Hisense TV Remote App: Roku TV, Google TV and VIDAA

No remote right now? Use your phone. NoRemote is free for one TV.

Quick answer: Put your phone on the same Wi-Fi as the TV and open a remote app. If your Hisense is a Roku TV, it connects with no pairing at all. If it’s a Google TV, type the 6-digit PIN the TV shows once. If it’s a VIDAA set, use Hisense’s own mobile app, which the TV links to under Settings > Support > Mobile App Installation.

Hisense doesn’t make one kind of smart TV. Its smart TV platforms page lists Android TV, Fire TV, Google TV, Roku TV, VIDAA, XClass and Xumo models. The right Hisense TV remote app depends entirely on which of those your set runs, so that’s the first thing to check.

Which Hisense TV do you have?

You can tell in about ten seconds from the home screen. Press Home on the remote, or turn the TV on and wait for the main screen to load.

Roku TV: a grid of channel tiles, the Roku logo and a purple menu down the left side.
Google TV: tabs such as For you, Live and Apps across the top, with rows of shows and a Google Play store.
Android TV: rows of apps with Google Play, without the For you tab layout.
VIDAA: a VIDAA logo and Hisense’s own app store. VIDAA sets don’t have Google Play.
Fire TV: “Fire TV” or prime video along the top, and an Alexa button on the remote.

If the home screen doesn’t settle it, find the model number. It’s on a label on the back or one side of the TV, and searching it on the Hisense site shows the platform on the product page. On a Hisense Google TV you can also open Settings > System > About, the same menu the Hisense 43A6H Google TV manual uses for status and system updates.

Not sure your set will work with a phone remote at all? Our will it work checker asks for the brand and home screen and gives a yes or no.

The best Hisense TV remote app for each system

There’s no single app for Hisense TV remote control that covers every model. Here’s what works on each.

Hisense Roku TV

Roku TVs are the easiest. Any Wi-Fi remote app that speaks Roku’s control protocol finds the TV on your network and works right away, with nothing to approve on the TV. Roku’s own mobile app also works.

If the phone can’t connect, Roku’s mobile app troubleshooting page gives two checks. Your phone and Roku TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network, and Settings > System > Advanced system settings > Control by mobile apps must be enabled.

For turning the TV on from the phone, Roku has a power setting called Fast TV Start under Settings > System > Power. Roku’s Fast TV Start article notes it uses more power than normal standby. We cover the button-on-the-set route in how to turn on a Roku TV without the remote.

Hisense Google TV and Android TV

Google TV sets need a one-time PIN. The phone app finds the TV, the TV shows a code, and you type it into the phone. Google’s own Google TV app works this way too: Google’s help page says to tap “TVs nearby”, pick your TV, type the code shown on the TV screen and tap Pair.

For Wi-Fi problems on these sets, the Hisense manual puts the network menu at Settings > Network & Internet, and network status at Settings > System > About > Status.

Hisense VIDAA

VIDAA is Hisense’s own system, and NoRemote doesn’t support it. That’s the honest answer, so don’t spend time on third-party apps that claim every Hisense model.

Hisense makes its own mobile app for VIDAA. Its support FAQ calls it the Hisense Remote NOW app and says to “use your mobile device as your clicker.” The Hisense 55A6GV VIDAA manual gives the setup:

Open Settings > Support > Mobile App Installation on the TV and scan the QR code with your phone. The manual says the app is on both Android and iOS.
Make sure the phone and TV are on the same network.
Turn on Settings > System > Application Manager > Content Sharing.
Open the app and select your TV.

The manual lists power on and off, volume, channel switching and typing with the phone keyboard among the app’s functions.

Hisense Fire TV, XClass and Xumo

Some Hisense sets run Fire TV. A phone remote can control Fire TV, but ADB debugging has to be turned on in the TV’s Developer Options first, which takes a working remote or another way to move through the menus. XClass and Xumo models aren’t covered by NoRemote.

How to set up a TV remote app for Hisense TV

Here’s the sequence for a Hisense Roku TV or Google TV, start to finish. It takes about two minutes.

