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Troubleshooting guides
A TV that won't appear, a pairing that won't take, a command that doesn't land.
Remote apps fail in three distinct places, and telling them apart is most of the work. Discovery failures mean the TV never appears in the list at all. Pairing failures mean the TV appears, the app tries to connect, and the TV refuses or the code will not take. Delivery failures mean everything looks connected and the buttons do nothing.
They have almost nothing in common. A discovery failure is nearly always the Local Network permission or the network layout; a pairing failure is usually a timeout or a stale entry in the TV's own list of allowed devices; a delivery failure is often a command the platform never supported in the first place. Fixes aimed at the wrong layer are why people restart routers for an hour over a permission toggle.
The guides here are ordered by likelihood rather than by category. Start with the checklist for a TV that never appears, which is the most common failure by a wide margin. When the phone and the TV are on the same Wi-Fi and still can't see each other, the network causes that hide behind the same Wi-Fi name are next.
7 min
Samsung remote keeps disconnecting? Why it happens and how to fix it
Samsung remote keeps disconnecting? Why the Bluetooth link drops and how to re-pair, recharge and fix it, plus an iPhone fallback.
8 min
TV keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi? Causes and fixes
Your TV keeps dropping its Wi-Fi connection? Find whether the TV or the router is at fault, then fix it with steps for Samsung, LG, Roku and Google TV.
10 min
TV keeps turning off by itself? Why it happens and how to stop it
TV keeps turning off by itself? Check power, sleep timer, Eco mode, HDMI-CEC and overheating, brand by brand, and fix it.
11 min
TV has no sound? Why it happens and how to fix it
TV has no sound though nothing looks muted? Work through the checks in order, from volume and speakers to cables, settings and a reset.
10 min
TV turns on by itself? Why it happens and how to stop it
TV turns on by itself at night? Check timers, HDMI-CEC, connected apps, the remote and power, with steps for Samsung, LG and others, and how to stop it.
13 min
TV remote sensor not working? How to test it and what to do
Remote fine but the TV ignores it? Test the TV's IR sensor, find where it is, clear what blocks it, and control the TV over Wi-Fi while it is broken.
13 min
TV slow to respond to the remote? How to find the cause and fix it
TV slow to respond to the remote? Find out if the delay is in the remote or in the TV, then fix it: batteries, interference, memory and updates.
13 min
TV keeps scrolling by itself? Why it happens and how to stop it
TV keeps scrolling through menus, channels or inputs on its own? Find the stuck button on the remote or the TV, or the device that sends commands.
12 min
TV remote: only the power button works? Why it happens and how to fix it
TV remote turns the TV on and off but nothing else? It usually lost its pairing. Fixes for Samsung, LG, Google TV, Fire TV, Roku and universal remotes.
14 min
TV keeps going back to the home screen? Causes and fixes
TV keeps going back to the home screen? Find the cause by when it happens: a startup setting, a remote or HDMI device, or an app crash. Then fix it.
12 min
TV stuck on mute? Why it happens and how to fix it
TV stuck on mute? Find out why your TV stays muted or keeps muting itself, from the sound output setting to a stuck remote button, and how to fix it.
11 min
TV remote app keeps disconnecting? Why it happens and how to fix it
TV remote app keeps disconnecting? Find when it drops: when the iPhone locks, when the TV sleeps or after the TV gets a new IP address. Then fix that cause.
12 min
TV remote not working? How to find the cause and fix it
TV remote not working? Check the batteries, test the signal with your phone camera, pair the remote again and restart the TV. Samsung, LG, Roku and more.
14 min
How to stop your TV from talking: turn off the narrator on any TV
TV keeps talking? Turn off the narrator, voice guide or audio description on Samsung, LG, Google TV, Roku and Fire TV, step by step.
10 min
One remote controlling two TVs: why it happens and how to stop it
One remote controls two TVs because same-brand sets share infrared codes. How to stop it: pair the remote, shield a sensor, or use a Wi-Fi phone remote.
11 min
Same Wi-Fi, still not connecting: the network problems that hide in plain sight
Phone and TV on the same Wi-Fi but not connecting? They are usually on different networks, or the router stops devices talking. How to tell which, and fix it.
11 min
Your TV doesn't show up in the remote app: a diagnostic checklist
A TV usually fails to appear for one of four reasons. Check them in this order — the permission is the most common and the only one iOS gives no error for.