I misplaced my Samsung TV remote and now I’m stuck on one channel. I need help figuring out how to change channels without the remote, whether that’s using the TV buttons, a phone app, or another simple method.
Lost the remote on a Samsung and need to change channels? I ran into this a while back. There are only a few ways through it.
First thing I’d check is the TV itself. Samsung hides a physical control on the set, even on newer models. On a lot of them, it’s a single little stick or button under the middle edge, near the lower right, or tucked behind the Samsung logo. I had to feel around for a minute before I found mine. Move it up or down to change channels. Press it once and you usually get a small on-screen menu.
Older Samsung sets are different. Those often have a small strip of real buttons in one of the same areas. If you’re not sure which layout you have, look at the model number on the sticker on the back. Samsung moves stuff around between model lines, so the exact spot isn’t always where people expect.
If your TV is a smart model and it’s on your home network, your phone is the easier fix.
SmartThings is the obvious one. It’s Samsung’s own app, free on iPhone and Android. Once I paired it, I got channel controls and the guide right on my phone. Biggest gotcha, your phone and TV need to be on the same Wi-Fi. Most of the “won’t connect” complaints I’ve seen came down to this.
There’s also TVRem Remote app for iPhone. Same basic setup. It handles channel up and down, guide access, and it’s useful if your house has mixed brands. It works with Samsung, LG, Roku, Fire TV, Android or Google TV, and Apple TV. I like stuff like this because one app is easier than juggling three remotes and two half-broken apps.
It doesn’t push a subscription at you, there isn’t ad clutter all over the screen, and you get phone keyboard input plus voice search. The rating is sitting at 4.8 with a few thousand reviews. More info is here: https://mac.eltima.com/tvrem-universal-tv-remote/
One small thing if you use an antenna or live TV feed. On many Samsung sets, changing channels from an app or on-set control means opening the guide or channel list and moving through it. It’s less like old cable boxes where you punch in numbers fast.
If the TV is older and has no Wi-Fi, phone apps won’t help. Then you’re down to the physical buttons on the TV or a cheap universal remote.
If you have the model number, use it. That usually saves time when you’re trying to figure out where Samsung hid the button this year.
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One more route people skip, and I think @mikeappsreviewer undersold it a bit, is using your cable or satellite box app instead of the TV.
If your Samsung is stuck on HDMI 1, HDMI 2, or TV input, the TV itself might not be the thing changing channels. Your cable box, DirecTV box, Xfinity box, Spectrum box, YouTube TV, or Roku live TV app often handles it. In that case, changing the Samsung channel buttons does nothing, which is why people think the TV is broken.
Try this:
-
Look at the screen.
If you see HDMI 1 or HDMI 2, you are not on the TV tuner.
You need to control the box or streaming device. -
Use your provider app.
Xfinity Stream, DirecTV, Spectrum TV, and many others let you change live channels from your phone.
Some boxes also have a built-in remote feature. -
Try a spare remote from the same brand.
A lot of Samsung TVs respond to other Samsung remotes without setup.
Old one from a bedroom TV sometimes works. Not perfect, but worth 30 secnds. -
Plug in a USB keyboard if your model supports it.
This helps more with smart hub navigation than channel surfing, so I would not make it plan A. Still, on some sets you can move around menus enough to switch source or open live TV. -
If you have a game console or streamer connected, use its live TV app.
Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV often let you launch a channel guide from their phone apps too.
Fastest path is this.
If screen says TV or DTV, use the buttons on the set.
If screen says HDMI, control the connected box, not the Samsung.
That little detail trips people up al the time.
If the TV is already on a live channel, there’s one workaround I don’t see people use much: a USB mouse. On a lot of Samsung smart TVs, plugging in a basic mouse lets you move a pointer, open the on-screen menu, hit Live TV, and sometimes bring up the channel list. It’s clunky, but if you have one laying around, it can save you from crawling behind the TV.
I’d also add this: if you have HDMI-CEC enabled, another device remote might control parts of the TV. Fire TV remote, Apple TV remote, even some game console media remotes can sometimes navigate enough to switch source or open the guide. Not always channels directly, but enough to get unstuck. People forget that stuff.
Slightly disagree with @mikeappsreviewer on one point: apps are not always the ‘easier fix’ if the TV was never paired before or got kicked off Wi-Fi. In that case, it turns into a whole thing real fast. @sonhadordobosque was right to point out the input issue though, because if you’re on HDMI, the Samsung channel buttons basically do nada.
Also worth trying: borrow any Samsung remote from another room. A lot of Samsung TVs respond with zero setup. Weirdly old remotes sometimes work better than you’d think. Kinda janky, but it works.