Connect your iPhone to your Roku TV or player
When you open the TV picker, Roku Remote announces itself on your Wi-Fi network and listens for Rokus answering — and, in parallel, tries the addresses on your own subnet one by one, in case your router blocks those announcements. That second method is slower but works on networks where discovery is switched off.
Pick, switch and manage your Rokus
- Tap the name of the TV at the top of the remote screen to open the picker.
- Wait for the search to finish. Each Roku is listed with its name and whether it is a TV or a streaming player.
- Tap one to use it. The app remembers it, so next time it reconnects without searching.
- To control another Roku, open the picker again and tap it. Your saved list is at the top.
- Swipe a saved Roku to remove it. Removing it forgets nothing on the TV itself — you can add it again at any time.
When the list is empty or incomplete
- Check that the iPhone is on the same Wi-Fi as the Roku. A 2.4 GHz and a 5 GHz band with the same name are fine; two separate networks, or a guest network, are not.
- Check that Roku Remote has permission to use the local network, in the iPhone's Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network.
- Wake the Roku. A streaming player in deep sleep can take a few seconds to answer.
- If your router has client isolation (sometimes called AP isolation) switched on, devices cannot see each other at all. Switch it off for your own network, or add the Roku by its IP address.
Names come from the TV
The name you see is the one set on the Roku itself, under Settings › System › About, so the app and the TV always agree. Rename it there and the new name appears in the app next time it connects.
FAQ
- How long should the search take?
- A second or two on most home networks. The slower address-by-address sweep can take up to about half a minute on a large network before it gives up.
- My Roku appears twice.
- That usually means it has both a wired and a wireless connection, each with its own address. Either one works; pick the one you are using and remove the other.
- Does the Roku need to be switched on?
- A Roku TV answers in standby on most models, which is how the power key can switch it on. A streaming player needs to be powered.
Roku Remote is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Roku, Inc. Roku is a trademark of Roku, Inc.
The remote you never lose
Roku Remote gives your iPhone a touchpad, a keyboard for searching and signing in, your channels, private listening through your headphones and a sleep timer. It finds your Roku on your Wi-Fi — no account, and nothing through our servers.
Coming soon to the App Store for iPhone.