Turn your iPhone into a free wireless remote replacement for Roku OS. Connects over HTTP REST (Roku ECP) (port 8060) via SSDP auto-discovery. No PIN or pairing code — instant connection. No batteries, no hardware, no paywalls.
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Roku is both an operating system it licenses to other TV makers and, since 2023, a TV brand of its own. Every one of these speaks the same control protocol — the External Control Protocol, plain HTTP on port 8060 — which is why a Roku player and a Roku-made TV behave identically to a phone app.
| Model line / series | TV operating system | How it is controlled over the network | Pairing | On-set button |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roku Select Series TV | Roku OS (2023 onward) | Roku ECP — HTTP on port 8060, found by SSDP | None on most units | Single button, underside or rear |
| Roku Plus Series TV | Roku OS (2023 onward) | Roku ECP — HTTP on port 8060, found by SSDP | None on most units | Single button, underside or rear |
| Roku Pro Series TV | Roku OS (2024 onward) | Roku ECP — HTTP on port 8060, found by SSDP | None on most units | Single button, underside or rear |
| Roku Streaming Stick / Streaming Stick 4K | Roku OS | Roku ECP — HTTP on port 8060, found by SSDP | None on most units | None — it is a stick; use the TV’s own button for power |
| Roku Ultra | Roku OS | Roku ECP over Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet | None on most units | Reset pinhole on the housing |
Roku-made TVs are sold under the Roku name only in North America; elsewhere Roku OS reaches you through a licensee such as TCL, Philips or Sanyo.
Reaching the menu with no remote
Roku TVs ship with a single button, usually on the underside of the panel or on the rear near the ports — manufacturers keep moving it, so check your own set. With the TV off a short press powers it on; with the TV already on, a short press opens the Input List rather than doing nothing, and a long press turns it off.
There is no button path into the network menu: Roku expects a remote or a phone. If the TV was never on your Wi-Fi, plug in Ethernet or a USB keyboard to get through first-time setup, then switch to wireless.
Known Roku failure mode
Roku has a switch that governs exactly this. Settings → System → Advanced system settings → Control by mobile apps decides whether your Roku will accept keypress commands from anything other than its own remote, and Roku’s developer documentation states that from Roku OS 14.1 it has to be set to Enabled for certain ECP keypress commands to land.
What helps: Set Control by mobile apps to Enabled. If discovery itself is failing, the cause is usually the router: SSDP is multicast traffic, and AP isolation, guest networks and some mesh setups drop it. Put phone and TV on the same SSID, or enter the Roku’s IP address by hand.
Step-by-step guides
Each guide walks you through the exact fix — with a free iPhone app as the solution.
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Works with Roku OS over your home Wi-Fi using HTTP REST (Roku ECP) (port 8060). No pairing code required. No account, no subscription, no hardware.
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My Universal TV Remote Control covers every TV in the house, Roku included. But if Roku is all you own, we also make Auxility Remote for Roku TV — built only for Roku — connects with no pairing code and lets you type into YouTube and Netflix search straight from your phone keyboard.