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Lost your Chromecast remote? How to control and set up a Chromecast without it

Nefarius Apps13 min read

If you lost your Chromecast remote, your phone can replace it, but only while the Chromecast is on the same Wi-Fi network as the phone. Open the Google Home app or the Google TV app, and the phone works as the remote in a few minutes. If the Chromecast is not on your home network, no phone app can reach it. Then the reliable fix is a replacement Voice Remote. It costs $19.99 on the US Google Store as of October 2026, and it pairs through the button on the back of the Chromecast.

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First, check which Chromecast you have and what state it is in

The name Chromecast covers two kinds of device, and only one kind has a remote.

  • The Chromecast with Google TV (HD and 4K) and the Google TV Streamer run Google TV. They show a home screen with apps, and each comes with a Voice Remote.
  • Older models, such as the Chromecast (3rd generation or older) and the Chromecast Ultra, only receive video that you cast from a phone. They have no remote, and you manage them in the Google Home app.

This article is about the first kind, and from here "the Chromecast" means one of these two models. If your Chromecast is the second kind, there is no remote to lose: casting is not remote control explains the difference.

Next, find the state the Chromecast is in. The state decides which fix works.

The Chromecast is…What worksWhat to do
On, and on the same Wi-Fi network as your phoneThe Google Home app, the Google TV app or a different remote appUse your phone as the remote
On, but not on your Wi-Fi network (new router, new password, new home)No phone app. An Ethernet cable or a replacement remoteGet the Chromecast online, or pair a new remote
Factory reset, at the first setup screenA Voice RemotePair a replacement remote, then do the setup
What works without the remote, by the state the Chromecast is in.

The TV must also show the HDMI input that the Chromecast uses. If it shows a different input, change the input with the TV's own remote or with the button on the TV. For a lost TV remote, see what to do when you lose a TV remote.

If the Chromecast is on Wi-Fi, use your phone as the remote

A phone remote needs three things:

Use the Google Home app

Google's setup for the Chromecast uses the Google Home app, so the Chromecast is usually in the app already. These are the steps from Google's page about the phone as a remote:

  1. Turn on your TV and the Chromecast.
  2. Open the Google Home app on your phone.
  3. Tap the Chromecast.
  4. On an iPhone, tap Open remote. On an Android phone, the tap in step 3 turns the remote on.

Google asks for an iPhone with iOS 14.0 or later. With the remote open, you can move through the TV apps with swipes, control playback and open the settings and inputs. You can also type on the TV with the phone's keyboard.

Use the Google TV app

The Google TV app pairs with a code. The TV shows the code by itself, and you type it on the phone, so you do not need a remote. Google gives these steps for iPhone and iPad:

  1. Open the Google TV app.
  2. Near the bottom right, tap TVs nearby.
  3. Select the Chromecast.
  4. Enter the code that shows on the TV screen.
  5. Tap Pair.

Google's list for this connection includes playback control, the volume, text entry, and turning the TV on or off.

Use a different remote app

You do not have to use a Google app. The table shows three apps that control a Chromecast with Google TV from a phone.

AppWhat it needsFirst connection
Google HomeThe Chromecast in your home in the appTap the Chromecast, then Open remote on an iPhone
Google TVThe same Wi-Fi networkA code on the TV, typed into the app
Tivi (iPhone)The same Wi-Fi network, no accountA six-character code on the TV, typed into the app
Phone apps that control a Chromecast with Google TV, and what each needs.

Tivi, a universal TV remote app for iPhone from Nefarius Apps, finds the Chromecast with Google TV on your Wi-Fi network by itself. It needs no account. The TV shows a six-character code, and you type the code into the app one time. Then you have the arrow pad and OK, back, home and menu, volume and mute, and play and pause. Tivi also controls Samsung and LG TVs, so one app is sufficient for a home with different brands.

Tivi has the same limit as each phone remote: the Chromecast must be on the Wi-Fi network. It also does not control a Chromecast that only receives casts. The guide to controlling an Android TV or Google TV from an iPhone explains the code and the Chromecast models in detail. If the Chromecast does not show in the app, use the checklist for a TV that doesn't show up.

