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How to change input on a Roku TV without the remote

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Quick answer: Press the button on the TV itself: on many Roku TVs a short press brings up a list of inputs, more presses move down it, and pausing for a moment selects the highlighted one. If the TV is already on and on Wi‑Fi, your iPhone can do it instead: press Home in a phone remote app, move to the input’s tile (HDMI 1, Antenna TV and so on) and press OK.

Why it’s awkward on a Roku TV

A Roku TV has no Input menu buried in Settings. Inputs live on the Home screen as tiles next to your apps, which is easy with a remote and baffling without one. The buttons on the TV are the backup, but they’re small, hidden and work a little differently from brand to brand (TCL, Hisense, Sharp, Philips and others all make Roku TVs).

Method 1: the button on the TV (free, always works)

First find it. Roku TVs use one of a few layouts:

Layout Where it usually is How input works
Single button Bottom edge, under the logo Short press shows the inputs; each press moves down one; pause to select. A long press turns the TV off.
Joystick Back of the TV, lower right Press to turn on; tilt sideways to open and move through inputs; stop for a few seconds to select.
Row of buttons Back or right edge An Input button (or top button) opens the list; press again to move; pause to select. On some models CH + and CH − move the highlight.

Then switch:

  1. If the TV is off, press the button once to turn it on and wait for the Home screen.
  2. Press the button (or Input / tilt the joystick) once. A small panel listing the inputs appears.
  3. Keep pressing until the input you want is highlighted.
  4. Stop pressing. After a few seconds the TV switches to it.

Exact behavior varies by model, so if a press doesn’t do what the table says, try a longer press or check the “panel buttons” page in your TV’s manual. Be careful with long presses on single-button models: holding usually turns the TV off.

Method 2: your iPhone over Wi‑Fi

Cycling through inputs one press at a time with a button you can’t see gets old fast. Once the TV is on and connected to your Wi‑Fi, a phone can do the whole job:

  1. Make sure your iPhone is on the same Wi‑Fi network as the TV.
  2. Open a phone remote app and connect to the TV. Roku’s own app is free and works as a remote.
  3. Press Home.
  4. Use the arrows to move to the input’s tile, such as HDMI 2 or Live TV, and press OK.

If an app can’t find or control the TV, Roku may be blocking phone apps: set Settings › System › Advanced system settings › Control by mobile apps › Network access to Permissive. Our Roku remote troubleshooting guide covers the rest.

Couchius works the same way: press Home, move to the input tile with the d‑pad, press OK. See how to use your iPhone as a Roku remote for setup with either app.

How to turn on a Roku TV without the remote

Press the button on the TV (a short press on single-button models, a press on the joystick or the Power button on others).

Your phone can only turn the TV on if the TV keeps its Wi‑Fi connection while it’s off. Turn this on now, while you have the TV’s button handy:

  1. Go to Settings › System › Power › Fast TV Start.
  2. Enable it. The TV stays reachable on your network when it’s off, which uses a little more power in standby.

After that, a phone remote app can wake the TV from standby. Without it, the TV drops off Wi‑Fi when it’s off and only its own button (or remote) will turn it on.

Make it start on the right input

If you only ever watch one input, such as a cable box or a game console, tell the TV to open on it:

  1. Go to Settings › System › Power › Power On.
  2. Highlight the input you want and press OK. A check mark appears.
  3. Turn the TV off and on to confirm.

By default a Roku TV opens on the Home screen. With this set, you rarely need to switch inputs at all.

Which should you use?

Situation What to do
TV is off, nothing set up Press the TV’s button to turn it on
TV is on, you need a different input once TV’s button, or Home › input tile in a phone app
Remote lost for good A phone remote app over Wi‑Fi, plus Fast TV Start so it can turn the TV on
You always watch the same input Settings › System › Power › Power On

Not sure a phone app will work with your TV? Try the TV compatibility checker.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the button on a Roku TV?

It depends on the brand and model. On many Roku TVs it's a single button on the bottom edge under the logo; others have a joystick or a row of buttons on the back, usually on the right side as you face the screen.

Can I change input on a Roku TV from my phone?

Yes, if the TV is on and on the same Wi‑Fi as your phone. Roku TVs show each input as a tile on the Home screen, so in any phone remote app you press Home, move to the input's tile and press OK.

My Roku streaming stick is plugged into a TV. Can a phone change that TV's input?

A phone remote talks to the Roku, not to the TV, so it can't switch the TV's input. Use the TV's own buttons or its own remote; the steps on this page are for Roku TVs, where Roku is built into the TV.

How do I make the Roku TV always start on my cable box or console?

Go to Settings › System › Power › Power On and choose the input. The TV then opens on that input every time it's turned on, so you rarely need to switch.

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