My TV remote stopped working, and I’m trying to use my phone to adjust the TV volume instead. I’m not sure if I need an app, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or an IR blaster, so I need help figuring out the best way to control TV volume with a phone.
You can usually control TV volume from a phone, but the first thing to check is boring and important: the phone and TV have to be on the same Wi-Fi network. If they’re not, the remote app may not see the TV at all, or some buttons won’t work right.
If it’s a smart TV, you’ve got a few options.
The easiest place to start is the official app for your TV or streaming platform. Samsung has SmartThings, LG has ThinQ, and Roku and Fire TV have their own apps too. Once the TV is paired, you get a remote on your phone with volume controls. The downside is pretty obvious if you have different brands in different rooms: you end up with a separate app for each one.
You can also use a universal app like TVRem. Universal Remote Control TVRem works over the same Wi-Fi setup and gives you the usual remote controls like volume, channels, and navigation. The useful part is that it supports Samsung, LG, Roku, Fire TV, Android/Google TV, and Apple TV, so you don’t have to keep switching between a bunch of brand-specific apps.
It’s free, doesn’t require a subscription, and doesn’t spam you with ads. It’s also rated 4.8 from a couple thousand reviews. More details here: https://ios.eltima.com/tvrem-universal-tv-remote/
Voice control is another route. If your TV is already connected to Google Assistant or Alexa, commands like “turn the volume up” or “turn the volume down” should work without touching the phone.
One thing that confuses people: volume is often the feature that breaks first with phone remotes. If the TV is using its built-in speakers and everything is controlled over Wi-Fi, it should be fine. But if your sound is going through a soundbar or receiver that only responds to IR signals, your phone can’t send those unless it has an IR blaster, and most phones don’t. So the app might change channels and open menus, while the volume buttons do nothing.
In that case, check for HDMI-CEC on the TV and soundbar. Brands rename it all the time, so look for settings with names ending in “Link” or “Sync.” Turning that on often lets volume commands pass through correctly.
If the TV isn’t a smart TV and it’s not on Wi-Fi, an app probably won’t help much. For an older non-smart set, a cheap universal remote is usually the better fix.
What TV are you using, and is there a soundbar or receiver involved? That part matters a lot for the volume controls.
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Don’t start by installing five random “TV remote” apps and granting them every permission. Most of the time the app is not the hard part. The hard part is whether your TV is awake, connected to the network, and willing to accept a new remote connection.
A small thing people miss: pairing a phone remote often requires you to approve a code or prompt on the TV screen. If your old remote is totally dead, look for physical buttons on the TV first. They may be hidden underneath the logo, on the back edge, or as one little joystick-style button. Use that to get the TV onto Wi-Fi, open settings, or accept pairing. Without that, a phone app may find the TV but still be unable to control it.
I agree with the Wi-Fi point above, but I would not count on Bluetooth unless your TV specifically says it supports phone control that way. For most smart TVs, phone volume control is network-based. If it’s a Roku, Fire TV, Google TV, Samsung, or LG, use the matching official app first because it is usually the least annoying way to test whether phone control works at all. If the TV is older or disconnected from Wi-Fi, skip the app chase and buy a cheap universal remote. That will be faster than fighting with setup screens you can’t reach.
A TV using its built-in speakers is a very different problem from a TV sending sound to a soundbar, receiver, or cable box. In the first case, a phone app has a decent chance of controlling volume over Wi-Fi. In the second case, the phone may be talking to the TV just fine while the actual volume lives somewhere else.
That is the detail I would sort out before spending time on apps. Look at where the sound is coming from. If the TV speakers are on, try the official TV app or the app for whatever smart platform is built into the set. If the sound comes from a soundbar over HDMI ARC/eARC, then HDMI-CEC usually needs to be turned on for volume to pass through. If the soundbar is connected by optical cable or red/white RCA cables, phone volume control often will not work unless the soundbar itself has an app or your phone can send IR. Optical is especially annoying because it carries audio but not normal remote-control commands.
