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Roku has become a name synonymous with smart TVs, and there's a pretty good chance you have one of the iconic rectangular remotes around your home. If you do, you know how quickly they can slip between the couch cushions, fall into the laundry basket, become a dog chew toy, or disappear into the abyss of a child's room.
Fortunately, you don't need the physical remote to control your Roku TV. If your Roku remote is missing, here are four ways you can still control your TV.
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The easiest way to control your Roku TV without a remote is with the Roku app [iOS/Android]. If you don't already have it, you're missing quite a bit of functionality. You can search for content in the app to cast to your TV or tap to resume watching where you left off, but you can also tap "Remote" at the bottom of the app to pull up a digital remote that works just like the real thing.
In some ways, it's a little better than the actual remote. The Roku app has voice search, the ability to quickly turn on closed captions or set a sleep timer, private listening that plays audio through your device or connected headphones, a keyboard that's a lot faster than typing letter by letter with your remote, and the ability to quickly switch between inputs without heading back to the home screen. It's not quite as comfortable for me since I have a large phone, but it gets the job done any time my remote goes missing.
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Your phone and your TV do need to be on the same Wi-Fi network to do this.
In addition to using your phone as a remote, you can also cast from your phone to your Roku TV if you're watching in a supported app like Netflix, YouTube, or Disney+. You will need to install the matching app on your TV, and you'll know it's available when you see the cast button on the content you're watching. (It sometimes doesn't appear until you're actually watching something.)
Casting from an app is a little different than screen mirroring because you can still use your phone or turn it off entirely, and it shows only your selected content instead of everything that's on your phone.
Most Android phones offer a way to mirror your phone's screen to your Roku device. It's called different things like Smart View, Cast, Quick Connect, SmartShare, wireless display, or display mirroring, but they all work the same. You'll usually find it by swiping down the top Quick Settings menu. Once you're connected, just start content on your phone, and you'll see it on your TV. Unlike casting, you can't use your phone for anything else.
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Like screen mirroring with Android, you can do the same with an Apple device using AirPlay. Both your iPhone and Roku need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. To get started, head to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac's Control Center and tap Screen Mirroring. From there, pick which device you want to mirror to. Like screen mirroring with Android, you won't be able to use your phone (since what's on your screen is shown on your TV), but it's enough to get you through.
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All right, it is technically against the spirit of this article to recommend using a remote, but if you're gone long enough without one, you know there's often no other option. You can score a basic Roku remote for $10, the Roku remote with voice control for under $20, or the Roku Voice Remote Pro, which is rechargeable, for about $30. You can also get unbranded knockoff Roku remotes for about $5 each. These feel a lot cheaper than a regular remote and probably won't last as long, but I've had success using those for my kids' rooms.
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