Can you find the remote before you replace it?

Some remotes can make a sound. Google calls the feature Find My Remote, and Google's help page for it names only the Google TV Streamer Voice Remote, the newer remote. The remote must be paired with a Google TV Streamer or a Chromecast with Google TV.

There are three ways to start the sound:

  • On a Google TV Streamer, press the button on the back of the device briefly.
  • Say "Hey Google, where's my remote?" to a device with the voice assistant.
  • In the Google Home app, tap Home, then All devices, then the TV. Tap Settings, then Find my remote, then Play sound.

The remote plays a sound for 30 seconds. Press a button on the remote to stop the sound. With a Chromecast with Google TV, Google says that you must use the voice assistant or the Google Home app. The button method is for the Streamer only.

Press the button on the Streamer briefly. A long hold of the same button starts a factory reset.

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If the Chromecast is not on Wi-Fi

A Chromecast loses its connection when you get a new router, change the Wi-Fi password or move to a new home. Google's page about Wi-Fi changes says that its streaming devices "can only remember one Wi-Fi network at a time". For a Chromecast with Google TV, Google's steps to change the network use the Settings menu on the TV. That menu needs a remote.

The phone apps do not help in this state, because the phone and the Chromecast are not on the same network. One owner described it in a Reddit thread from 2023, after a move: the Chromecast showed in the Google Home app as offline, with no option to connect.

Try these fixes in this order.

Connect the Chromecast with an Ethernet cable

Google's setup pages for the two devices list Ethernet as an option. For the Chromecast with Google TV, you need an Ethernet adapter that matches the model. Google's quick start guide for the adapter says that the adapter gives the Chromecast power and an internet connection.

A reply in a thread on Google's community forum suggests Ethernet as a temporary connection. When the Chromecast is online through the router, the phone remote can find it. If you must buy the adapter first, a replacement remote is the simpler purchase.

Try a phone hotspot with the old network name

This fix is not in Google's help pages. Owners in the same Reddit thread report that it works, and the reply on Google's community forum suggests it too.

  1. Create a mobile hotspot with the exact name and password of the old Wi-Fi network.
  2. Wait. The Chromecast can connect to the hotspot as if it were the old network.
  3. Open the Google Home app. If the Chromecast is not offline in the app now, use the remote there.
  4. With the remote, open Settings on the TV and connect the Chromecast to the new Wi-Fi network.

You must know the old network name and the old password. If one of them is different, the Chromecast does not connect. If the Chromecast stays offline, go to the next fix.

Test the TV's remote, or a keyboard or mouse

The same community reply suggests two more tests. Google does not document them for this problem.

The first test is the TV's own remote through HDMI-CEC. Google's page about CEC says that CEC "allows for HDMI devices to be controlled with one remote control". TV makers give CEC their own names: Anynet+ on Samsung, SimpLink on LG, BRAVIA Sync on Sony and EasyLink on Philips. Google's page does not say that a TV remote can move through the Google TV menus. Turn CEC on in the TV's settings, then press the arrow buttons on the TV remote. Google does say that the Chromecast must get power from a wall outlet, not from a USB port on the TV.

The second test is a USB keyboard or mouse, connected through a USB-C hub.

Do not factory reset the Chromecast first

Google's page about Wi-Fi changes says: "If you change your Wi-Fi network and your device isn't currently connected to a Wi-Fi network, perform a factory reset." That advice is correct when you have the remote. Without the remote, a reset can make the problem worse.

After a reset, the setup starts on the TV. Google's setup steps for the Chromecast with Google TV and the Google TV Streamer start the same way. The remote pairs, and then you select a language. Only after that does the Google Home app continue the setup on your phone. The option to do the setup on the TV also uses the Voice Remote.

One owner wrote in a Reddit thread from 2020 that after a reset, the setup was not possible, because the remote did not work. Replies in that thread, dated from 2022 to 2026, report a method that worked for them. A Bluetooth mouse or keyboard in pairing mode connects at the remote pairing screen, and the setup can then continue. One person reported that a phone app that acts as a Bluetooth keyboard stopped at a Pair prompt. Google does not document this method, so do not rely on it.

