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How to use your iPhone as a keyboard for your TV

Nefarius Apps10 min read

You can use your iPhone as a keyboard for most smart TVs, but the app depends on the TV platform. An Apple TV sends a notification to the iPhone, and no app is necessary. A Google TV or an Android TV uses the Google TV app. A Roku uses the Roku remote app, and a Fire TV uses the Fire TV app. On an LG TV, Tivi types into the text field on the screen. Samsung documents only a content search from the phone. In each case, the iPhone and the TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network.

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Which app turns your iPhone into a TV keyboard?

No single app types on every TV. Each TV platform has its own app, and the keyboard in each app works with that platform only. The table shows what the support pages for each platform say, as of October 2026.

TV platformApp on the iPhoneWhat the keyboard doesWhat you need
Apple TV 4KNone. A notification opens the keyboardTypes into the text field on the Apple TVNotifications for Apple TV Keyboard allowed
Google TV and Android TVGoogle TVEnters text for searches and sign-insA code from the TV screen
LG webOSTiviTypes into the text field selected on the TVA PIN from the TV screen, no account
Samsung TizenSmartThingsSearches TV content from the Search menuThe TV added to SmartThings
RokuThe Roku remote appOpens the phone keyboard from the remoteAn account for the app, and the Roku connected to the internet
Fire TVFire TVGives a keyboard with the remote controlsAn Amazon account
Which app gives each TV platform an iPhone keyboard, as of October 2026.

The platform is more important than the brand. TCL, for example, sells TVs that run Google TV. TCL's support page for those TVs sends their owners to the Google Home app. The page says that you can type with the iPhone keyboard when a text box appears on the TV. If you do not know which platform your TV runs, the guide to Android TV and Google TV shows how to find out.

How to type on an Apple TV with your iPhone

An Apple TV needs no extra app. Apple's user guide says that a notification appears on your iPhone when a text field appears on an Apple TV 4K.

  1. Select a text field on the Apple TV.
  2. Tap the notification on the iPhone.
  3. Type on the iPhone keyboard.

The text appears in the text field on the Apple TV automatically.

If no notification appears, examine one setting on the iPhone. Go to Settings, Notifications, Apple TV Keyboard. Apple gives this path to stop the keyboard notifications, so make sure that Allow Notifications is on.

The remote in Control Centre is a different function. Apple says that this remote works with Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD and AirPlay-compatible smart TVs. The page for that remote does not mention typing on a smart TV. Apple's keyboard guide is for the Apple TV 4K.

How to type on a Google TV or an Android TV

The Google TV app has a keyboard. Google's help page for iPhone says that the app controls a Google TV or an Android TV. It lists this function for the remote: "Enter text to perform searches or enter login information."

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

After the pairing, the remote in the app can also turn the TV on or off, change the volume and control playback.

Google documents a second method for a Chromecast with Google TV and a Google TV Streamer. Open the Google Home app, tap the device, then tap Open remote. Google includes "Type on your TV with your phone's keyboard" in the basic controls of this virtual remote.

Tivi controls Android TV and Google TV devices, but its keyboard does not type on them yet. For the pairing steps, read how to control an Android TV or Google TV from an iPhone.

How to type on an LG TV

The app from LG is LG ThinQ. LG's setup guide for ThinQ, dated July 2024, says that the controls are similar to the Magic Remote. You can select the input, change the volume and the channel, move the pointer, scroll, and use the arrow buttons and OK. The guide does not mention a keyboard. LG's page of ThinQ features, dated February 2023, lists a search for TV content. It does not describe a way to type into the text fields on the TV. ThinQ also asks you to sign in with an LG account.

Tivi, a universal TV remote app for iPhone from Nefarius Apps, types on LG webOS TVs.

  1. Connect Tivi to the LG TV. The first time, the TV shows a PIN. Enter the PIN in the app.
  2. On the TV, select the text field that you want to fill.
  3. In Tivi, tap the keyboard button at the top of the remote.
  4. Type on the iPhone keyboard.

The letters appear on the TV as you type them. You can use this for searches and for sign-ins. Tivi needs no account, and the full remote is free on one TV. As of October 2026, LG webOS is the only platform that Tivi types on.

The guide on how to control an LG TV with your iPhone gives the full setup. If the TV asks for a code, the LG pairing PIN explains it.

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How to type on a Samsung TV

The app from Samsung is SmartThings, and the keyboard function that Samsung documents is limited. Samsung's SmartThings guide, updated in March 2022, describes a Search menu. In this menu, you search the TV content with the keyboard of the phone and start the content on the TV. The TV must first be added to SmartThings as a device.

This function is a content search. The guide does not say that the phone keyboard types into the text fields of TV apps, such as a sign-in field. Samsung's guide to the mobile remote for 2024 TVs lists a touchpad, direction buttons, and a pad for numbers and colours. It lists no keyboard. Samsung adds that the functions of the mobile remote can change with the app version and the TV model.

