Text entry
Use your phone as a TV keyboard: what needs to work?
Typing a search or password on your phone is much quicker than picking letters with arrow buttons. But a connected TV remote does not guarantee that every TV text field accepts typing from a phone.
TV Remotely can send text to Samsung Tizen, LG webOS and Roku devices, and to some Android TV devices. The text goes to whichever field is active on the TV; the app cannot select a field for you or tell whether one is open.
Test keyboard input after pairing
- Connect to the TV using the right platform setup guide.
- Confirm that navigation works.
- Open a search field on the TV and select it so the cursor is in the field.
- Open text entry in TV Remotely, type a short, non-sensitive word and send it.
- Check what appears on the TV.
- Test the streaming app you plan to use separately.
Why does typing work in one app but not another?
TV apps build their text fields differently. A system search box and a custom login screen may accept different kinds of input. Focus matters too: if the TV is not editing a field, the text has nowhere to go.
| What happens | What to check |
|---|---|
| Navigation and typing both fail | Connection, pairing and device discovery. |
| Navigation works; no text appears | Whether a field is active, and whether your platform accepts text. |
| Text works in one app only | That app’s text field. |
| Text works but volume or power fails | That single command; each feature is separate. |
Can I type passwords or special characters?
Often, yes. You type in a normal phone text box, so your phone keyboard’s paste and dictation work there before you send. Test with a non-sensitive word before using a login field, and check that special characters arrive correctly, because the TV decides what it accepts.
Type on Samsung, LG, Roku or Fire TV with your phone
| Platform | Type from your phone? |
|---|---|
| Samsung Tizen | Yes, into the active field. |
| LG webOS | Yes, into the active field. |
| Roku | Yes, into the active field. |
| Android TV and Google TV | On some devices only. |
| Fire TV | No. Use the on-screen keyboard. |
| Vizio SmartCast | No. Use the on-screen keyboard. |
| Sony BRAVIA | No. Use the on-screen keyboard. |
Which TVs should I check?
Use the Samsung, LG, Roku, Android TV or Sony page to identify your platform. If typing fails, report the TV model, firmware, TV app and field. Never include a password in the report.