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ZDNET's key takeaways
- If your Roku remote is missing, there are tricks to find it.
- You may be able to ask verbally, or your TV may have a button.
- The Roku app may also help you find your remote.
Even though Roku has introduced many different devices in its tenure as one of the leading names in streaming, one thing has changed very little over the years — the Roku remote. The small, sleek controller has remained an icon of the brand, and there's a good chance you have at least one in your home.
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There's also a good chance you've lost one. And if retracing your steps, lifting up the couch, accusing the kids, and blaming the dog have turned up nothing, you might feel like you're out of options.
You do have several ways to control your Roku without a remote, but if you're not giving up until you find it, there are some tricks you can use to track down your remote, and several ways you can make sure you don't lose it again.
How to find a lost Roku remote
Ask it where it is: If your remote is a Roku Voice Pro (look at the back to see if it has speaker holes), you can just ask “Hey Roku, where's my remote?” and your remote will start chirping. You will need to have hands-free voice turned on (it's a slider on the side) to find it this way.
Use the Roku app: If you don't have voice enabled, open the Roku app. Tap “Devices” at the bottom and then find your device on the list. Tap the three-dot menu on your device listing, and you'll see an option to “Ping remote.” Tap that, and your remote will chime.
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Press the lost remote button on your device: Some devices, like the Roku Ultra, the Roku Streambar SE, the Roku 4, and Roku Pro Series TVs, have a button you can press to find your remote. If you don't know where the button is on your TV, look on the bottom or side of the back.
For Pro Series TVs, it's a dedicated button right above the power button. For other devices, you might have a joystick control, a single button, or a three-button setup. If you have any of those, press a button to open the “Inputs” menu, then select “Find Remote.”
How to make sure you never lose a Roku remote again
Go low-tech and do it yourself: Sometimes, the most effective fixes are the least high-tech. After numerous remotes disappeared from my kids' rooms and they started pilfering them from other TVs in the house, I took drastic measures. I took off the remote's battery cover, drilled a couple of small holes, looped a string through them, and then tied it to my kids' beds (we haven't lost a remote since).
I've also seen people cut a section of pool noodle, cut a slit in it, and then slide the remote into that slit. This way, your remote will never slip between the couch cushions. Again, a bit clunky, but undeniably effective.
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Pick up a product designed to help: If you want to go a little less DIY, there are several third-party products aimed at helping you keep your Roku remote safe. You'll find silicone covers that keep your remote from slipping between cushions, or you could replicate my trick with a remote tether.
Stepping things up a little technologically, I've also heard of attaching an Air Tag or Tile tracker to a Roku remote so you can ping it with an app to hear where it is. Both of those options cost more than an entire replacement remote, but if you've replaced a remote more than once (guilty), it might not be a bad investment.
