search the App Store for "Android TV by Google LLC". In October 2026, a search of the US App Store showed no Google app with that name. Google's own instructions use the Google TV app, so install that app.

The Google Home app as a second option

TCL also gives instructions for the Google Home app on its Google TV models. TCL says that the app lets you open the remote, change the volume, move through the menus and open apps. You can also type with the iPhone keyboard when a text box appears on the TV.

Google Home has one more condition than the Google TV app. TCL says that the TV and the Google Home app must be signed in to the same Google account. TCL gives these steps:

1. In the Google Home app, tap Devices, and then tap Add.
2. Select Set up device, and then select New device.
3. Select your home, and then select your TCL TV.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen.
5. To open the remote, tap Devices, select your TCL TV, and tap Remote or Open remote.

TCL Roku TV: the Roku app

A TCL Roku TV uses Roku's system, so Roku's own app controls it. Roku says that its free app works with "your Roku streaming player or Roku TV system". Roku's instructions for the remote tell you to install the app, sign in, and connect the app to your Roku device.

1. Install the Roku app from the App Store.
2. Connect the iPhone and the TV to the same Wi-Fi network.
3. Open the app and sign in.
4. Let the app search for Roku devices on your network.
5. When your TCL Roku TV appears in the list, tap it.

The remote in the app has buttons for volume, power and a keyboard, and more. Roku says that some controls are not available on all devices.

A Roku TV has a setting that limits control from phones. It is in Settings, System, Advanced system settings, Control by mobile apps, and it has three levels:

• Limited: apps can only enter text, open apps and show your activity in the app, and only from your Wi-Fi network.
• Enabled: apps can always control the TV, but the TV accepts commands only from devices on the same local network.
• Permissive: any device, inside or outside your network, can send all commands to the TV.

Roku says that third-party apps can control a Roku device, but that it strongly advises against them for security reasons. For a TCL Roku TV, the Roku app is the safe choice.

TCL Fire TV: Amazon's Fire TV app

TCL sells some models with Amazon's Fire TV system, such as the F8D Series. Amazon's Fire TV app controls them. Amazon gives these steps:

1. Install the Fire TV app from the App Store.
2. Connect the iPhone to the same Wi-Fi network as the TV.
3. Open the app and sign in to your Amazon account.
4. Select the remote icon, and then select Set Up New Fire TV.
5. Follow the instructions on the screen.

After the setup, the app gives you on-screen navigation, a keyboard and menu options.

Is there an official TCL remote app?

Yes. TCL Home is TCL's app for its smart devices, and its App Store listing has a section for TVs. The listing says: "Control the TV simply on your phone. Remote control, keyboard input and voice control are all supported." The listing does not say which TCL TVs or systems the remote supports.

Two more facts can help you decide. TCL's getting-started guide for the app tells you to create an account with your email address. On 14 October 2026, the app had an average rating of 1.9 from 720 ratings on the US App Store. If TCL Home does not find your TV, use the app for your TV's system from the sections above.

Apple's Control Centre remote

The iPhone has a remote in Control Centre, and some TCL TVs work with it. Apple says that this remote works with Apple TV and with "AirPlay-compatible smart TVs". For a smart TV, Apple tells you to add the TV to the Home app and to assign it to a room.

TCL documents AirPlay and HomeKit for select TCL Roku TVs. On these models, TCL says that HomeKit can control the power, the volume, the inputs and basic remote commands. The TV needs Roku OS 9.4 or later. TCL gives this procedure, which starts on the TV:

1. Press Home on the TCL Roku TV remote.
2. Select Settings, and then select Apple AirPlay and HomeKit.
3. Select HomeKit, and then select Set up.
4. Scan the eight-digit HomeKit code on the TV with the iPhone camera.
5. Follow the instructions on the iPhone to add the TV to the Home app.

Then add the remote to Control Centre. Open Control Centre, tap the Add Controls button, tap Add a Control, and select Remote. On iOS 17 or earlier, go to Settings, Control Centre, and add Apple TV Remote.

For TCL Google TV models, the information is less clear. In 2022, 9to5Google reported AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support on select TCL Google TV models in Europe: the C735, C835 and C935. For a different model, look for AirPlay 2 and Apple HomeKit in its specifications.

This method needs the TCL remote one time, for the first step on the TV. If the remote is already lost, use an app from the sections above, and read what to do when the TV remote is lost.

One app for a TCL TV and other brands

Each app above controls one system. In a home with a TCL Google TV in one room and a Samsung or LG TV in another room, you need a different app for each TV.

Tivi, a universal TV remote app for iPhone from Nefarius Apps, controls Samsung, LG, Android TV and Google TV sets from one app. It finds the TVs on your Wi-Fi network automatically, and you do not need an account. Tivi connects to a TCL TV with Google TV or Android TV through the remote service that the Google TV app also uses.

1. Make sure that the TCL TV is on and that the iPhone is on the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Open Tivi and tap your TCL TV in the list.
3. Read the six-character code on the TV screen.
4. Enter the code in Tivi.

After the first connection, Tivi saves the TV, and the next connection takes one tap. The remote in Tivi has these buttons: the arrow pad and OK, volume and mute, play and pause, previous and next, back, home, menu, and power off. Tivi does not control TCL Roku TVs, TCL Fire TVs or Apple TV. Controlling an Android TV or Google TV from an iPhone gives more detail about the code and the buttons.

When the iPhone cannot find the TCL TV

If the app does not show your TCL TV, or the connection fails, do these checks in sequence:

1. Make sure that the TV is on and connected to Wi-Fi.
2. Make sure that the iPhone and the TV are on the same Wi-Fi network. Google, Roku, Amazon and TCL all give this condition. A guest network or a router setting can separate the two devices, as the network problems that hide behind one Wi-Fi name explains.
3. Make sure that the app has Local Network access in the iPhone settings. Without this permission, the app cannot see devices on your network.
4. If you use the Google Home app, make sure that the TV and the app use the same Google account.
5. If you use an app that is not Roku's own app on a TCL Roku TV, look at the Control by mobile apps setting.
6. Restart the TV. For the Google TV remote, Google says to disconnect the TV power cord, wait 10 seconds, connect it again, and set up the remote again.

The checklist for a TV that doesn't show up gives more causes, in order.

The short version

Find the system of your TCL TV first, and then select the app. A TCL Google TV or Android TV works with the Google TV app, the Google Home app or a universal app such as Tivi. A TCL Roku TV works with the Roku app, and a TCL Fire TV works with Amazon's Fire TV app. Select TCL Roku TVs also work with the remote in Control Centre after you add them to the Home app. For all of these, the TV and the iPhone must be on the same Wi-Fi network.

Common questions

Sources

• Google. Cast, connect & control your TV with the Google TV app.
• Google. Learn how to fix problems with the Google TV virtual remote.
• TCL. Control Your TCL Google TV With the Google Home App (iPhone, iPad, Android).
• TCL. How to set up the Android TV Remote Control app.
• TCL. Setting Up Apple AirPlay and HomeKit with TCL Roku TVs.
• TCL. TCL Home App.
• TCL. Televisions support.
• TCL (2026). Smart TVs.
• TCL (2025). Understanding TV Operating Systems: Which One is Right for You?
• Roku (2026). How to use the Roku remote app to control your Roku streaming device without a remote.
• Roku (2026). How to install the Roku remote app.
• Amazon. Use Your Mobile Device like a Fire TV Remote.
• Apple (2026). Set up the Apple TV Remote on your iPhone or iPad.
• Apple. TCL Home on the App Store.
• 9to5Google (2022). TCL adding AirPlay 2 to its 2022 Google TV lineup.