Lost Your LG Magic Remote? Control Your LG TV from Your iPhone

Lost the LG remote? Your phone replaces it over Wi-Fi — D-pad, volume, inputs, typing — with no hardware to buy. First, the letter in an LG model number is the model year — UR 2023, UT 2024, UA 2025, UB 2026 — and it tells you which webOS generation you have.

LG smart TVs running webOS 4.5 and later — including all 2019–2024 OLED C, G, B, and Z series, NanoCell, and QNED models — support Wi-Fi remote control through the LG ThinQ open protocol. If your AN-MR22GA or AN-MR23GA Magic Remote is lost or broken, our app replaces it completely: gyroscope-based pointer simulation, Home Dashboard access, Quick Settings panel, and all media controls. No pairing code, no Bluetooth — just Wi-Fi.

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Universal TV Remote App — control your LG TV from your iPhone

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webOS, and the year is in the model number

Which LG TV you have — and how it takes commands

Every current LG runs webOS — webOS 26 on the 2026 range. What changes between sets is the version, and LG encodes the model year as a letter in the model number: UR is 2023, T and UT are 2024, A and UA are 2025, B and UB are 2026. That letter tells you how modern the software on your panel is.

LG TV model lines, the operating system each one runs, how it is reached over the network, whether pairing is required, and where the on-set button is.
Model line / series	TV operating system	How it is controlled over the network	Pairing	On-set button
Entry LED (UT / UR / UA / UB classes)	webOS	WebSocket over HTTPS on port 3001	PIN shown on screen	Joystick nub, bottom-centre under the logo
QNED (Mini-LED backlight)	webOS	WebSocket over HTTPS on port 3001	PIN shown on screen	Joystick nub, bottom-centre under the logo
OLED evo B / C / G series	webOS	WebSocket over HTTPS on port 3001	PIN shown on screen	Joystick nub, bottom-centre under the logo
Pre-webOS-4.0 sets	webOS 2.0 / 3.0 / 3.5	WebSocket over HTTPS on port 3001	PIN shown on screen	Joystick nub or lower rear edge

Older sets are not just slower — TVs below webOS 4.0 have documented app-compatibility gaps, so a set from the webOS 2.0 or 3.0 era behaves differently from a current one even on identical hardware.

Reaching the menu with no remote

A nub you find by feel

The nub reaches basic navigation but not the full network menu on every model. ThinQ is LG’s intended path once the TV is on a network; Ethernet gets you through first-time setup when it is not.

Known LG failure mode

The pairing PIN never appears, or the app asks for a password you do not have

What helps: Put the phone on the 2.4 GHz band of the same network and switch mobile data off while pairing. If the app wants the Wi-Fi Direct password, read it from the TV’s own device or home dashboard screen.

Complete LG TV Remote Replacement

Every function of your lost LG TV remote — volume, navigation, HDMI switching, app launching — now on your iPhone over Wi-Fi.

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Auto-Discovery. Zero Config.

Free wireless remote replacement iOS app for LG webOS. Connects over WebSocket HTTPS (port 3001) via ConnectSDK native channel auto-discovery. Secure pairing uses 8-digit PIN. Complete replacement for a lost LG physical remote — D-pad, volume, input switching, and media controls. No subscription, no credit card.

How it works

Control Your LG TV Without a Remote

Step 1

Install the Remote App

Download the Universal TV Remote app on your iPhone — free with no account or hardware required.

Step 2

Connect to your home Wi-Fi

Put your iPhone on the same network as your LG TV. A guest SSID or a mesh that splits the bands looks identical on screen and will stop the TV appearing.

Step 3

Discover your LG TV

Open the app. Your LG TV is found over ConnectSDK native channel using WebSocket HTTPS (port 3001) — then confirm the 8-digit PIN shown on screen.

Step 4

Find the button on the LG TV itself

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Specific answers for LG TV users — including which LG lines run which system.

Can I control an LG OLED TV from my iPhone without the Magic Remote?

Yes. All LG OLED TVs on webOS 4.5 or later (all C, G, B, A, and Z Series from 2019–2024) expose remote control over Wi-Fi via the LG ThinQ LAN protocol. Your iPhone must be on the same network. The app auto-discovers your TV and gives you full access: webOS Home Dashboard, Quick Settings, streaming app launcher, picture mode controls, and input switching — everything the AN-MR Magic Remote does.

My LG TV is off and the Magic Remote is gone — how do I power it on?

All LG OLED and NanoCell TVs have a single joystick button on the chassis. On the C3 and G3 OLED panels, it is a small circular dial on the underside of the bottom-right corner of the panel. On LG NanoCell and QNED models, the button is on the lower rear center. Press once to power on. Once webOS loads, open the app on your iPhone and connect over Wi-Fi — full Magic Remote functionality is available immediately.

Does the app replicate LG's Magic Remote pointer (cursor) feature?

Yes. The app includes a gyroscope-based pointer mode: tilt your iPhone to move the webOS on-screen cursor and tap to click — identical interaction to the physical AN-MR22GA or AN-MR23GA. You can also switch to standard D-pad mode in the app settings if you prefer traditional navigation. The scroll wheel function for volume and the dedicated ThinQ AI button are also supported.

Does LG have its own remote app for this TV?

LG ThinQ. LG retired the standalone LG TV Plus app in late 2023 and moved its remote features into ThinQ. ThinQ reaches the TV over local Wi-Fi using LG’s own protocol, so no infrared hardware is involved on either end.

Where is the button on the LG TV itself, and can it reach the settings menu?

LG puts a single joystick nub under the centre of the panel, directly below the logo, and on many sets it is recessed far enough that you locate it by touch rather than sight. A press powers the set; tilting moves through volume, channel, input and the power menu. Some models place it on the lower rear edge instead. The nub reaches basic navigation but not the full network menu on every model. ThinQ is LG’s intended path once the TV is on a network; Ethernet gets you through first-time setup when it is not.

Why would a remote app fail to find my LG TV?

LG’s pairing flow asks for either a PIN shown on the TV or the set’s Wi-Fi Direct password, which lives on the TV’s own device screen — a flow that has stayed broadly the same from webOS 2.0 through webOS 26. The usual reason nothing appears is a band mismatch: the TV on 2.4 GHz and the phone on 5 GHz of the same-named network, or mobile data quietly taking over. Put the phone on the 2.4 GHz band of the same network and switch mobile data off while pairing. If the app wants the Wi-Fi Direct password, read it from the TV’s own device or home dashboard screen.