Lost your Roku remote? Don’t worry—you can still connect your Roku to WiFi and start streaming again. All you need is the Roku mobile app on your phone and, in some cases, a mobile hotspot. Here’s everything you need to know about connecting your Roku to WiFi and changing the network without a remote.
Read More: How to Mirror Your iPhone to Roku
How to Connect to Roku Without a Remote
To connect to Roku without a remote, download the official Roku app to your smartphone. Then open the app and sign in to your Roku account. Next, tap “Remote” at the bottom of the app and choose your Roku device. Then you can use the smartphone app as your Roku remote.
Note: Before you begin, connect your smartphone or tablet to the same WiFi network that your Roku device was last connected to. If you can’t connect to your old WiFi network, skip to the next section below.
- Open the Roku app. If you don’t already have the official Roku app installed on your smartphone or tablet, you can download it from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
Note: In order to connect to your Roku player, you’ll need to sign in to the app using the same account used to set up your Roku device.
- Tap “Devices.” You will see this at the bottom of your screen.
- Select your Roku device. If you don’t see your Roku device listed, make sure your device is plugged in and connected to the same WiFi network.
- Finally, tap “Remote.” You will see this at the bottom of your screen.
How to Change Your Roku WiFi Without a Remote
To connect your Roku to WiFi without a remote, you’ll need to set up a hotspot. Then use another device to open the Roku app. Next tap “Remote,” and select your Roku device. Finally, change your Roku WiFi network by going to “Settings > Network > Set up connection > Wireless.”
Note: These steps require you to have two devices: one to set up a hotspot (a smartphone, tablet, or computer), and one to connect to the Roku app (a smartphone or tablet).
- Use one device to set up a hotspot. Your Roku device will try to connect to the last WiFi network it was connected to. So, you’ll need to create a hotspot with the same network name and password as the last WiFi network your Roku was connected to.
To set up a hotspot on an iPhone: Go to “Settings > Personal Hotspot” and enable “Allow Others to Join.” Then tap “WiFi Password” to change your hotspot password. Finally, go to “Settings > General > About > Name” to rename your iPhone to your old WiFi network name (changing your device name will automatically change your hotspot network name).
To set up a hotspot in Windows 11: Go to “Settings > Network & internet > Mobile hotspot.” Then enable “Mobile hotspot” at the top of the window and click “Edit” to change the hotspot name and password. (For best results also switch the “Network band” in the “Edit” settings to 5GHz).
To set up a hotspot on a Mac: Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your screen and select “System Settings.” Then go to “General > Sharing > Internet Sharing.” Next, turn “Internet Sharing” on and choose a selection from “Share your connection from” (you will need an Ethernet cable to make this work). Finally, enable “Wi-Fi” from the list under “To devices using” and enter your hotspot name and password under “Wi-Fi Options.”
- Connect your smartphone to the hotspot. You should see the hotspot you set up in the list of WiFi networks you can connect to in your smartphone settings.
- Open the Roku app and tap “Devices.” You will see this at the bottom of your screen.
- Choose your Roku device.
Note: Once you choose your Roku device, you can continue to use the app remote to stream movies and TV shows. However, if you want to turn off your hotspot, you’ll need to change your Roku’s WiFi network. Here’s how:
- Tap the “Home” button. This will bring you to the Roku home screen.
- Go to “Settings” on your Roku TV. To do this, tap the Up-directional button on the app remote.
- Select “Network.”
- Go to “Set up connection.”
- Select “Wireless.”
- Choose a WiFi network. If you don’t see your WiFi network listed, select “Scan again to see all networks.”
- Finally, enter the WiFi password and select “Connect.” Once you connect your Roku to a new WiFi network, you can disconnect from your hotspot.
