Free Roku app turns smartphones into replacement remotes
The free Roku mobile app allows smartphones to function as a fully-featured replacement for a lost or dead Roku remote, offering an alternative to buying a new one. Available for both iOS and Android, it connects over the home Wi-Fi network and requires no purchase, subscription or complicated setup, making it a practical fix for a common household annoyance.
Setup involves downloading the app, ensuring the phone and Roku device share the same Wi-Fi network, and selecting the device once detected. Beyond basic remote functions, the app includes a keyboard for easier text entry, voice command support (useful for older Roku models lacking this feature), and a Roku Channel tab for streaming shows and films directly on the phone. It can also help connect a Roku device to Wi-Fi without a physical remote, and offers a free alternative to replacement remotes, which range from $10 to $30 depending on the model.
- Roku's free app turns any smartphone into a full remote control.
- Works via home Wi-Fi on iOS and Android, no setup hassle.
- Adds keyboard typing, voice commands and on-phone streaming access.
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Roku makes streaming devices and TVs that connect to online services and play films and programmes on a television. These devices are usually controlled with a small handheld remote, which can be lost, damaged or run out of power.
Roku also offers a mobile app for iPhones and Android phones. When the phone and Roku device are on the same home Wi-Fi network, the app can control the device, enter text and use voice commands; it also provides access to Roku’s own streaming channel on the phone.
This gives households another way to use a Roku device if its remote is unavailable, and may avoid the cost of buying a replacement. The app can also help with connecting a Roku device to Wi-Fi when there is no physical remote.
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Originally published by Engadget as “You can use your phone as a Roku remote (and it’s free)”.