Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The app never needs the physical remote. As long as your Roku is powered on and joined to Wi-Fi, Remote for Roku discovers it over ECP and takes over every key, including OK, HOME, and BACK.

Open Settings then Network with the on-screen D-Pad, choose Set up connection, and pick the new network. Use the iPhone keyboard to type the password, then confirm with OK.

ECP discovery needs both devices on the same private network. Many hotels isolate guest devices from each other, which blocks discovery — a travel router restores a shared subnet so the app can see the Roku.

Point-anywhere Roku remotes pair over Wi-Fi Direct, which can drop after a firmware update or power event. Remote for Roku sidesteps that link entirely by sending commands over your home network via ECP.

It means the remote lost its Wi-Fi Direct pairing and is trying to reconnect. The blink is a pairing search, not a battery warning, and it does not affect the app.

Yes. Remote for Roku does not touch the hardware remote at all. It sends commands over Wi-Fi via ECP, so battery corrosion, leaks, or drained cells have no impact on control.

The Roku streams its audio over your local Wi-Fi to the app, which plays it through whatever headphones are attached to your iPhone. The TV speakers stay silent while you watch.

Remote for Roku captures speech on your iPhone, converts it to a search query, and sends it to the Roku over Wi-Fi. The device runs the on-screen search exactly as a hardware voice remote would.

The common Secret Screen is HOME five times, then UP, RW, RW, FF, FF. Remote for Roku sends each keypress as a clean ECP command, so the sequence is far easier to land than on a hardware remote.

Yes. Remote for Roku discovers every Roku on your network at once and lets you switch between them from a single list. There is no per-device pairing to manage.

Yes. On Roku TVs and the Streambar, Remote for Roku reaches the input tiles through ECP. Highlight the HDMI source and press OK to switch, just like the hardware input key.

Sticks tucked tightly behind a panel trap heat with no airflow. An HDMI extender that moves the stick into open space, plus a wall power adapter instead of the TV USB port, usually resolves it.

The core remote — D-Pad, OK, HOME, BACK, VOL+, VOL-, MUTE, instant SSDP discovery, Private Listening, and keyboard input — are all free with no time limit. A one-time or subscription upgrade unlocks Lock Screen widgets, Control Center tile, and Live Activities.

Premium unlocks three features that extend the remote beyond the app itself: a Lock Screen widget for iOS 18 StandBy mode, a Control Center tile to launch commands without opening the app, and Live Activities that surface now-playing controls in the Dynamic Island.

Open Remote for Roku, go to Settings, and tap Restore Purchases. The app queries the App Store using your Apple ID — no account or code required. Purchases restore within a few seconds on an active internet connection.