How to Connect Your LG TV to Wi-Fi Without the Magic Remote

Getting a LG TV onto Wi-Fi without a remote is chicken-and-egg: the app needs the network the TV is not on. Ethernet breaks the loop. Also, 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.

Configuring Wi-Fi on a webOS TV without the AN-MR Magic Remote is straightforward if you use the physical chassis button and an Ethernet cable as a bridge. Connect Ethernet to give the TV temporary internet access, then use our iPhone app to connect over the wired network and navigate to webOS Network Settings. Enter your Wi-Fi SSID and password using the on-screen keyboard via the app, save the settings, and disconnect Ethernet. The whole process takes under three minutes.

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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.

App-Guided Wi-Fi Setup for LG TV

Use your iPhone to navigate LG TV network settings and enter Wi-Fi credentials — no physical remote required at any step.

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Use your iPhone as a free LG remote app to navigate LG webOS menus over WebSocket HTTPS (port 3001). Temporarily bridge via Ethernet, then use the app to open Network Settings on your LG webOS and enter Wi-Fi credentials using the on-screen keyboard — no physical remote needed at any step.

How it works

Connect Your LG TV to Wi-Fi — Step by Step

Step 1

Find the button on the LG TV itself

Step 2

Connect Ethernet temporarily

Plug an Ethernet cable into the LG TV's LAN port. This gives the TV network access before Wi-Fi is configured, which is the only way to break the chicken-and-egg problem without a working remote.

Step 3

Install the Remote App

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

Step 4

Connect to your LG TV

Open the app with your phone on the same network. Your LG TV is found over ConnectSDK native channel, then confirm the 8-digit PIN.

Step 5

Get into the settings menu without a remote

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.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Where is the Network Settings menu on LG webOS without a remote?

Connect an Ethernet cable to the LG TV. Install the app on your iPhone and connect — the TV is discoverable via LAN even without Magic Remote. From the webOS Home Dashboard (press Home on the app), navigate: Settings (gear icon top-right) → All Settings → Network → Wi-Fi Connection. Select your network, enter the password using the virtual keyboard shown on your iPhone, and confirm. The TV will save the Wi-Fi credentials and the Ethernet can be removed.

Can I use the physical button on the LG TV chassis to navigate webOS menus?

The single joystick button on LG TV chassis cycles through a simplified On-Screen Control (OSC) menu — enough to power on, adjust volume, or switch inputs. However, entering a Wi-Fi password character-by-character with one button is not feasible. The recommended method for Wi-Fi setup without a remote is: Ethernet cable (for network access) + iPhone app (for full webOS UI navigation and keyboard input).

My LG TV won't appear in the app after connecting via Ethernet — why?

Check these in order: (1) LG TV's IP Control is enabled: Settings → All Settings → General → Devices → TV On With Mobile → set to On. (2) Your iPhone and TV are on the same network subnet — not a separate guest VLAN. (3) Your router does not have AP Isolation enabled. (4) LG TV's Quick Start+ feature is active if the TV is in standby — enable it under Settings → All Settings → General → Quick Start+ so the TV stays discoverable while off.

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.