Remutto guide

How to control an LG TV without the remote

By Tim Grootes, Bumblly · Last updated November 14, 2026

No remote, but the LG TV is right there. You have more options than you might think: the button on the TV, a plain USB mouse, LG's ThinQ app, or a Wi-Fi remote app on your phone. Here is what each one does, and the steps.

We make Remutto, one of the apps in this guide. We start with the free options from the TV makers, and we say where each one falls short.

Free

Use the button on the TV

LG TVs have a button on the set, often a small joystick under the screen. LG describes what it does (LG Support):

• Press once to turn the TV on.
• Press and hold for more than a second to turn it off.
• If the button moves in four directions, you can change the volume and channel, open a menu and select items.
• If it only presses, press to open and move through the menu, and press and hold to select.

LG says the button is meant for basic control only (LG Support).

Free

A USB mouse works on many LG TVs

This is the trick many people miss. LG says you can plug a wired USB mouse, or the USB receiver of a wireless mouse, straight into a USB port of the TV. It names smart TV models released after 2012 (LG Support).

The mouse moves a pointer on the screen, a bit like LG's Magic Remote. That is handy for menus, and for the one moment when the TV asks you to accept a phone.

Free

LG's own app: ThinQ

LG ThinQ works as a remote for LG smart TVs: inputs, volume, channels, a pointer, the arrows and OK. LG's setup steps include signing in with an LG account, and the phone and TV must be on the same network (LG Support). If you use ThinQ for other LG devices already, it is an easy choice.

Step by step

Control your LG TV with Remutto

1. Turn the TV on. Press the button on the TV. A phone app can only find a TV that is on.
2. Use the same Wi-Fi. Connect your phone to the same Wi-Fi network as the TV. Not a guest network, and no VPN on the phone.
3. Open Remutto and tap your TV. Remutto searches your network and lists the TVs it finds. Your LG shows as LG webOS. On iPhone, allow Local Network access when asked.
4. Accept the request on the TV. The TV shows a connection request. Accept it on the TV, for example with a USB mouse. Some LG models show a number code instead: type it into Remutto.
5. Use the remote. Power, volume, mute, the arrows, OK, Back and Home are on the first screen. Remutto reconnects by itself next time.

On Android, Remutto also comes as Remote for LG TV. It is the same app with LG first, and it works with other brands too.

Stuck?

If the buttons stop working

If the buttons stop working, for example after a TV software update, the TV may no longer accept the phone it allowed before. In Remutto, use Forget this TV / pair again and accept the new request on the TV. Also check that the phone is on the same Wi-Fi as the TV, not on a guest network.

Power

Turning the LG TV on from your phone

LG says TVs with webOS 3.5 and later can be turned on and off with the ThinQ app. On webOS 6.0, the setting is under All Settings > Devices > External Devices > TV On With Mobile, where you turn on the Wi-Fi option (LG Support). Names differ by webOS version.

• Remutto on Android can wake an LG TV with a Wake-on-LAN signal when that setting is on, if it has connected to the TV before.
• Remutto on iPhone sends the TV's power key only while the TV still answers on the network.

If the TV is unplugged, no app can switch it on. See how to turn on a TV without the remote.

Which TVs

Which LG TVs work

Remutto works with LG smart TVs that run webOS, on the same Wi-Fi as your phone. Features can differ by model and software.

A phone app cannot reach a TV that has no network connection. An iPhone has no infrared emitter (Apple's spec list for iPhone 17 names none, Apple), and Remutto does not send infrared on Android either. It works over Wi-Fi only.

Remutto is not affiliated with LG Electronics.

Free and Pro

What Remutto costs

Remutto needs no account. After your first connection, the whole remote is free for 3 minutes. After that, 5 basic presses a day stay free: power, volume, mute, the arrows, OK, Back and Home. They come back at midnight. Remutto Pro unlocks the whole remote with no daily limit, plus the keyboard, touchpad, play and pause, channel buttons, app shortcuts, input switching and more TVs. Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. The App Store or Google Play shows your price before you buy.

TV commands go from your phone straight to the TV over your home network. There is no account and no Bumblly server in between. See the Remutto privacy policy.