Check the system using the home screen guide above.
Join the same Wi-Fi. Connect your phone to the exact network the TV uses. Turn off mobile data and any VPN for the first connection.
Wake the TV. It has to be on, or in a standby mode that keeps Wi-Fi alive, to show up.
Open the app and pick the TV from the list of TVs found on your network.
Finish the first connection. Roku TV: nothing to do. Google TV: type the 6-digit PIN from the TV screen.

If the TV never appears in the list, the cause is almost always the network: a guest network, a mesh node that separates devices, or a phone that slipped onto mobile data. Our TV not found guide walks through each fix in order.

How NoRemote helps on a Hisense TV, and its limit

NoRemote is a free Wi-Fi remote app for iPhone and Android that works with Hisense Roku TV, Google TV and Android TV models. NoRemote is made by Vesoft and isn’t affiliated with Hisense.

It finds your TV on the home Wi-Fi automatically. On a Hisense Roku TV there’s no pairing step; pick the TV and the buttons work. On a Hisense Google TV, enter the 6-digit PIN shown on the TV once. After that you get the full remote for one TV, free: power, volume, channels, the D-pad and OK, back, home, a number pad and input switching. You can type searches and passwords with your phone keyboard instead of pecking at letters with arrows, and open streaming apps on the TV from the phone. Power-on over Wi-Fi works where the TV supports it.

The limit: NoRemote does not work with Hisense VIDAA TVs, and it has no infrared, so it can’t control a Hisense set that isn’t a smart TV. It also needs the phone and TV on the same Wi-Fi network; it won’t work over mobile data. If your Hisense is VIDAA, use Hisense’s own app or the TV buttons.

When the phone app isn’t the answer

Sometimes the TV is off the network entirely, or it’s a VIDAA set and you don’t want another app. Hisense’s own FAQ gives two fallbacks: “Use the power button and side buttons on your Hisense TV” to change channels and volume, or order a new or universal remote. Where those buttons sit varies by model, so on most sets look along the bottom edge or the back.

If your original remote just stopped responding, check it before replacing it. Our remote not working checklist covers batteries, pairing and the phone camera test that shows whether an IR remote is still sending a signal. For Hisense Google TV remotes, the manual also says the remote can’t pair while the TV is in standby, and that Bluetooth must be on under Settings > Remotes & Accessories.

Households with more than one brand can see how setup differs on other TVs in our LG TV remote app guide and Insignia TV remote app guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an app to control a Hisense TV?

Yes. Hisense Roku TV and Hisense Google TV models work with universal Wi-Fi remote apps such as NoRemote, and with the Roku app or the Google TV app. VIDAA models use Hisense’s own mobile app, which the TV links to from Settings > Support > Mobile App Installation.

How do I use my phone as a remote for my Hisense TV?

Connect the phone to the same Wi-Fi network as the TV, open a remote app and pick the TV from the list. A Roku TV connects straight away, a Google TV shows a 6-digit PIN to type into the phone once, and a VIDAA set needs Hisense’s own app.

Does NoRemote work with Hisense VIDAA TVs?

No. NoRemote does not support VIDAA. On a VIDAA set, use Hisense’s own mobile app, the buttons on the TV, or a replacement remote.

How do I know if my Hisense TV is VIDAA or Google TV?

A Google TV home screen has tabs such as For you, Live and Apps along the top, plus Google Play. A VIDAA set shows a VIDAA logo and has the VIDAA app store instead of Google Play. Typing the model number from the label on the back into the Hisense site settles it.

Can I turn on my Hisense TV with my phone?

Often, yes, if the TV is already on your Wi-Fi and its network wake setting is on. On VIDAA sets Hisense puts Wake on LAN and Wake on Wireless Network under Settings > Network. If the TV is fully off or unplugged, use the power button on the TV instead.

Why can’t my phone find my Hisense TV?

The phone and TV are almost always on different networks, or the phone is on mobile data. Put both on the same home Wi-Fi, turn off any VPN on the phone and try again. Guest networks with device isolation block phone remotes completely.

Sources

NoRemote turns your phone into a free remote for one Hisense Roku TV or Google TV on your home Wi-Fi.

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