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One remote controlling two TVs: why it happens and how to stop it

Nefarius Apps10 min read

One remote controls two TVs because most TV remotes send infrared light, and a manufacturer uses the same infrared signals for all its TVs. Each TV of that brand that the light reaches obeys the command. You can stop it in three ways. Pair a remote with one TV, keep the light away from the second TV, or use a phone remote over Wi-Fi.

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Why does one remote control two TVs?

A standard TV remote does not know which TV you want to control. It sends a coded pattern of infrared light into the room. Each TV that receives the pattern and knows the code obeys it.

The code belongs to the brand, not to one TV. LG says that its TVs, StanbyME screens and projectors use the same remote control signals. One remote can thus reach more than one LG product in a room. Samsung says the same thing about replacement remotes: its infrared remotes "work with all of our TVs and projectors", also when a model is not on the remote's compatibility list.

Infrared is light, so a wall stops it. Roku says that its simple remote "uses IR (infrared) and requires a direct line of sight" and does not work through cabinets or walls. Two TVs in the same room are both in the line of sight, so both react.

A remote from a different device can cause the same problem. LG notes that a cable or set-top box remote programmed for an LG TV sends an LG power signal. LG products near that TV can react to the signal too.

Which remotes send infrared, and which are paired?

A remote reaches a TV in one of three ways. An infrared remote sends light to each TV in view. A paired remote has a link to one TV. A phone remote app sends its commands through your home network to the TV that you select.

RemoteHow it reaches the TVLinked to one TV?
Samsung infrared remoteInfrared lightNo. Samsung says its infrared remotes work with all its TVs and projectors
Samsung Smart RemoteA pairing with the TVYes. Samsung says it works with one TV at a time
LG TV remoteInfrared signals that LG products shareNo, except on products that have LG's Use Provided Remote Only setting
Roku simple remoteInfrared light, in a direct line of sightNo. It has no pairing button
Phone remote appWi-Fi, through your home networkYes. You select one TV in the app
How common remotes reach a TV, and whether they are linked to one TV.

Two quick tests tell you what you have. For a Samsung remote, Samsung's troubleshooting page gives a camera test: point the remote at a phone camera and hold the Power button. A coloured light on the phone screen shows an infrared signal. For a Roku remote, look for a voice button near the directional pad. A remote with that button is a voice remote, and a remote without it is a simple remote, which Roku also calls an IR remote.

How do you stop one remote from controlling two TVs?

Start with the fix that costs nothing and that you can undo. The right fix depends on the brand, so the four options below are in that order.

Pair the remote with one TV

A Samsung Smart Remote can be paired. Samsung says that the remote "will only work with one TV at a time". You can pair it with a different TV at any time. Pair each remote with its own TV:

  1. Stand close to the TV

    Stand within 1 foot (about 30 cm) of the TV that the remote belongs to.

  2. Point at the sensor

    Point the remote at the remote sensor, which Samsung puts at the lower right or the bottom centre of the TV.

  3. Hold Return and Play/Pause

    Press and hold the Return and Play/Pause buttons together until the TV shows a message that the remote is connected.

  4. Repeat at the second TV

    Do the same steps with the second remote at the second TV.

Samsung gives the hold time as at least 3 seconds on one support page and at least 5 seconds on another. Some owners in forum threads report that the Power button still switches on both TVs after they pair the remotes. Samsung's pages do not confirm this report. If it happens to you, add one of the fixes below.

Turn on the provided-remote setting on LG products

LG has a setting that makes a product obey only the remote that came with it. On an LG StanbyME, open Settings and select More. Then go to General, System and Additional Settings, and turn on Use Provided Remote Only. LG says that some of its projectors have a similar option under Remote Control Settings.

LG's page does not offer this setting for its regular TVs. For those TVs, LG recommends the next fix.

Cover part of the remote sensor

For a TV without the setting, LG's advice is to "partially cover the remote control sensor on the device you don't want to control". Use opaque tape or a small object. The place of the sensor is different on each product, so look in the manual if you cannot find it.

Owners of two same-brand TVs report the same fix in forum threads. They tape over the sensor on one TV. Then they control that TV in a different way, for example with a streaming stick or a phone app. Tape is easy to remove, so you can undo this fix in a minute.

Move the TVs apart

LG's last option is distance: move the products farther apart, or put them in different rooms. This works because infrared needs a line of sight. It is the least practical fix when both screens must stay on one wall.

What about streaming sticks and boxes?

The remote of a streaming device can have the same effect on the TVs. Google says that you must point its Voice Remote at the device for the TV volume buttons to work.