Thus, try the Search menu first. If you must type into a sign-in field, a physical keyboard is the method that Samsung documents, and a later section gives the steps. Tivi controls Samsung TVs, but its keyboard does not type on them yet. The setup is in how to control a Samsung TV with your iPhone.

How to type on a Roku or a Fire TV

For a Roku, use the Roku remote app, which is free for iPhone. Roku's support page lists a Keyboard button in the remote of the app: "Tap to open the keyboard on your mobile device." First install the app, sign in, and connect the app to the Roku device. Roku says that some controls are not available on some Roku devices. The Roku must also be connected to the internet. After a reset or during a first-time setup, the app cannot detect the Roku.

For a Fire TV, use the Fire TV app. Amazon's help page gives these steps:

  1. Connect the iPhone to the same Wi-Fi network as the Fire TV device.
  2. Open the Fire TV app and sign in to your Amazon account.
  3. Select the remote icon and set up the Fire TV.

Amazon then includes the keyboard in the controls of the app.

Tivi does not control Roku players or Fire TV devices. For these two platforms, use the app from the maker.

Why does nothing appear on the TV when you type?

Examine these conditions in the order given.

  • A text field is selected on the TV. A phone keyboard fills the field that is selected. The Apple keyboard appears only when a text field appears, and the hint in Tivi tells you to select a text field first.
  • The iPhone and the TV are on the same network. Apple, Amazon, Samsung and LG each give this condition for their apps.
  • The app has Local Network access on the iPhone. Without this permission, a remote app such as Tivi cannot find the TV.
  • The app is paired with the TV. The Google TV app asks for a code from the TV screen, and Tivi asks for a PIN on an LG TV.
  • The app can type on your platform. The table at the top shows which app does.

If the TV does not appear in the app at all, examine the network and the permission first. Read about Local Network access and about the network problems that keep a phone and a TV apart.

Connect a physical keyboard

A physical keyboard is the alternative when no app can type on your TV. Samsung and LG each document this method.

On a Samsung TV, connect the USB receiver of a wireless keyboard to the TV. For a Bluetooth keyboard on 2023 and 2024 models, Samsung gives this path: Settings, All Settings, Connection, Bluetooth Device List. Samsung says that a keyboard connection "may not be supported on certain TV models".

On an LG TV, connect a USB keyboard directly to the USB port of the TV. A wireless keyboard needs its USB dongle in that port. For a Bluetooth keyboard on webOS 22, LG gives this path: Settings, All Settings, General, External Devices, Connect Bluetooth Controller. LG gives three limits. Some apps do not accept the keyboard. Input can be limited on some screens. Some TV models do not support Bluetooth.

The short version

An iPhone can be the keyboard for most smart TVs, but you must use the app that fits the TV platform. An Apple TV needs no app. A Google TV or an Android TV uses the Google TV app. A Roku uses the Roku remote app, and a Fire TV uses the Fire TV app. On an LG webOS TV, Tivi types into the text field on the screen with no account. On a Samsung TV, SmartThings searches TV content from the phone, and a physical keyboard does the other typing.

Before you type, select the text field on the TV, and make sure that the iPhone and the TV are on the same Wi-Fi network. For the full phone setup, start with how to use your iPhone as a TV remote.

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Common questions

Can I use my phone as a keyboard on my TV?

Yes, on most smart TVs. Apple, Google, Roku and Amazon each document a phone keyboard for their own TV platform, and Tivi types on LG webOS TVs. The phone and the TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network, and a text field must be selected on the TV.

Is there one app that types on every TV?

No. Each keyboard that the platform makers document works with one platform only. A universal remote app can control more than one brand, but typing is a separate function. Tivi, for example, controls Samsung, LG, Android TV and Google TV devices, and as of October 2026 it types on LG webOS TVs only.

Can the iPhone keyboard enter the Wi-Fi password on a TV?

Only when the app can already find the TV on the network. A TV that is not connected cannot receive the text. Roku says that its app cannot detect a Roku that is not connected to the internet, for example during a first-time setup. In that condition, use the TV remote or a USB keyboard.

Do the iPhone and the TV have to be on the same Wi-Fi network?

Yes. Apple gives the same Wi-Fi network as a condition for the Control Centre remote. Amazon and Samsung give it for the Fire TV app and the SmartThings mobile remote, and LG asks for the same network for ThinQ. Tivi also sends its commands directly to the TV on the local network.

Can Tivi type on a Samsung TV or a Google TV?

Not yet. As of October 2026, the keyboard in Tivi works on LG webOS TVs only. Tivi controls Samsung, Android TV and Google TV devices with the usual remote buttons. For text on a Google TV, use the Google TV app. For text on a Samsung TV, try the Search menu in SmartThings or connect a physical keyboard.

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