Roku
How to control a Roku TV with your iPhone
Nefarius Apps9 min read
You can control a Roku TV with an iPhone, and the reliable path is the free official Roku app. Put the iPhone and the Roku on the same Wi-Fi network, install the app, open it, let it find the Roku, and tap to connect. There is no pairing code. The phone then works as a full remote with buttons, keyboard, voice, and private listening.
This guide covers the setup in order, the buttons that work, why Roku asks for no code, what Tivi does with a Roku today, and the fixes when the Roku does not appear.
What you need before you start
A Roku TV or Roku player needs three things before a phone can drive it. The TV must have power and show a picture. The iPhone and the Roku must share one Wi-Fi network. The iPhone must run a current iOS version.
| Requirement | What Roku says |
|---|---|
| A supported Roku | The app supports Roku devices with Roku OS 6.2 or later |
| The same Wi-Fi network | The phone and the Roku must connect to the same Wi-Fi network |
| A current iPhone | The current App Store listing requires iOS 16.0 or later |
| The official app | The Roku remote app is free for iPhone and works as the control center for Roku players and Roku TVs |
| The Roku online | A Roku with no internet connection cannot appear in the app |
The current App Store listing for Roku Remote Official requires iOS 16.0 or later, as listed. The install guide describes an older baseline of iOS 11.0 or later, which fits older app versions. Use the App Store value when you install today.
Some features need a Roku account, and voice search works in English in the US, UK, and Canada and in Spanish in Mexico and the US. The Roku Channel inside the phone app is available in the US and Mexico only.
Connect the official Roku app to your Roku
Roku gives the steps in its install guide. The app finds Rokus by itself. You do not type an IP address.
- Put the Roku TV on and show a channel or the home screen.
- Put the iPhone on the same Wi-Fi network as the Roku.
- Install the Roku app from the App Store.
- If iOS asks for Local Network access, allow it. Without it the scan finds nothing. Local Network access on iPhone shows where to turn it back on.
- Open the Roku app and wait for the discovery screen to load.
- Tap your Roku in the list to connect.
The app connects without a code. If the Roku asks for nothing on the TV, that is normal. The next section explains why.
If the Roku does not appear in the list, do not repeat the install. Work through the fixes in order in the section below.
Which buttons work on the phone
The phone remote guide lists the full button set. Open the Remote tab in the app to reach it.
| Group | Buttons | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Move and select | Up, down, left, right, select | Traditional press mode or Swipe gesture mode |
| System | Home, Back, Options, Guide | Guide opens the live TV channel guide on live TV input |
| Playback | Play, pause, instant replay, rewind, fast forward | Some controls depend on the Roku model |
| Text and search | Keyboard, Microphone | Keyboard types on the TV. Microphone starts voice search |
| Sound and power | Volume up, volume down, mute, power | On a Roku TV these drive the TV. On a player they need HDMI-CEC |
| Private listening | Headphone mode | Plug headphones into the phone to keep sound to yourself |
Two modes change how the pad feels. Traditional mimics the plastic remote. Swipe uses finger moves in a pad area. Change the mode under Settings in the phone app.
The keyboard is the fastest win over the plastic remote. Open a search or password field on the Roku, tap Keyboard in the app, and type on the iPhone. Voice search does the same by speech where Roku supports it.
For a Roku player without a TV tuner, power and volume do not reach the TV by themselves. On the player go to Settings, System, Control other devices, and turn on TV power and TV volume. Turn on HDMI-CEC on the TV as well. A player fed by USB power may still fail to turn the TV on, because USB power drops when the TV sleeps.
Why there is no pairing code
A Roku asks for no PIN. This confuses readers who know LG and Android TV, where the TV shows a code. Roku gates control in a different way.
Roku exposes control as a local REST API called ECP. The ECP reference defines discovery by SSDP and commands by HTTP on port 8060. A key press is a POST to a key address with no body. The TV answers when the sender is on the local network and the on-TV setting allows it.
That setting is Control by mobile apps, under Settings, System, Advanced system settings. Roku defines three levels.
| Level | What it allows |
|---|---|
| Limited | Text input, app launch, and in-app activity only |
| Enabled | Full control from apps on the same local network |
| Permissive | Full control from inside and outside the network |
As of Roku OS 14.1, key presses need Enabled. Use Enabled on a home network. Do not use Permissive. It opens control beyond the house for no benefit in normal use.
