If you're wondering how to use your Roku TV Stick without a remote, then read on to find out more!

We all have faced this predicament at least once in our lives and if you’re a Roku TV Stick user then you probably would have misplaced your remote way more than you would like to admit.

The thing about the Roku TV Stick remote is that it’s quite small in size and tends to go out of sight in no time. 

But misplacing your Roku TV Stick remote does not necessarily mean it’s the end of the world. I have figured out a couple of temporary solutions that can help you navigate your TV and control your Roku TV Stick without a remote. 

Let me take you through what you can do if you’ve lost or forgotten your Roku TV Stick remote.

How to Use Your Roku TV Stick Without a Remote

The Roku TV Stick TV device works on a Wi-Fi network, so when you’re setting up the device for the first time you will require the remote to set up your Wi-Fi credentials and navigate the device. 

The thing about losing the remote is that you will not be able to navigate the menus or control the Roku TV Stick TV, though your device will still power on and connect to the Wi-Fi.

After trying out a number of solutions, these six have proven to work successfully. So, without further adieu, here’s how you can control and navigate your Roku TV Stick TV even when your remote is lost.

How to Use The Roku TV Stick TV App On Your Smartphone With Wi-Fi at Home

If you’ve misplaced your Roku TV Stick remote at home and if your Smartphone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network, you can use your phone as a temporary remote control by downloading and installing the Roku TV Stick TV App.

You can download the app either from the App Store or the Play Store depending on what smartphone you’re using. All you’d have to do is login to the app and begin. 

You can follow these steps to connect your smartphone to your Roku TV Stick TV.

• Start by installing the Roku TV Stick TV App from the respective store. Once the application has been installed, launch it from the app drawer.

• If your Roku TV Stick and smartphone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network then you will receive a pop-up on the app notifying you that there’s one Roku TV Stick device that is available and can be connected.

Now, your smartphone will be connected to the Roku TV Stick and you will gain access to a digital remote control which you can use to navigate the interface and control what’s playing. You even get access to the Setting section of the Roku TV Stick, voice commands and even use the integrated keyboard to enter URLs.

It’s a decent app which covers pretty much everything and can do whatever the remote could. It’s a great solution only if you’ve misplaced the remote at home or if you’re too lazy to fetch it.

How to Use The Roku TV Stick TV App On Your Smartphone Without Wi-Fi at Home

For those who don’t have Wi-Fi at home or if you’re setting up the Roku TV Stick at a place with no wireless connection, you can try out this method by manually creating a Wi-Fi hotspot. 

Follow these steps:

• Start by opening the Settings App on your smartphone and proceed to setup a Wi-Fi hotspot. You can do this by heading to Wi-Fi & Network followed by Hotspot & Tethering and finally Wi-Fi Hotspot. 

• Proceed to rename the hotspot (make sure the name of the hotspot matches the Wi-Fi name your Roku TV Stick was previously connected to).

• Now change the password of the hotspot to the same password that your Roku TV Stick was connected to earlier. The reason we’re doing this is to make sure that Roku TV Stick connects automatically to the hotspot and would require any user intervention.

• Since you managed to start your hotspot with the appropriate configuration, restart your Roku TV Stick. It should automatically get connected to your newly created hotspot.

• Take the second smartphone and install the Roku TV Stick TV App from the App Store or Play Store. Follow the same steps as listed above under “Use The Roku TV Stick TV App On Your Smartphone With Wi-Fi”

• Once you have successfully set up the hotspot and App, you will be able to navigate and perform any task on your Roku TV Stick TV device without having the remote around. 

If you do receive a new Wi-Fi connection, you can change the Wi-Fi settings on the Roku TV Stick TV device by navigating through the following:

• Open the “Settings” section on the Roku TV Stick device.

• Scroll till you come across “Network”.

• Choose the appropriate Wi-Fi network.

• Enter the Password to pair the device with your new Wi-Fi connection.

How to Use Alexa to Navigate & Control Your Roku TV Stick

Alexa is a great hands-free way to control your Roku TV Stick TV device. The catch, both your devices should be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Then all you’d have to do is simply say “Alexa, play XYZ on my Fire TV” and it’ll work!

You can try out these commands if you’re using Alexa with your Roku TV Stick TV:

• Play a certain Movie – “Alexa, Watch (Name of Movie)”
• Pause the Movie – “Alexa, Pause Movie”
• Fast-Forward the Movie – “Alexa, Fast-Forward (Number of) Minutes”
• Play the Next Episode – “Alexa, Next or Alexa, Next Episode”
• Lower the Volume – “Alexa, Turn it Down on Fire TV”
• Access Netflix on Roku TV Stick – “Alexa, Open Netflix”
• Navigate Left or Right – “Alexa, Scroll Left/Right”
• Open the Watch List – “Alexa, Go to My Watch List” 

Point to be Noted: This will work ONLY if your Alexa device and Roku TV Stick are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

How to Use A Universal TV Remote To Control Your Roku TV Stick

These days, TV’s come with a convenient feature that’s known as HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control). This is an interface which allows you to control devices that are connected to your TV via HDMI simply by using the TV’s remote. 

For Example, if you press a button on your TV’s remote then it will relay the instructions to your Roku TV Stick and accordingly Play, Pause, Stop, Fast-Forward/Rewind whatever you’re watching. Though you will not be able to carry out complicated commands, you can surely do all the basic things in case you have lost your Roku TV Stick remote.

Do Roku Remotes Have a Lost Remote Finder Option?

Yes, but not all Roku remotes come with this feature. The Lost remote finder is supported only on those Roku remotes that offer voice capabilities and come with a  built-in speaker such as the Roku voice Remote Pro and the Roku Enhanced Remote.

If you’re using either one of these remotes and have lost it, then you have two ways to find the missing remote. 

• Use a hands-free voice command - You can trigger the lost remote finder by loudly saying “Hey Roku, where’s my remote”. The remote will start ringing and you will be able to locate it faster this way.

• Use the Roku mobile app - You will be able to find your lost remote via the Roku smartphone app for Android and iOS devices. Download the app from the respective store and login to your account. Make sure the smartphone is connected to the same WiFi as the Roku TV stick and then tap on the lost remote finder option in the app.

Conclusion 

Losing your Roku TV Stick remote is something that should not be taken too seriously as it’s going to keep happening unless you tag it up to something at home.

These solutions work wonders and help you save time trying to figure out what to do next. Trust me, the easiest solution is to download the Roku TV Stick App onto your smartphone so you can control your Roku TV Stick TV anytime from anywhere (within Wi-Fi range).

I hope these methods were able to work for you and proved to be helpful as they did for me when I managed to misplace my remote.