As long as you have an Alexa speaker, you can use your voice to control your TV instead of a remote. All you need to do is ask Alexa to turn off your TV, turn up the volume, search for new movies, and so much more. Here’s how to connect Alexa to your TV and the voice commands you can use to control your TV and other home theater devices.
Before You Begin:
In order to connect Alexa to your TV, you first need to connect your smartphone to the same WiFi network as your TV or streaming device. You should also turn your TV or streaming device on and enable WiFi and Bluetooth on your smartphone.
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How to Control Your TV With Alexa
To connect Alexa to your TV, open the Alexa app and go to More > Settings > TV & Video. Then choose your content or service provider from the list, and tap Link or Enable. Next, follow the on-screen instructions to connect Alexa to your TV or streaming device.
- Open the Alexa app. If you don’t already have the Alexa app, you can download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
- Then, tap More. You will see this in the bottom-right corner of the app.
- Next, tap Settings. This will be the option with a gear icon.
- Then, tap TV & Video. You can find this by scrolling down to the Alexa Preferences section.
- Next, select the plus sign next to your TV or streaming device brand.
- Then, tap Link or Enable. This can be different depending on which content or service provider you choose.
Note: Depending on what kind of TV, streaming device, or service provider you have, you might need to log in or follow the on-screen instructions to connect to your TV. For example, when connecting to a Roku TV or streaming device, you will have to sign in to your Roku account. If you are connecting to a Dish TV, you will have to log in and enter a code that appears on your TV screen.
Note: Make sure to sign in to the same account that your TV or streaming device is signed into. Otherwise, you won’t be able to connect it to Alexa. You can find your account information by looking through your TV or streaming device settings.
- Next, follow the on-screen instructions to set up the Alexa skill.
- Then, wait for Alexa to connect to your TV.
- Next, tap Set Up Device.
Note: In the following steps, you can tap Skip and change these settings later.
- Then, wait for Alexa to connect to your TV.
- Next, tap Set Up Device.
- Finally, tap Continue > Done to connect Alexa to your TV.
Once you are done, you can control your TV with voice commands. For example, I would say, “Alexa, turn off first living room Roku,” to turn off my TV without touching the remote. However, if you don’t like the name Alexa gave your TV or streaming device, you can always change it.
How to Rename Your TV in the Alexa App
To rename a connected TV, open the Alexa app and tap Devices in the bottom-right corner. Then select your TV or streaming device and tap Edit Name at the top of your screen to rename your TV. Finally, tap the back arrow button in the top-left corner to save the new name.
- Open the Alexa app.
- Then, go to Devices. You will see this in the bottom-right corner of the app.
- Next, select your connected TV. You might have to scroll down the list of devices to find your connected TV.
- Then, tap Edit Name. You will see this at the top of your screen, right under your current TV name.
- Next, use the on-screen keyboard to change the name of your TV. You can enter any name you want. Ideally, you should choose a name that’s simple and easy to remember.
- Finally, tap the back arrow to save the new name. Once you rename your connected TV, you can use the new name to control it with Alexa. For example, I would now say “Alexa, turn off living room TV” to turn off my TV with voice commands.
Once you connect Alexa to your TV or streaming device, you can use voice commands to control certain features. Here are some of the most common Alexa commands you can use to control your TV:
Common Alexa Commands to Control Your TV
- “Alexa, turn on [TV name].” or “Alexa, turn off [TV name].” These commands either turn on or off your TV.
- “Alexa, go home on [TV name].” This will instantly take you to the home screen on your TV, streaming device, or service.
- “Alexa, lower the volume on [TV name].” This command lowers the volume of your television.
- “Alexa, mute/unmute [TV name].” Mutes/unmutes your television.
- “Alexa, play/pause/resume/stop [TV name].” Control the playback of your device.
- “Alexa, open Hulu TV/Netflix/etc.” This will open streaming devices that you’re subscribed to.
- “Alexa, fast forward/rewind [TV name].” Fast forward or rewind the video that you’re watching.
- “Alexa, search for comedies/drama/horror movies on [TV name].” This will allow you to search for movies by genre.
- “Alexa, play ‘Tropic Thunder’ on [TV name].” This will immediately start playing a movie or TV show. However, you might have to use a remote to sign in to your streaming service before you can start playing certain videos.
- “Alexa, change the input to HDMI1/Xbox.” Changes the input of your television to either HDMI1 or an Xbox, if you have it connected.
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