There is another small trap: if you are watching through a Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast/Google TV, cable box, or game console, the app for that device may control navigation but not the TV’s volume. That app is controlling the box, not necessarily the TV. Some streaming remotes can control TV volume because the physical remote has IR or because CEC is configured. The phone app may not have that same path. So if the app opens Netflix and moves around menus but volume does nothing, it does not always mean the app is broken.
Fastest order I’d try:
- Find the TV’s physical button and make sure volume works there.
- Check whether the TV is on Wi-Fi.
- Install the official app for the TV brand or streaming device you actually use.
- Pair it while watching the TV screen, because many TVs show a code or approval prompt.
- If you use a soundbar, check whether it is HDMI ARC/eARC or optical.
- Turn on HDMI-CEC if the soundbar is on HDMI. It may be called Anynet+, Simplink, Bravia Sync, Viera Link, Aquos Link, CEC, Device Link, or something equally unhelpful.
- If it is optical, expect the phone app to be hit or miss for volume.
Bluetooth is usually not the answer unless the TV maker specifically designed it that way. People see “Bluetooth” and assume it means remote control, but on a lot of TVs it is mainly for headphones, speakers, or pairing a manufacturer remote. Wi-Fi control is much more common for phone remotes.
IR blaster control is the old-school exception. If you have one of the few Android phones with an IR blaster, you can use it like a normal remote, even for many non-smart TVs and soundbars. iPhones do not have IR blasters, and most newer mainstream phones do not either. Without IR, an app cannot magically control an old TV that has no network features.
I’d be a little skeptical of universal remote apps until you know your setup works with any phone control at all. They can be convenient when they support your devices, but they still cannot get around a TV that is offline, a pairing prompt you cannot approve, or a soundbar that only listens for infrared. The app is only one piece of the chain.
For a dead remote emergency, the cheapest reliable fix may still be a basic universal remote from a store. It is boring, but it works even when the TV is not connected to Wi-Fi, and it can usually control TV volume immediately after entering the brand code. If you mostly need volume tonight and do not want to fight settings menus, that is often less painful than trying ten apps.
So the short version is: use Wi-Fi and the proper app if it is a smart TV with TV speakers or HDMI-CEC audio. Use IR or a replacement remote if it is an older TV or the soundbar only responds to infrared. If you post the TV model and how the soundbar is connected, someone can probably tell you which path is realistic.
If your phone is on a guest Wi-Fi network, school/apartment Wi-Fi, or a VPN, the TV may be “on Wi-Fi” but still invisible to the phone. That trips people up because both devices technically have internet, but the network blocks devices from seeing each other. Phone remote apps usually need local network access, not just internet access.
So before blaming the app, check this stuff:
Make sure the phone is not on cellular data by accident.
Turn off VPN/private relay/ad blockers temporarily.
Use the main home Wi-Fi, not “Guest.”
If your router has “AP isolation” or “client isolation,” turn that off.
On iPhone, make sure the app has Local Network permission enabled in Settings.
I mostly agree with the earlier replies that Wi-Fi is the normal route and Bluetooth is usually a red herring. But “same Wi-Fi” can still fail if the router is separating devices. This is common with mesh systems too, especially if one device is on 2.4 GHz and the other is on a weird isolated IoT network. The TV and phone do not always need to be on the exact same band, but they do need to be allowed to talk to each other.
Another setting to check is the TV’s audio mode. Some TVs have volume disabled when audio output is set to “fixed,” “external speakers,” “optical,” or “receiver.” In that case, the app might be connected correctly and the volume buttons still won’t change anything because the TV has handed audio control to another device. If you can get into the TV’s settings with the physical buttons, look for Sound Output or Digital Audio Output and see whether it’s set to TV speakers, variable output, or an external device.
For a quick ugly workaround, see if the TV has a joystick/button cluster on the back or bottom edge. Some sets let you long-press or rock that button to change volume without any remote. It’s not fun, but it can get you through setup long enough to pair the phone app or fix Wi-Fi. If the TV is old, offline, or stuck on a guest network you can’t change, a cheap universal remote is still the least annoying answer. Phone control is convenient once it works, but it is not magic.