Samsung TV Input Button: Change Source Without the Remote

By Klaus Jakobsen, developer of A Decent Remote

Quick answer Three ways: press the controller button hidden behind the bottom-center of the panel (short presses navigate, long press selects) to reach the source menu; pair a remote app like A Decent Remote once and switch inputs from your iPhone forever; or just start playing the device you want, and HDMI-CEC usually switches for you.

A Samsung TV stuck on the wrong HDMI input feels bricked without the remote, but every set has three ways out, and one of them fixes the problem permanently.

Where is the hidden button, and how do I use it?

Nearly every Samsung TV has a single controller button tucked behind the bottom-center of the panel, under the logo (a few models: back, bottom-right). Press it once and a small menu appears. Short presses step through options, a long press selects. Walk to the Source entry, step to the input you want, long-press, done. Awkward, but it works with zero equipment.

How do I switch inputs from my iPhone instead?

The permanent fix. Pair once and the crouching-behind-the-TV era ends:

iPhone on the same Wi-Fi as the TV.
Open A Decent Remote; the TV appears automatically.
Accept the Allow prompt on the TV, using the controller button (or a USB mouse plugged into the TV) if the remote is gone. This happens exactly once.
From then on, inputs, volume, apps, keyboard search and network power-on all live on the phone.

The full no-remote pairing walkthrough is in the lost Samsung remote guide.

Can HDMI-CEC change the input for me?

Often, yes, and it’s the zero-effort route: wake the device you want to watch. A PlayStation controller press, a Fire TV remote tap, an Apple TV wake: each announces itself over HDMI-CEC (Anynet+ in Samsung’s menus) and the TV follows to that input automatically. If it doesn’t, Anynet+ is toggled off in Settings, reachable by either method above.

One honest note: if the TV must join a new Wi-Fi network first and you have no remote, the controller-button walk through Settings → Network is slow but doable, and it’s a one-time job before the phone takes over for good.

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Frequently asked questions

Where is the physical button on a Samsung TV?

Most models hide a single controller button behind the bottom-center of the panel, directly under the Samsung logo; some put it bottom-right on the back. Short presses move the selection, a long press confirms. Power off is press-and-hold from the TV picture.

Can I change input with my phone permanently?

Yes. Pair a remote app once (the TV shows an Allow prompt you accept with the controller button or a USB mouse) and from then on the phone switches inputs, controls volume, and even powers the TV on over Wi-Fi.

Why does my Samsung switch inputs by itself when I start the PlayStation?

That's HDMI-CEC (Samsung calls it Anynet+). Devices announce themselves when they wake, and the TV follows. It also works in your favor: waking the device you want is often the fastest input switch there is.

What if the TV is stuck on a dead input with no picture?

The controller button works regardless of what's on screen, and so does a paired phone app. Either can reach the source menu even when the current input shows nothing.