Home » How to » How to Connect Roku to Wi-Fi Without Remote

As per most streaming devices, the Roku TV’s capability is a bit limited when there is no Wi-Fi or when you can’t find your remote.

While unlikely, you may have purchased a Roku TV from a third-party seller or secondhand, and the remote was simply not included. Perhaps the remote was included but it was not functional or broken.

Since the overwhelming majority of actions happen on a remote to use these devices, this would seem to be an unenviable roadblock.

If you run into a situation where you do not have a Roku TV remote but want to connect the Roku TV to Wi-Fi, here are a few methods of connecting your Roku TV to Wi-Fi without a remote.

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With the handy Roku app, you can perform basically any function you would be able to with a remote control even if your Roku TV has never been connected to the internet.

In the app store of your service, search for the Roku app, and choose the Roku – Official Remote Control app, install it, then open it.

If you have a Roku account you can link up to it when you sign in, or you can do so as a guest.

Here is where the limitation comes into play. If your Roku TV has not been connected to the internet before, it will not have a formal IP address until such time.

In that case, the device list or applicable Roku TV devices will not be spotted by the app as it needs an address.

If you are trying to deal with a device that has been connected before, or you want to switch it to a different Wi-Fi network without a remote, the app will let you operate exactly how a remote would.

If the app detects your device, the Roku TV will show up on a list of “found” devices. By selecting it from the list, your phone will sync up to it and become your remote.

From there you can navigate to the settings and link up to the Wi-Fi just as you would do with your remote.

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Some people prefer not to use their phones as their remotes for various reasons. Perhaps they don’t like the Roku app’s interface or just don’t enjoy installing extra apps on their phones regardless of what they are.

Another option for controlling your Roku TV and linking it to Wi-Fi without a remote is to use the Remoku Chrome Extension.

Extensions are customized features on Google’s Chrome browser that allow the Chrome window to function just like a Roku remote.

From the extension, a user can see the remove just like it was their regular handheld option, link it up to the located Roku, and manipulate any necessary Wi-Fi settings.

Finally, there is a complication that is challenging to overcome that was mentioned earlier. If the Roku TV has not been connected to Wi-Fi before, it will not have an IP address which will likely render it invisible to any phone or browser. That would make you stuck.

However, certain Roku devices, including some Roku TVs have an ethernet port on them. This is a way to hardwire your internet connection.

By being linked up to the internet via ethernet cable, the Roku TV will get an IP address and be able to be identified from either the Chrome browser or the phone Roku app.

This will also allow streaming to be possible. While connected, you can then navigate to the Settings, go to the Network section, select Set Up Connection, and choose Wireless.

From there you will be able to choose the Wi-Fi network of your preference. You will need to enter a password to connect to it.

You do not need both the ethernet cable and Wi-Fi together. Once you are connected to Wi-Fi without the help of a physical remote, you will be able to disconnect the ethernet cable and operate just with Wi-Fi.

Having a remote for the Roku TV makes dealing with the streaming set much easier, but sometimes, for various reasons, a remote may not be available.

However, as long as you can use the above strategies to connect the Roku TV to Wi-Fi without a remote, you will be able to enjoy all of this powerful and popular platform’s many app offerings.

Let me know if this helped connect your Roku player to Wi-Fi without a remote. If you found success doing something else, leave a comment down below!

For years technology has been a big part of Gardy's life. He's an Android guy with a secret love for Apple products. You'll often find him drawing with a pencil.

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