Remutto guide

How to control a Samsung TV without the remote

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

The remote is lost, broken, or the batteries are dead. You can still use your Samsung TV. There are three ways: the control button on the TV itself, Samsung's SmartThings app, or a Wi-Fi remote app on your phone. Here is what each one can do, 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

Most Samsung TVs have one control button. Samsung says it sits at the bottom center or bottom right of the TV, usually where the small red light is, and its shape differs by model (Samsung Support).

• Press it to turn the TV on or off.
• When the TV is on, a press opens a small control menu at the bottom of the screen. Press again to move through it. Press and hold to choose an item.

Samsung also says the button has limited functions (Samsung Support). It is fine for power, volume and the input. For apps and menus, your phone is easier.

Free

Samsung's own app: SmartThings

SmartThings is Samsung's app for its TVs and smart home devices, on iPhone and Android. Its remote can change the channel, the volume and the source. Samsung's page says a Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required (Samsung Support).

If you already use SmartThings, it is a good choice. Remutto works without an account.

Step by step

Control your Samsung TV with Remutto

1. Turn the TV on. Use the control button on the TV if you need to. 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. A guest network or a VPN on the phone hides the TV.
3. Open Remutto and tap your TV. Remutto searches your network by itself and lists the TVs it finds. Tap your Samsung. On iPhone, allow Local Network access when asked.
4. Allow the phone on the TV. The first time, the TV asks whether to allow the new device. Choose Allow on the TV. Remutto remembers the TV and reconnects by itself after that.
5. Use the remote. Power, volume, mute, the arrows, OK, Back and Home are on the first screen. While the remote is open, your phone's volume buttons change the TV volume too.

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

Stuck?

The TV asks to allow the phone, and you have no remote

This is the one step where something has to be pressed on the TV. Try its control button. If that cannot reach the question on your model, borrow any remote that works with the TV, for example a universal remote set up for Samsung. You need it only once.

Did someone choose Deny? Then the TV keeps blocking the phone, and Remutto says so. Its message points to the list of allowed devices: Settings > General > External Device Manager > Device Connect Manager > Device List. Set Remutto to Allow there, or delete it, and connect again. Menu names differ by model and year.

Power

Turning the Samsung TV on from your phone

A Wi-Fi app can only reach a TV that keeps its network on. Samsung's setting for this is Power On with Mobile:

• 2022 and newer models: Settings > All Settings > Connections > Network > Expert Settings.
• 2017 to 2021 models: Settings > General > Network > Expert Settings (Samsung Support).

Turn it on while you can still reach the TV's menus. Then:

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

If the TV is unplugged or fully off, no app can switch it on. Use the button on the TV. More in how to turn on a TV without the remote.

Which TVs

Which Samsung TVs work

Remutto works with Samsung smart TVs that run Tizen, Samsung's TV system, on the same Wi-Fi as your phone. Some older Samsung smart TVs use an older network remote. Remutto tries that too, but not every model answers.

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 Samsung 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.