Samsung Tizen
How to press Allow on a Samsung TV without a remote
Nefarius Apps11 min read
To press Allow on a Samsung TV without a remote, try the controller button on the TV first. Samsung says that this button can grant the permission when a Galaxy phone asks to connect. If a press only opens the Control menu, plug a USB keyboard into the TV. Use the arrow keys to select Allow, then press Enter. On a 2025 Samsung TV from the U8000F up, the button can also start Mobile Remote, which puts a remote in the SmartThings app on your phone. The TV keeps a list of the devices that you allow, so an app that keeps the TV's token asks only one time.
Why does the Samsung TV ask you to press Allow?
A Samsung TV shows the box when a phone app tries to connect to it for the first time. Samsung's Smart View guide tells you to select Allow on the TV screen. It also says that the connection may not be possible if the TV rejects it.
You must answer on the TV, not on the phone. The box stops other phones on your network from controlling the TV without your permission. Samsung's allow-device prompt explains what Allow and Deny do.
The TV keeps a list of the devices that you allow. An app that keeps the token that the TV sends after Allow does not ask again. Tivi, for example, keeps the token and uses it for each later connection. A device that you deny stays denied until you change it in the Device List (see "If you pressed Deny, or the box never shows" below).
On other platforms, Tivi pairs with a code that you type on the phone. When Tivi connects to an LG TV, the TV shows a PIN, as the LG pairing PIN article explains. An Android TV or a Google TV shows a code for Tivi or the Google TV app. See controlling an Android TV or Google TV from an iPhone. For these connections, you do not need the remote.
Which method fits your TV?
Each method works in a different case. Samsung's support pages differ from country to country, and the menus change with the model year.
| Method | What you need | Which Samsung TVs |
|---|---|---|
| The controller button on the TV | Nothing | Samsung says it can grant the permission to a Galaxy phone. On some models, a press opens the Control menu |
| A USB keyboard | A keyboard with a cable or with a USB receiver | Most models from 2014. Samsung says that some models do not support it |
| Mobile Remote | The SmartThings app on an iPhone with iOS 16 or later | 2025 models, from the U8000F and above |
| SmartThings with a PIN | The TV and the phone on the same Wi-Fi network and the same Samsung account | 2017 to 2019 models |
| A phone that the TV already allows | SmartThings or a remote app that connected before | All models |
| A Samsung infrared remote | A basic replacement remote | All models |
Start with the button, because you can test it in a few seconds.
Try the button on the TV first
Samsung TVs have a controller button, which Samsung also calls a jog controller. It is at the bottom of the TV, at the centre or at the right, or on the back. Samsung Canada says that when the TV asks permission for your Galaxy phone to connect, you can use this button to grant the permission. The page does not give the steps, and it does not mention other apps. It tells you to read the user manual for your model.
On many models, the button opens the Control menu. Samsung's guide to controlling a TV without a remote says that a press shows the Control menu. More presses move through the items, and a press and hold selects an item. Samsung adds that this function "may not be supported depending on the TV model".
Do this test:
- Start the connection in the app on your phone, and stay near the TV.
- When the box shows on the TV, press the controller button one time.
- If the box closes and the Control menu opens, the button cannot answer the box on your TV. Use a USB keyboard.
One Reddit user had the result in step 3: the button "only opens smart menu and the prompt disappears". Another user in the same thread says that the box closes by itself if nobody answers it. So prepare the keyboard or the phone before you start the connection.
Use a USB keyboard
A USB keyboard gives you the arrow keys and the OK key of the remote. Samsung's keyboard guide says that the arrow keys move the focus on the screen. The Enter key "selects or runs a focused item". The allow box is an item on the screen, so the arrow keys and Enter should answer it. Samsung's guide does not mention the box. In the Reddit thread, one user says that Enter on a USB keyboard answered it.
- Get a keyboard with a cable, or a wireless keyboard with a USB receiver.
