How to Connect Roku to Wi-Fi Without Remote

Losing the Roku remote is certainly a problem that can happen to anyone. Finding a way to edit your network settings without a remote is a useful thing to know just in case you find the need to do it. Toward that end, we’ll show you some tips on how to connect your Roku device to a Wi-Fi network without the Roku Remote.

Installing the Roku app

One of the first things you’ll need to do before proceeding to the workaround is to install the Roku mobile app on a mobile device. This will serve as a stand-in remote so that you can edit the settings for your Wi-Fi setup. The Roku mobile app is available on both Google Play and the Apple iOS store.

The Roku Chrome App Extension

Because Roku offers API or Application Program Interface to third party developers, some of them have developed a Chrome Extension for the Roku app called Remoku. This works similarly to the Chrome app, but instead of using a mobile device, you can use a computer with a Chrome browser installed. If both your computer and Roku device are on the same network, this will work similarly to the Roku app.

If Your Version of Roku Has an Ethernet Port

To be able to connect the Roku to a Wi-Fi network, you’ll need to make sure that both the Roku Device and your Roku app are both on the same network. If your Roku has an Ethernet cable port, this is a simple matter of using that as a wired network connection first. To do this:

1. Connect an Ethernet cable to the back of your Roku device, and plug the other end to your Wi-Fi router.
2. Once connected, open the Roku mobile app on your mobile device.
3. Make sure that both your mobile device and your Roku device are on the same network.
4. Tap on the remote icon at the bottom of the Roku app. Your Roku device should be automatically detected by the app.
5. Navigate to Settings.
6. Navigate and open Network.
7. Choose Wireless, and Setup a new wireless connection.
8. Roku will now detect all Wireless networks in the area. Wait till the list is populated.
9. Choose the name of your Wi-Fi network then click.
10. Type in the SSID password, then click Connect.
11. Once the Roku device has connected you can remove the Ethernet cable from your device.
12. Continue using the App as a remote if you wish.

If Your Roku Does Not Have an Ethernet Port

The newer versions of Roku are Wi-Fi connection only, so unfortunately the first method will not work. There are workarounds to this though that will depend on whether or not you know the old Wi-Fi network that your Roku device was connected to. If you do, you’ll need two mobile devices for this to work. If you don’t know the old Wi-Fi connection, or the Roku device has been reset, then the method you’ll use will be different.

If You Know the old Wi-Fi Connection

If you know what the old Wi-Fi connection is, what you’ll need to do is to trick your Roku device that it’s connecting to the old network. You can do this by setting up one mobile device as a mobile hotspot and then using the second device as a controller.

Mobile Hotspot and Tethering is usually under the Network and Internet tab of your phone’s settings. Change both the name and the password of your mobile’s Hotspot settings to that of your Roku device’s old network settings. Once both your phone’s Hotspot and the Roku device are turned on, Roku should connect automatically to the network. Connect your second mobile to the Hotspot, then open the Roku mobile app. Use the Remote function by clicking the icon, then change the Wi-Fi settings as indicated on the instructions above.

If Wi-Fi Has Been Reset

If you don’t know your old Wi-Fi name and password, or if the Wi-Fi settings have been reset, then the process gets a bit harder. The first workaround will not work here, as the app will not detect your Roku device. What you can do is borrow a Roku Remote then connect it temporarily to your device.

To pair another Roku remote to your Roku device, push the Pairing button for at least five seconds, and an indicator light will show if it has been paired. The pairing button is at the bottom of the remote, above the battery cap.

Once the remote is paired, navigate to the Network Settings to change or set up your Wi-Fi connection. Once set up, you can use your mobile device connected to the same network as a remote instead.

A Useful Piece of Knowledge

Losing your Roku remote will certainly be a problem especially if you’re trying to connect to a new network. Being able to do this by using a workaround is a useful piece of knowledge to have

Do you have any other tips on how to connect the Roku to a Wi-Fi network without a remote? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.