Losing a TV remote in a bedroom or living room is a common occurrence.
Not to mention, the various advancements and less reliance on physical remote buttons have rendered the TV remote smaller, more discreet, and easier to misplace.
And with most homes having multiple TVs or devices that use their own remote controls, losing the device to the crowd is even more likely.
Most people find their lost remotes within minutes, especially when the device is limited to the confines of a room.
However, things get frustrating when the remote control is lost for more than a few minutes, particularly when you need it to navigate certain TV settings.
So, what do you do when you can’t find the lost remote? Finding a lost remote is not rocket science, but taking the search expedition too lightly could delay recovery and be further antagonizing.
Read on for the things you could do to find your lost TV remote.
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1. Scour the Common Spots
Before resorting to technical measures, manually search the most obvious places.
Start with your hand. As nonsensical as it may sound, some people search for things they could be holding in their hands.
The forgetfulness is akin to the tendency to search the entire house for eyeglasses plopped onto the person’s head like a crown.
Look between the crevices of your couch, behind the settee, under your bed, behind your TV, etc.
If you can turn the couch over or move it, go ahead.
Check all drawers or spots where the remote goes after you’re done watching TV.
Most lost TV remotes are found near the TV. Therefore, ensure your TV’s surroundings are thoroughly checked.
Check your pant pockets. You may like carrying the remote and your smartphone with you wherever you are in your house.
2. Search the Unlikely Spots
If you didn’t find the remote in the likeliest spots, pivot your focus to other areas.
Search the bookshelf if you have one. Perhaps, you absentmindedly kept the remote there while taking out or depositing a book.
Check underneath magazines, blankets, clothes, or any item that could go atop and potentially hide the remote.
Look behind and underneath all furniture. If the task entails moving the stuff, go ahead. Maybe your kid or pet accidentally slid the device under those fixtures.
If the room has an attached bathroom, check the washroom too. It seems like the weirdest spot to look for a lost remote, but maybe the device is in the bathroom cabinet.
Also, inspect your fridge. Perhaps you left your remote in there while grabbing some food.
3. Look Outside the Room
If you always keep the TV remote on hand, you could have carried it to other places in your house.
For instance, if you were holding the remote when heading to the kitchen to make coffee, you may have left it on the counter while trying to pour the concoction or deposited it in the cabinet when looking to grab some coffee beans.
Maybe you got a phone call and left the remote in the kitchen or any other place in the house.
Or maybe you had to get to the door to receive a package. While excitedly unpacking the item, you could have momentarily set the remote aside.
4. Let Other People Know the TV Remote Is Lost
If your solo search efforts don’t bear fruit, let your family or roommates know you’ve lost the remote.
They could help find the remote or communicate when they last saw the device. If they were using the TV a few hours ago, their inputs would come in handy.
Or maybe you have this habit of losing things, and people hid the stray remote as a prank to teach you a lesson.
Also, others in the house may have misplaced the remote and could have kept it in some unusual place. Or your kid could be hiding the remote and enjoying seeing you going restless over it.
Check your child’s toy box. It could have been hidden there or somewhere in your kid’s room.
5. Use the “Find My Remote” Function
Some TVs and remotes have a built-in “find the remote” feature.
For instance, this Sony Bravia with Google TV (2022) comes with a “finder” function that helps locate the TV’s remote when you say, “OK, Google, find my remote.” You may also press a button on the TV’s side to activate the feature.
When you say those magic words or press the button, the remote should ring, making it easier to locate the missed remote.
Hisense is another brand that offers the feature on its A6H Series 4K Google TV. The TV’s remote has a tracker built-in which helps trace it when misplaced.
Amazon offers Alexa Voice Remote Pro with a remote finder function for those whose Fire TV remotes go missing often.
To find the remote, speak into your phone’s Alexa app or an Echo device. You may not employ your voice and use the “Remote Finder” key in your Fire TV app instead.
The Amazon remote is compatible with the Fire TV Cube, Fire Stick Lite, 4K Max, and smart televisions with built-in Fire TV OS.
Roku’s Voice Remote Pro also has the “lost remote finder” functionality. The remote comes bundled with the Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus and Roku Ultra and can also be bought separately.
How to Avoid Losing Your Remote
If you tend to lose your TV remote frequently and spend hours trying to find it, here are a few things you could do to prevent it.
- Set a designated place for your remote. The TV stand or table is not where the remote should rest, but the drawer is. If you want the remote in sight while nestled, use a remote control holder like this Yapishi TV Remote Control Holder . Look at the MaxGear Remote Control Holder for a solid and sturdy accessory.
- Attach a hook-and-loop fastener, like a Velcro strip, to the remote’s back and the back of your TV. When not watching TV, attach the remote to the TV’s rear or any place the fastening strip is installed.
- Keep a universal remote handy so that you don’t lose remote communication with your TV when the actual TV remote is lost. Use the replacement device while the search for the actual remote is on.Universal remotes work with all TV brands or TVs from only a specific brand. For instance, the Angrox Universal Remote Control only works with Samsung smart TVs. The Pairtty Universal TV Remote , on the other hand, pairs with all brands of TVs.
- Attach a tracker to the remote if you like complex solutions for a simple problem or have lost multiple remotes. The device, like this Tile Sticker Small Bluetooth Tracker , sticks to your remote and is linked to your smartphone or smart home device. The next time you lose your remote, summon the device using a smartphone app.
FAQs
Can I Use My Streaming Device Remote as TV Remote?
Yes, you can use your streaming stick remote as a TV remote, but to an extent. For instance, you can power your TV on and off with most Fire Stick or Roku remotes.
If your TV is non-smart, you cannot control the non-smart aspects of your TV with the streaming device’s remote.
If the TV is set to cable TV, you’ll be unable to change channels, TV volume, etc., with just the streaming stick’s remote.
Conclusion
If you’re sure that the TV remote is misplaced somewhere in your room, finding it should be easier as the device shouldn’t have traveled very far.
But if someone took the remote out to another room or floor, locating the misplaced remote can be tricky since the real estate to check has increased.
And if the misplaced remote is outside your house, things will get even more problematic. You may have lost the remote for good.
But don’t fret over a lost, non-recoverable remote, for there’s always a replacement remote to the rescue.
You can also use your smartphone as your TV remote if it has an IR blaster.
If it does, download any TV remote on your phone and control your TV, Blu-ray player, set-top box, audio equipment, or any device that takes IR signals.
Some smart TVs also have remote control apps on Android and iOS phones.
Catherine Tramell has been covering technology as a freelance writer for over a decade. She has been writing for Pointer Clicker for over a year, further expanding her expertise as a tech columnist. Catherine likes spending time with her family and friends and her pastimes are reading books and news articles.