- Plug the keyboard or its receiver into a USB port on the TV. If your TV has a One Connect box, you can use a USB port on the box.
- Wait a few seconds while the TV finds the keyboard.
- On your phone, start the connection in the app again.
- When the box shows on the TV, press the arrow keys until Allow is selected.
- Press Enter.
Samsung says that most of its TVs from 2014 and later support a keyboard and a mouse. Most models made before 2018 find a USB keyboard without a change in the settings. Samsung Australia warns that a USB or Bluetooth keyboard "may not be supported on certain TV models". If the keys do nothing, try another USB port. If they still do nothing, use another method.
A Bluetooth keyboard does not help here, because you must pair it in the TV's settings menu first. A mouse does not help either. Samsung India says that a connected mouse works only in the Internet app. So do not expect the pointer to select Allow.
Samsung lists more keys: ESC goes back to the previous screen, and the Windows key opens the TV settings.
On a 2025 Samsung TV: use Mobile Remote
Mobile Remote starts a phone remote from the TV itself. It adds a remote to the SmartThings app. Samsung Australia lists the supported TVs as 2025 models, from the U8000F and above. The iPhone must have iOS 16 or later and the SmartThings app.
- Install the SmartThings app on your phone.
- Press the controller button at the bottom edge of the TV. If the TV is off, this press turns it on and shows a QR code. Go to step 5.
- If the TV is on, press the button until the Mobile Remote icon is selected. Each press moves the focus to the next item.
- Hold the button down to select Mobile Remote.
- Scan the QR code on the TV with the camera of your phone.
- In SmartThings, open the Devices tab. The Mobile Remote card shows there.
If SmartThings is the app that you want to use, you are done. To allow a different app, start its connection, and use the Mobile Remote to answer the box. Samsung's guide to the SmartThings remote shows arrow buttons and a touch pad. On the touch pad, you tap one time to select an item. Move to Allow and select it.
Samsung India adds that on an iPhone, you can open Mobile Remote from a Live Activity on the lock screen or from the Dynamic Island.
On a 2017 to 2019 Samsung TV: add it to SmartThings with a PIN
Samsung lists Mobile Remote only for 2025 and newer TVs. Some older TVs can join SmartThings without a remote. Samsung Canada's SmartThings guide gives a different last step for each model year.
| Model year | What Samsung says to do | Without the remote |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 and newer | Use the remote to select OK on the TV screen | Use a USB keyboard to select OK |
| 2017 to 2019 | Type the PIN from the TV screen into the phone, then tap Done | Possible |
| 2016 | Use the buttons on the TV or the remote to select Allow | Possible with the buttons on the TV |
Two conditions apply. The TV and the phone must be on the same Wi-Fi network. Both must also be signed in to the same Samsung account.
- Turn on the TV, and open SmartThings on the phone.
- Open the Device tab, tap Add, then tap Add device.
- Tap TV, then Samsung, and follow the steps until the list of TVs shows.
- Select your TV.
- Type the PIN from the TV screen into the phone, and tap Done.
When SmartThings shows the TV, open its remote. Start the connection in your other app, and use the SmartThings remote to select Allow. If SmartThings cannot find the TV, read SmartThings TV remote not working.
Use a phone that the TV already allows
If a person in your home already controls the TV with SmartThings or another remote app, their phone can answer the box for you. Start the connection on your phone. Then, on their phone, open the remote, move to Allow and select it. Samsung Canada says that SmartThings controls the TV from any place with an internet connection, so this person does not have to be at home.
Get a basic Samsung infrared remote
A basic infrared remote is the method that Samsung says works with all its TVs. Samsung Canada says that its infrared remotes "work with all of our TVs and projectors", also when your model is not on the list of the remote. Samsung suggests the basic model BN59-01301A. A Samsung Smart Remote is different, because it works with one TV at a time.
The guide on what to do when you lose the TV remote shows where to find the model code of your TV before you buy.
