Can I turn my TCL TV on without a remote?

Yes. Every TCL has a power button on the set itself, so a lost or dead remote never locks you out. TCL says it is commonly under the centre of the TV, behind the TCL logo, along the bottom edge, or on the back or side panel.

Where is the power button on a TCL TV?

It depends on the model, and TCL says so itself. Check the centre underneath, behind the logo, the bottom edge, then the back and sides. On a Roku TV it may be a joystick, which you press in rather than tilt.

How do I turn on a TCL smart TV without a remote?

Press the button on the TV once and give the screen about five seconds. After that, pair a phone remote while the TV is on and switch on its standby network setting, so the phone can do it next time.

Can you turn on a TCL TV with your phone?

Yes, if the TV keeps its network awake in standby and the phone has connected to it before. That setting is Fast TV Start on a TCL Roku TV and Quick start on a TCL Google TV. With neither, a sleeping TCL cannot hear any app.

Why will my TCL TV not turn on with the power button?

Suspect power, not the remote. Plug the TV straight into a wall socket, unplug it for at least 60 seconds, hold its button for about 15 seconds while unplugged, and disconnect all HDMI devices. If there is still no light, sound or click, contact TCL Support.

How do I turn off a TCL TV without a remote?

Press the same power button. On a joystick, pressing it in toggles between on and standby. Some Google TV models go to standby rather than shutting down completely, and TCL says unplugging the TV is the way to power it off fully.

Does Fast TV Start use more power?

Yes. TCL says Fast TV Start uses more power than normal standby and overrides the default power settings. The trade is that the Roku TV stays reachable on Wi-Fi while it is off, which is what lets a phone switch it on.

How to Turn On a TCL TV Without a Remote (Button or Phone)

A TCL TV does not need its remote to switch on. Every set has a power button, but TCL puts it somewhere different on almost every model, and the phone route only works if one setting was changed first. Here is where to look, what to try when the button does nothing, and how to make your iPhone do the job.

How do I turn on a TCL TV without a remote?

TCL’s own support page names four places for the button: under the centre of the TV, behind the TCL logo, along the bottom edge, or on the back or side panel. It adds that the exact spot varies by model. With the TV plugged in, feel along all four. Other brands’ habits are in the general power-on guide.

A TCL Roku TV may have a single button, several buttons or a game-pad style joystick. The manual for the 75S455 says that pressing the joystick in toggles between on and standby. Press it straight in, do not tilt it.

Press once, then wait about five seconds. The panel can be slow to light, and a second press sends the TV back to sleep.

Another device can press for you. TCL’s Roku TV guide suggests a PS4 with HDMI Device Link on, or a Nintendo Switch with Match Power State, but only if set up before the TV was switched off.

Turning it off is the same button. Some Google TV models only drop to standby. TCL calls that normal on the 55QM751G and says to unplug the TV to power it off completely.

What if my TCL TV won’t turn on with the button?

TCL’s page for a TV that will not power on gives one order for Roku, Google TV and Fire TV sets:

Test the wall socket with a lamp or charger, and plug the TV in directly, not through a power strip, surge protector or extension lead.
Unplug the TV for at least 60 seconds (a quick unplug is not enough, TCL says). While it is unplugged, hold its power button for about 15 seconds, then plug in and press it.
Unplug every HDMI device, USB drive and antenna, and try again. If it works, reconnect them one at a time.
Look for signs of life: a standby light that comes on or blinks, a flash of the screen, the TCL logo, a startup sound or a click.

No sign of life points to a fault, and so does a standby light that blinks without the TV starting. Call TCL Support. No remote or app can fix either.

Can I turn on my TCL TV from my phone?

Yes, if the TV keeps its network awake while it sleeps. Plenty of TCLs do not do that out of the box. The switch depends on the system:

TCL Roku TV: Settings > System > Power > Fast TV Start, then tick Enable ‘Fast TV Start’. Without it, TCL says the TV may not stay connected to your wireless network when powered off. It uses more power than normal standby.
TCL Google TV: Quick start, under System > Power & Energy. TCL’s manual for the C635 says it wakes the set faster and raises standby power use. That manual also has Network Standby in the network settings, which needs Quick start on. Newer TCL menus list Quick Start but not Network Standby, so switch on what your set has.

Power On Behavior in the same menu only picks the start screen. It wakes nothing.

One Roku catch: the app’s Power key is a key press, and a Roku set to Limited under Control by mobile apps refuses key presses. Most Roku TVs we have seen are on Limited. The app needs Enabled.

How do I set up my iPhone to turn a TCL on and off?

TCL Google TV and Android TV (the code needs no remote):

Switch the TV on with its button and put the iPhone on the same Wi-Fi.
Open A Decent Remote and tap your TCL.
Type the 6-character code the TV shows (digits and the letters A to F).
Use the app to open the TV’s settings and turn on Quick start, plus Network Standby if there is one.
Tap Power to put the TV in standby, wait a few seconds, and tap it again. Power is a toggle on Android TV, so on a TV that is already on it switches off.

TCL Roku TV:

Switch the TV on with its button. The app finds it with no code.
Arrows and Power do nothing? It is on Limited. Roku’s own free app may drive the menus: if so, open Settings > System > Advanced system settings > Control by mobile apps and choose Enabled (older software calls it Default). If not, a replacement remote is the honest answer.
Turn on Fast TV Start as above, then tap Power in the app to switch off, and again to bring the TV back.

When the iPhone asks to find devices on your local network, tap Allow. The wake signal cannot cross to a guest network, and after a power cut the TV needs one press of its own button before network wake works again. More in the wake settings for other brands. An older TCL with its own menu has a TCL-only connection in the app that nobody has tested on real sets, so use the button.

A Decent Remote is on iPhone today, and the Android version is being built now. Leave your email and you get one message the day it is on Google Play. Pairing and typing are in the TCL app guide.

Is a replacement TCL remote worth buying?

For a Roku TCL, yes: a remote is still the surest way to switch Control by mobile apps to Enabled and turn on Fast TV Start. A third-party replacement (the RC280 and RC282 family) runs about $8 to $15 in the US. Match the code on your old remote.

On a Google TV the phone does the whole job through the code. A voice remote of the RC902V type costs about $18 to $22, so skip it unless you miss the voice button.