TV discovery help
TV not found in your remote app? Check these steps
Start with a powered-on TV and a phone that can reach it on the same local network. A TV can be connected to the internet and still be unreachable from your phone. Work through the steps in order; the fix depends on whether the TV is missing from the list or appears but will not connect.
Step 1: Confirm the TV is awake and online
Turn it on with a working control and open its network status. Let the network connection finish before scanning. Some TVs stop answering network requests in standby, so finding a TV while it is awake does not mean the app can turn it on later.
Step 2: Check the local network, not just the Wi-Fi icon
Connect the phone to your normal home network rather than guest Wi-Fi. A guest network, VLAN or client-isolation setting can block devices from talking to each other. On a network you do not manage, ask the administrator instead of changing settings.
A wired TV and a phone on Wi-Fi can communicate if the router connects them. Likewise, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands can belong to one local network. Putting both devices on the same band is a useful test, not a universal requirement.
Step 3: Check phone permissions
On iPhone, open Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network and turn on TV Remotely, then reopen the app and scan. If it is not listed, follow the iPhone Local Network guide. On Android, allow the nearby-device or discovery permission the app requests; the exact prompt depends on your Android version.
Step 4: Rule out a VPN or a changed address
Temporarily pause a VPN on your trusted home network and retry, then turn it back on after testing. If the TV used to work, its local address may have changed after a router restart.
Step 5: Try manual IP connection
Find the TV’s current address in its network settings and choose Enter IP manually at the bottom of the TV list in TV Remotely. See the manual IP guide. This helps when discovery fails, but it cannot get around network isolation, an unsupported platform or the TV’s approval step.
If the TV appears but will not connect
This is a pairing or control problem rather than an empty list. Keep the TV screen visible, complete the approval or code, and check your platform’s settings. Use the Samsung connection-denied guide or the Roku network-control guide where relevant. Fire TV needs developer ADB access enabled; see enabling ADB debugging on Fire TV.