If you pressed Deny, or the box never shows
If you or another person pressed Deny, the TV keeps that answer. Samsung says that the connection may not be possible if the TV rejects it. To change the answer, open the Device List. Samsung's Smart View guide gives this path: Settings, All Settings, Connection, External Device Manager, Device Connect Manager, Device List. Select the device and change it to Allow. Without a remote, press the Windows key on a USB keyboard to open the settings, and use the arrow keys to move.
If no box shows at all, check the network first. A remote app finds the TV only when the phone and the TV are on the same Wi-Fi network. If the TV is not on Wi-Fi, read how to connect a TV to Wi-Fi without a remote. If the TV is on Wi-Fi but the app does not list it, go through the checklist for a TV that doesn't show up.
After you press Allow
Tivi is a universal TV remote app for iPhone from Nefarius Apps. It finds the TVs on your Wi-Fi and controls Samsung, LG, Android TV and Google TV sets without an account. Like any app, Tivi needs one Allow on a Samsung TV. After that, Tivi keeps the token that the TV sends, so the box does not show again.
Tivi can also turn a Samsung TV on again, if Tivi connected to it before and Power On with Mobile is on in the TV settings. The free version gives you the full remote on one TV. Tivi does not control Roku devices, Fire TV devices or Apple TV, and the iPhone and the TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network.
For the full set-up, read how to control a Samsung TV with your iPhone.
The short version
A Samsung TV asks you to allow each new phone app, and you answer on the TV. Without the remote, try the controller button first. If it only opens the Control menu, plug in a USB keyboard, move to Allow with the arrow keys and press Enter. A mouse does not work. On a 2025 TV from the U8000F up, use Mobile Remote and its QR code. On a 2017 to 2019 TV, add the TV to SmartThings with the PIN. A phone that the TV already allows, or a basic Samsung infrared remote, also works.
Common questions
Can I press Allow on a Samsung TV with my phone?
Yes, with a phone that the TV already allows. The app that asks cannot answer its own box. A SmartThings remote that is set up, or another remote app that connected before, can select Allow. On a 2025 TV from the U8000F up, Mobile Remote gives you that SmartThings remote.
How do I press Allow on a Samsung TV without a remote or Wi-Fi?
First connect the TV to a network. A remote app connects over your Wi-Fi network, so the box does not show for a TV that is offline. The guide on how to connect a TV to Wi-Fi without a remote shows how a USB keyboard or an Ethernet cable can help.
Can I use a mouse to click Allow on a Samsung TV?
No. Samsung says that a connected mouse works only in the Internet app. Use a USB keyboard instead: the arrow keys move the focus, and Enter selects the item.
Do I have to press Allow every time?
No. The TV keeps a list of the devices that you allow, and an app that keeps the TV's token connects without the box. If the box shows again for an app that you allowed, the app may not keep the token. Samsung's allow-device prompt explains the Device List and the other causes.
Sources
- Samsung (2026). Pair your Samsung Smart Remote to your Samsung TV.
- Samsung (2026). How to Control a Samsung TV without a Remote.
- Samsung (2025). Use Mobile Remote on your 2025 Samsung Smart TV, Smart Monitor and Projector.
- Samsung (2026). How to use Mobile Remote on your 2025 Samsung Smart TV.
- Samsung (2026). How to Connect a Keyboard and Mouse to Your Samsung TV.
- Samsung (2025). Connect a Keyboard & Mouse to your Samsung TV.
- Samsung (2022). How to connect a Keyboard or Mouse in Samsung Smart TV?
- Samsung (2026). Connect a Samsung Smart TV in the SmartThings app.
- Samsung (2026). Controlling your Samsung Smart TV with the SmartThings app mobile remote.
- Samsung (2026). How to connect mobile device and TV with Smart View.
- Reddit r/mildlyinfuriating (2023). Need physical Samsung TV remote to accept permissions to allow wifi-based remotes.