For two Fire TVs in one room, an Amazon staff member on Amazon's forum gave these steps in 2024: reset both remotes, unplug one Fire TV, pair each remote with one TV, and turn off HDMI-CEC device control. Other owners in the same thread wrote that both TVs still reacted. If the steps do not help, cover a sensor or control one TV over Wi-Fi.

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Use a phone remote over Wi-Fi

A phone remote app removes the cause of the problem. The app does not send light into the room. It opens a connection through your home network to the one TV that you select, so the second TV receives nothing. An iPhone cannot behave like an infrared remote, because an iPhone has no infrared emitter.

Samsung and LG each have an app for their own TVs. In SmartThings, you tap your TV and then tap Remote, and Samsung says that a Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required. LG ThinQ needs an LG account, and you select your TV from the available devices. In the Google TV app, you select the device and enter the code that shows on the TV screen.

Tivi, a universal TV remote app for iPhone from Nefarius Apps, does this for several brands in one app. It finds the TVs on your Wi-Fi, lists them, and connects to the TV that you select. It controls Samsung, LG, Android TV and Google TV sets, and it needs no account. Tivi saves each TV that you pair, so you can connect to that TV again with one tap. It does not control Roku, Fire TV or Apple TV devices.

To set up a phone remote for two TVs of the same brand:

  1. Name each TV

    Give each TV a different name in its settings, for example the name of its place in the room.

  2. Join the same Wi-Fi

    Connect the iPhone to the same Wi-Fi network as the TVs.

  3. Allow Local Network access

    Open the remote app and allow Local Network access when iOS asks.

  4. Add the first TV

    Select the first TV in the app, and complete the confirmation that the TV shows.

  5. Add the second TV

    Do step 4 again for the second TV.

  6. Pick a TV before you press

    Before you press a button, select the TV that you want to control.

The names in step 1 help you to tell the TVs apart. Samsung says that the name of a TV "appears on mobile devices and computers connected to your network". On 2025 Samsung models, go to Settings, All Settings, Support, About the TV, Edit Name. On 2023 and 2024 models, go to Settings, All Settings, Connection, Device Name. On 2017 to 2021 models, go to Settings, General, System Manager, Device Name.

The confirmation in step 4 is different on each platform. A Samsung TV shows a prompt that you accept on the TV. An LG TV shows a PIN, and an Android TV or Google TV shows a code, that you type into the app. For the full process, read how to use your iPhone as a TV remote. Each platform also has its own guide: the Samsung walkthrough, the LG walkthrough and the Android TV and Google TV walkthrough. If a TV is not in the list, use the checklist for a TV that doesn't show up.

Will a universal remote fix it?

No, not for two TVs of the same brand. A universal remote that you set up for a brand sends the signal of that brand. LG's note about set-top box remotes shows the result: a remote programmed for an LG TV also reaches the LG products near it.

A universal remote helps in a different situation. If your TVs are different brands, one handset can replace two remotes. For two TVs of the same brand, you need a link to one TV: a paired remote or a Wi-Fi connection.

The short version

One remote controls two TVs when both TVs are the same brand and the remote sends infrared light. The manufacturer gives all its TVs the same signals, so each TV in the line of sight obeys.

Pair the remote with one TV if the remote supports it, as the Samsung Smart Remote does. Turn on Use Provided Remote Only if your LG product has it. If not, cover part of the sensor on one TV, or move the TVs apart. A phone remote over Wi-Fi is the fix that does not depend on the brand of remote: you select one TV, and only that TV receives the command. If your two TVs are Samsung, LG, Android TV or Google TV sets, Tivi controls each of them from one app.

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Common questions

Can one remote control two TVs on purpose?

Yes, when both TVs are the same brand and the remote uses infrared. Samsung says that its infrared remotes work with all its TVs and projectors, and LG says that its products use the same remote control signals. Both TVs then react at the same time. To control each TV separately from one device, use a phone remote app and select the TV in the app.

How do I stop my Roku remote from controlling two TVs?

A Roku simple remote uses infrared and has no pairing button, so you cannot link it to one device. Keep the second Roku device out of the line of sight of the remote, or cover part of its sensor. Roku says that the simple remote does not work through cabinets or walls. Roku also says that its free mobile app works as a full remote control.

Do two TVs in different rooms react to one remote?

Usually they do not. An infrared remote needs a line of sight, so a wall between the TVs stops the signal. LG lists different rooms as one of its fixes. An open door can still give the light a path from one room to the next.

Can a phone app control two TVs of the same brand separately?

Yes. Over Wi-Fi, the app connects to the one TV that you select, and the other TV receives nothing. Give the TVs different names so that you can tell them apart in the app. Tivi, for example, lists each TV that it finds on your Wi-Fi and connects to the TV that you select.

Sources

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