LG webOS
The LG webOS pairing PIN, explained
Nefarius Apps7 min read
An LG TV shows a pairing code the first time a remote app connects to it. On webOS the code is a PIN, usually eight digits, displayed on the TV screen and typed into the app on the phone. When the TV accepts it, it hands the app a client key, and the app sends that key on every later connection, so the PIN doesn't come back. Some webOS firmware shows an accept-or-decline prompt instead, answered with the TV's own remote.
Why does an LG TV ask a remote app for a pairing code?
An LG TV asks a remote app for a pairing code to confirm that whoever is connecting can see the screen. A webOS TV accepts remote connections from any device on the home network, so the PIN is what stops a phone in the next room, or a neighbour on a shared network, from taking control unasked. The code only ever appears on the television, and reading it back proves you're in front of it.
The PIN is a one-time step. Once it's accepted, the TV issues a client key — a secret tied to that app on that phone — and from then on the key does the PIN's job. Nothing is typed again unless something removes the key on one side or the other.
What happens when the PIN appears?
When an LG puts a PIN on screen, the remote app waits for you to type it in. Tivi, a universal TV remote app for iPhone from Nefarius Apps, opens a sheet headed Enter the code shown on your TV the moment the TV reports it is displaying one. Before you start, the TV needs to be fully on and the phone on the same network — how to control an LG TV with your iPhone covers getting that far.
Tap the LG in Tivi's device list
Tivi shows “Connecting...” with the TV's name, opens a connection and asks the TV to pair.
Read the PIN off the TV screen
The code appears in a dialog on the television. It is never sent to the phone, so it can't be filled in for you.
Type it into the sheet and tap Pair
The field takes digits only. Tivi accepts four to eight of them: most LG models show eight, and some firmware shows fewer.
Wait for “Connected”
While the TV checks the code, the button reads “Verifying...”. Once it's accepted, the sheet closes, Tivi shows “Connected”, and the client key is saved.
How long do you have to enter the LG pairing code?
Tivi gives you 180 seconds to enter an LG pairing code, counted from the moment the TV says the code is on screen. A wrong attempt doesn't restart the count. If the time runs out, the sheet closes and Tivi shows “Pairing failed: Pairing timed out. Please try again.” Tapping the TV again starts a fresh attempt.
There's an earlier limit too, and it explains a different failure. Before any code appears, the TV has 12 seconds to answer the pairing request at all. A TV that never answers — asleep, unreachable, or with its setting for app connections switched off — ends with “Could not connect” and no PIN on screen. That's a connection problem, not a pairing one: the checklist for a TV that won't show up and why a phone and TV on the same Wi-Fi still won't connect cover it.
What if the TV shows a prompt instead of a PIN?
Some LG TVs answer a pairing request with an accept-or-decline dialog instead of a PIN, and then there's nothing to type. Tivi asks for PIN pairing every time, but some webOS firmware ignores the request and falls back to the prompt. When that happens, no code sheet opens: Tivi keeps showing “Connecting...” while it waits, and the dialog to answer is on the TV.
Pick up the TV's own remote and accept the dialog. The result is the same as a PIN: the TV issues a client key, Tivi stores it, and later connections go through without asking. The same 180 seconds apply. Declining or letting the dialog go unanswered ends the attempt with a pairing-failed message.
What does it mean when the code is rejected?
A rejected LG pairing code almost always means a digit was mistyped. Tivi keeps the sheet open, clears the field, and shows the reason the TV gave, or “Incorrect code. Check your TV and try again.” The connection stays open, so you can try again straight away.
- Read the TV again. Check the code currently on the TV screen instead of retyping from memory.
- Watch the clock. Retries share the original 180 seconds. Once they run out, the sheet closes and the next attempt starts from the TV list.
- Start clean if it keeps failing. Cancel the sheet, which closes the connection, then tap the TV again. Tivi sends a new pairing request and the TV puts its PIN up again.
Why does an LG ask for the PIN again?
An LG asks for the PIN again when the phone has no key to send, or sends one the TV no longer accepts. Tivi asks for PIN pairing on every connection, even with a saved key, so a key that no longer works falls back to a fresh PIN instead of failing without explanation.
| What happened | Why the PIN returns | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| You used Forget Device in Tivi | Forgetting a TV deletes its saved client key along with the entry | Enter the new PIN once; the TV is remembered again |
| You deleted and reinstalled Tivi | Saved TVs and their keys are stored in the app, and go with it | Pair once more |
| The TV moved to a new IP address | An LG found by its address is saved under that address, so a new one looks like a TV Tivi hasn't paired with | Reserve the TV's address in your router — see why LG TVs are slower to appear |
| The TV no longer accepts the key | A reset on the TV side, such as a factory reset, leaves the phone holding a key the TV doesn't recognise | Enter the PIN; Tivi replaces the old key |
How is LG pairing different from Samsung and Android TV?
LG pairing differs from Samsung and Android TV mainly in what the TV puts on screen. A Samsung shows an allow-or-deny prompt with no code, covered in Samsung's allow-this-device prompt. An Android TV or Google TV shows a six-character code made of digits and letters A to F, covered in how to control an Android TV or Google TV from an iPhone. An LG shows a numeric PIN, or the prompt on some firmware. All three are one-time steps: Tivi stores what each TV issues and replays it, so none of them asks on every connection.
Common questions
Where do I find the LG pairing code?
On the TV screen, in a dialog that appears when the remote app connects. It isn't printed on the TV, the box or the Magic Remote. If no dialog appears, the TV hasn't received the pairing request — check that it is fully on and on the same network as the phone.
Do I need an LG account to pair?
No. Pairing happens between the TV and the phone over your home network. There's no sign-in on either side, and the internet connection isn't involved.
Does pairing matter for turning the TV on from the phone?
Yes. Tivi's Turn On TV sends a Wake-on-LAN signal to an LG's hardware address, and webOS only reports that address after a successful connection. The TV also needs its Turn on via Wi-Fi setting switched on. Turn On TV works on LG and Samsung TVs only.
Can I type on the TV once it's paired?
Yes, on an LG. Once paired, Tivi can type into a text field selected on the TV from the iPhone's keyboard. In Tivi 0.12.0, LG is the only brand that supports typing.
The short version
An LG TV shows a pairing PIN, usually eight digits, the first time a remote app connects. Type it into the app within the 180 seconds Tivi allows and the TV returns a client key that makes every later connection silent. Some firmware shows an accept prompt instead, answered on the TV's remote. The PIN only comes back if the key is lost or the TV stops accepting it: after Forget Device, a reinstall, a new IP address or a factory reset.
For the rest of the setup and the buttons that work once paired, see how to control an LG TV with your iPhone. The rest of the LG guides are here, and how to use your iPhone as a TV remote covers the groundwork for every brand.