Because the gate is the network plus this setting, there is no secret to type. If someone expects a code, that expectation comes from another brand. On Roku the fix for a refusal is the setting, not a retry of a code.
What Tivi does with a Roku today
Tivi, a universal TV remote app for iPhone from Nefarius Apps, finds Samsung, LG, and Android TV and Google TV sets and drives them end to end. A Roku is a different case.
Tivi discovers a Roku on the network and lists it, because a Roku announces itself. Tapping it does not lead to control. The app today checks that the host answers and then returns unsupported for every key. Say this plainly so no one installs Tivi only for a Roku.
Use the official Roku app for the Roku. Use Tivi for the other sets in the house. The Samsung walkthrough, the LG walkthrough, and the Android TV and Google TV walkthrough cover those flows. Roku control is not in Tivi yet.
On an AirPlay-compatible smart TV, the iPhone Control Center remote may also work for basic control. Apple states that the Control Center remote works with AirPlay-compatible smart TVs on the same Wi-Fi network, with the TV added to the Home app. Treat this as a backup where the TV supports it. The official Roku app stays the reliable path, with keyboard, voice, and private listening that Control Center does not give on a Roku.
If the Roku does not appear
When the list stays empty, the cause is almost always one of four items. Check them in this order. The generic diagnostic checklist for a TV that will not appear covers the same logic for every brand.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No Roku in any phone app, every time | Different networks | Put the iPhone on the same network as the Roku. Guest networks, separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz names, extenders, and VPNs all split devices that look like one Wi-Fi. Why a phone and TV on the same Wi-Fi still will not connect takes each case in turn |
| The Roku app finds nothing but the TV is on | Control by mobile apps is not Enabled | On the Roku go to Settings, System, Advanced system settings, Control by mobile apps, and select Enabled |
| The Roku was just reset or set up | No network on the Roku | Give the Roku internet first with its own remote. A Roku with no connection cannot appear in any phone app |
| The app will not install or open | Old iOS or store age rule | Update iOS. The current listing needs iOS 16.0 or later. Jailbroken devices are not supported. Store accounts listed as under 18 cannot access the app |
One more check helps on mesh and office networks. Some routers stop devices from talking to each other even on one network. If the IP addresses match and nothing appears, that router setting is the usual answer. It needs a router change, not a phone change.
The short version
Put the iPhone and the Roku on the same Wi-Fi, install the official Roku app, let it find the Roku, and tap to connect. No code appears because Roku gates control by network plus the Control by mobile apps setting, not by a secret. Set that setting to Enabled. On a player, add HDMI-CEC for TV power and volume.
For the groundwork that fits every brand, start with how to use your iPhone as a TV remote. If the house has Samsung, LG, or Android TV sets next to the Roku, Tivi drives those sets from one app with no account.
Common questions
Can I control my Roku TV with my iPhone for free?
Yes. Install the official Roku app on the iPhone, put the phone and the Roku on the same Wi-Fi network, and tap the Roku in the app. The app is free. Some channels need payment, and some features need a Roku account, but remote control itself needs no purchase.
How can I control my Roku without the physical remote?
Use the official Roku app as the remote. The app gives the pad, Home, Back, playback, keyboard, voice, volume, power, and private listening. If the Roku has no network connection, no phone app can reach it, so pair a replacement physical remote first and get the Roku online.
Why will the Roku app not find my Roku on my iPhone?
The common causes are different networks, Control by mobile apps not set to Enabled, a Roku with no internet after a reset, or an old iOS version. Check them in that order. Guest networks, VPNs, and client isolation on the router all hide a Roku that looks connected.
Is there a pairing code for a Roku TV?
No. Roku shows no PIN for phone control. The TV and the phone must share the local network, and Control by mobile apps must allow control. If you expect a code, that habit comes from LG or Android TV. On Roku look at the setting instead.
Does Tivi control Roku TVs?
Not today. Tivi finds a Roku on the network and lists it, but it cannot drive it yet. Use the official Roku app for the Roku. Tivi drives Samsung, LG, and Android TV and Google TV sets end to end over the local network with no account.