If you have a replacement remote, or you accept that risk, Google's reset steps use the button on the device. Google's warning comes first: "This action clears your data and can't be undone."

  1. Make sure that the Chromecast is connected to the TV and has power.
  2. Press and hold the button on the back of the Chromecast.
  3. Continue to hold the button while the LED blinks yellow.
  4. Release the button when the LED becomes solid white.

For the Google TV Streamer, Google gives a hold time of 10 to 12 seconds. Google gives no time for the Chromecast with Google TV.

Get a replacement remote and pair it

A new remote is the fix that works in each state. Google's pages show why: you start the pairing with the button on the device, and in Google's setup steps the remote pairs before the Wi-Fi setup. Google's page for replacement remotes says: "Replacement Voice Remotes are available for purchase on the Google Store."

As of October 2026, the US Google Store sells the Google TV Streamer Voice Remote for $19.99. The store lists the Chromecast with Google TV (4K) and the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) as compatible. This is also the remote that Find My Remote can find.

Do not hold the button longer than the time in step 2. A longer hold of the same button starts a factory reset. These are Google's steps for a replacement remote:

  1. Turn on the Chromecast with Google TV or the Google TV Streamer.
  2. Press the button on the back of the device for 5 to 10 seconds to start pairing mode.
  3. Put 2 AAA batteries in the new Voice Remote.
  4. Wait. In most cases, the remote pairs automatically.
  5. If the remote does not pair, do the steps on the TV screen, or press and hold the Back and Home buttons on the remote for 3 seconds.

If your phone already works as the remote, there is a second way. Google's troubleshooting page for the Voice Remote says to use the phone as a virtual remote and select Pair remote or accessory on the TV screen. The option is in Settings, in Remotes & Accessories.

When you have a remote, you can use Google's two methods to connect to a new Wi-Fi network. Use the Settings menu on the TV, or do a factory reset and a new setup with the Google Home app.

The short version

Start with one question: is the Chromecast on the same Wi-Fi network as your phone? If it is, use the Google Home app, the Google TV app or Tivi as the remote. If your remote is the Google TV Streamer Voice Remote, Find My Remote can make it play a sound.

If the Chromecast is not on Wi-Fi, a phone app cannot reach it. Try an Ethernet connection or a hotspot with the old network name. Do not factory reset the Chromecast before you have a remote, because the setup starts with the remote. A replacement Voice Remote pairs through the button on the back of the device, and it corrects the problem in each case.

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Common questions

Can I use my phone as a Chromecast remote without Wi-Fi?

No. The Google Home app, the Google TV app and Tivi all reach the Chromecast through the Wi-Fi network. Google's help says that the phone and the TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network. If the Chromecast is offline, connect it with Ethernet, try a hotspot with the old network name, or pair a replacement remote.

Can I set up a Chromecast with Google TV without the remote?

Google's setup expects the remote. The first steps on the TV are the remote pairing and the language, and the Google Home app continues only after them. Owners on Reddit report that a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard can complete those first steps, but Google does not document this. A replacement Voice Remote is the reliable way.

How do I connect my Chromecast to a new Wi-Fi network without the remote?

If the Chromecast is still on the old network, use your phone as the remote and open Settings, then Wi-Fi network, on the TV. If the old network is not available, the phone cannot reach the Chromecast. Then use an Ethernet connection, a hotspot with the old network name and password, or a replacement remote.

Does the new Voice Remote work with an older Chromecast with Google TV?

Yes. As of October 2026, the US Google Store sells the Google TV Streamer Voice Remote. The store lists the Chromecast with Google TV (4K) and (HD) as compatible. You pair it with the button on the back of the Chromecast, which you press for 5 to 10 seconds.

Do older Chromecasts have a remote?

No. You manage the Chromecast (3rd generation or older) and the Chromecast Ultra in the Google Home app, and you cast to them from a phone. Only the Chromecast with Google TV and the Google TV Streamer come with a Voice Remote.

Sources

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