Roku Tv Remote Control

Review by eFreeware

The most striking thing about Roku TV Remote Control is how little it asks of you: if your phone and your Roku device sit on the same Wi-Fi network, the developer says the two connect in seconds. That is the whole pitch, and for a free app in the Tools category it is a sensible one. A remote is the sort of object that goes missing behind cushions or dies at the worst moment, and having a spare inside a device you already carry has obvious appeal.

The app comes from Attractive Apps Valley and is built specifically for Roku TVs and Roku streaming players rather than as a general-purpose universal remote. It has passed a million installs and holds a 3.8 average across 2,931 ratings, which suggests a working tool with a fair share of dissatisfied users. I would treat it as a practical backup rather than a replacement you plan around.

This review looks at what the app does, the two ways it connects, what the free download actually involves, and where a dedicated remote app sits against the alternatives.

Who gets the most from a phone-based remote

The clearest case for this app is a household where the physical Roku remote has gone missing, or where its batteries have died and nobody has replacements to hand. The developer frames the app as a way around exactly those two problems, and that framing is fair. If you can reach your phone and your Roku is on the same network, you have a working remote again without buying anything.

It also suits people who misplace the remote regularly rather than occasionally, or who want a second controller so two people are not passing one handset back and forth. Anyone who types a lot of search terms on a TV will likely appreciate having a full keyboard on the phone screen instead of arrow-key navigation, since the app includes both a touchpad and a keyboard.

The app is aimed at Roku hardware specifically, and the developer lists TCL, Philips, Hisense, Sharp and Element among the supported brands, along with common Roku TV models. If your television runs a different smart platform, this is not the tool for it. This is an independent app and not an official Roku product, so nobody should install it expecting first-party support.

The everyday controls it puts on your phone

At its core the app mirrors the buttons you would find on a physical Roku remote. You can power the television on or off, adjust the volume, move through menus and pick channels, which covers the routine of watching something without hunting for the handset. The app is meant to match the functionality of the remote that came with the TV, with no stripped-down set of controls.

A touchpad handles navigation, and a keyboard is included for entering text. That combination matters more than it might sound: on-screen keyboards driven by a directional pad are slow, and typing a title or a password through a phone keyboard is a noticeably different experience. The touchpad is the part I would expect to take a little getting used to, since swiping on glass does not give the same physical feedback as pressing buttons.

The app also reaches into the Roku channel store. You can browse local channels and install new or trending ones, with Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Plex, Pluto TV, Distro TV, FITE, NTD and NBA named among the examples. Being able to add a channel from the phone rather than working through the TV interface is a convenience, and it is the feature that goes furthest beyond simply duplicating a remote.

Wi-Fi and infrared: two ways to connect

The app supports two connection methods, and which one you use depends on your hardware. Wi-Fi mode requires the phone and the Roku device to share one network. That is the simplest setup and the one most people will use, but it does tie the app to your home network: the phone and the television have to be talking to the same router for the connection to work.

The second option is infrared. If your phone has a built-in IR blaster, or you have an external one, the app can control the TV that way. Infrared does not depend on the network at all, which makes it a useful fallback, but it does require that extra hardware. Phones with built-in blasters are uncommon these days, so most people will be relying on Wi-Fi rather than infrared.

Having both paths is a reasonable design, since it means the app is not useless if your network is misbehaving or your Roku is on a guest connection you cannot join. It is worth checking which of the two your phone can actually use before you count on the app as your only remote.

What the free download involves

The app is free to download, and it carries advertising. In-app purchases are also offered. I would go in expecting a free tool supported by ads and optional spending, and judge it on whether the core remote functions do what you need.

Because the app is free, it is easy to try without commitment, which suits its role as a backup rather than a primary purchase. The 3.8 average from 2,931 ratings is worth weighing here: it is a decent score rather than a glowing one, and for a utility app that people reach for in a pinch, a mixed reception is something to keep in mind.

The app was released in June 2025 and last updated in October 2026, so it has had time to settle. There is no changelog attached to the latest update, so there is nothing specific to point to as newly added or fixed.

How it compares with the obvious alternatives

The most direct alternative is simply replacing the remote you lost. A physical Roku remote gives you tactile buttons, needs no network, works from across the room and does not depend on your phone's battery. If your remote is broken rather than misplaced, buying a replacement is the more durable fix, and it avoids the small friction of unlocking a phone every time you want to pause something.

A second option is the official Roku mobile app, which is made by the company behind the hardware. Someone who wants first-party software and the assurance that comes with it will naturally look there first. This app is explicit that it is not affiliated with Roku or with the television brands it supports, so it is an independent effort rather than an official companion.

The third path is doing nothing and using the buttons on the television itself. Many sets have basic controls on the chassis, enough to change volume or navigate a menu in an emergency. That costs nothing and requires no setup, though it is a poor substitute for regular viewing. Where this app stands out is as the middle option: more capable than the buttons on the TV, more convenient than hunting for a replacement remote, and free to try.

A sensible spare for Roku households

Roku TV Remote Control does one job and does it in a way that costs nothing to try. It turns an Android phone into a working remote for a Roku TV or streaming player, over Wi-Fi when both devices share a network or over infrared when your phone has the hardware for it. Power, volume, channel selection, a touchpad, a keyboard and access to the channel store cover the tasks most people actually perform while watching something.

The caveats are straightforward. It is built for Roku hardware, so it has nothing to offer owners of other smart TV platforms. The Wi-Fi mode depends on your phone and Roku sharing a network, and the infrared mode depends on an IR blaster your phone may not have. It is free but ad-supported with in-app purchases, and the 3.8 rating suggests it works well for many people and less well for others.

I would suggest it to anyone with a Roku TV or streaming player who has lost a remote, killed a set of batteries at an awkward moment, or simply wants a second controller within reach. As a free backup that takes seconds to set up on a home network, it is an easy thing to keep installed. As a permanent replacement for the remote that came in the box, a physical handset remains the more dependable choice.