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Slowly yet indeed, a Vizio smart TV has become synonymous with home entertainment in America–-but what if you lose the remote? You’d undoubtedly feel hostage to a situation when you deserve to relax after a long day.
But no worries, we’ve got you covered in this post as we’ll show you how to connect Vizio TV to WiFi without using your remote. Specifically, we’ll walk you through five workarounds you can DIY complete with all the details you need, so read up!
How to Connect Your Vizio TV to the WiFi Without a Remote
Using an alternative control option is the best way to connect your Vizio TV to your WiFi router if a working remote is unavailable. In such cases, you can also opt for a wired internet connection instead of wirelessly connecting to the WiFi router.
Below is a rundown of all alternative methods we recommend when setting up an internet connection on your Vizio TV without its remote control. These methods will only work on Vizio smart TVs since older models don’t support WiFi connection.
FIX 1. Connect your Vizio TV and WiFi router using an ethernet cable
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 4 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 10 seconds |
| Things Needed | A Vizio smart TVAn ethernet cableA working internet connection |
Connecting your Vizio TV to a WiFi router typically involves configuring the internet connection under the device’s network settings menu. A working remote seems essential, as it’s your only way to navigate the settings menu on your Vizio TV.
Fortunately, there’s another way to connect your Vizio TV to the WiFi without a remote control. You can do this by switching to a wired internet connection using an ethernet cable that will link your Vizio TV directly to the WiFi router.
With this arrangement, your Vizio TV can access the Internet without setting up a WiFi connection. After all, plugging an ethernet cable into your Vizio TV and WiFi router establishes the connection automatically.
As long as your WiFi network has access to the internet, your Vizio TV shouldn’t have any issues connecting. The only downside is that this method doesn’t provide an alternative control option for operating your Vizio TV.
Step 1: Press the power button on your Vizio TV to turn it off. |
Step 2: Plug one end of your ethernet cable into the Vizio TV’s LAN port. |
Step 3: Plug the ethernet cable’s other end into your WiFi router’s LAN port. Note: To avoid connectivity issues, the ethernet cable must be connected securely to your Vizio TV and WiFi router. |
| Step 4: Press the power button on your Vizio TV to turn it back on. Note: Your Vizio TV will automatically be connected once plugged into a WiFi router with Internet access. |
If your Vizio TV was turned on when you plugged in the ethernet cable, you must turn it off first to ensure the connection changes are applied. Once you turn your Vizio TV back on, it should be connected to the Internet via a wired connection.
Even when connected to the Internet, the functions you can access on your Vizio TV will be limited without a remote control. As such, check out the solutions below if you also need an alternative way of operating your Vizio TV.
FIX 2. Operate your Vizio TV using a USB keyboard
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 5 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 1 minute and 20 seconds |
| Things Needed | A Vizio smart TVA wired or wireless USB keyboard |
While a wired network connection fixes the need for a working remote control, there are unique ways to having an alternative control option for your Vizio TV. For starters, use a USB keyboard as your Vizio TV’s temporary remote control.
This way, you don’t have to limit yourself to a wired network connection that relies on you having a spare ethernet cable around. Even if ethernet cables are inexpensive and easy to get, you might not always have one ready at a moment’s notice.
As such, having another option like a USB keyboard should be a welcome workaround in such cases. However, you could also argue that some people do not always have a spare USB keyboard, so it might not be as effective as it sounds.
Still, having more options whenever you find yourself in a pinch doesn’t hurt. Hence, we believe using a USB keyboard to connect your Vizio TV to your WiFi without a remote control is a very accessible solution you can’t afford to pass on.
Step 1: Press and hold the volume down and input buttons on your Vizio TV simultaneously for 10 seconds. Note: You can often find these buttons on the left or right side of a Vizio TV’s rear panel. Some Vizio TVs only require holding the input button for a factory reset. |
Step 2: Wait for your Vizio TV to clear its memory and reset its system. |
Step 3: Plug your USB keyboard’s connector into the Vizio TV’s USB port. Note: If you’re using a wireless USB keyboard, it must have a Bluetooth dongle since Vizio TVs don’t support true wireless keyboards. |
Step 4: Use the arrow buttons on the USB keyboard to navigate your Vizio TV’s setup menu and press the enter key to make a selection. |
Step 5: Use the USB keyboard to type in your WiFi network’s password once you get to the setup’s “Choose a WiFi network” section. |
If you’re unsure what kind of USB keyboard to use, going with Vizio’s wireless keyboard might be the safest option. You can try other third-party keyboards that can plug into your Vizio TV via a wired USB cable or wireless Bluetooth dongle.
FIX 3. Use the Vizio TV mobile app
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 10 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 1 minute and 30 seconds |
| Things Needed | A Vizio smart TVAny smartphoneA working internet connection |
Regarding the alternative control options you can try, the official Vizio mobile app is a top contender. After all, this companion app was designed to work alongside Vizio TVs, serving as a temporary control option in case its original remote stops working or dies.
With the Vizio mobile app, you can navigate your TV’s settings menu and set up a WiFi network connection. It’s why we think it’s an excellent choice when you want to connect your Vizio TV to your WiFi without a remote control around for you to use.
Additionally, the Vizio mobile app is easier to use than a USB keyboard since it was developed for this specific purpose. You also don’t have to worry about compatibility issues since it’s guaranteed to work with all Vizio smart TV models.
The only reason you won’t be able to use the Vizio mobile app as a temporary remote is if you don’t have a smartphone. More often than not, this wouldn’t be a problem since about 86% of the total world population owns a smartphone.
Step 1: Go to the preinstalled app store on your phone. |
Step 2: Click the app store’s search bar. |
Step 3: Enter “Vizio mobile” and click its name from the text suggestions. |
Step 4: Click the Install or Get button to download the Vizio Mobile app on your smartphone. |
Step 5: Launch the Vizio mobile app and click Continue As a Guest to proceed. |
Step 6: Agree to the Vizio Account Terms of Use and click Continue. |
Step 7: Click Select a Device. |
Step 8: Click Get Started. |
Step 9: Go to SmartCast TV or Display. |
| Step 10: Select your Vizio TV and enter the pin code on its screen. Note: Once the app connects to your Vizio TV, you can use its remote control buttons to operate the unit and set up a WiFi connection. |
Aside from the TV, you can also use the mobile app to operate your Vizio home theaters and sound bars. Additionally, the mobile app allows you to access and manage your Vizio TV’s preinstalled applications remotely.
FIX 4. Use a Vizio TV universal or replacement remote
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 5 to 10 seconds |
| Things Needed | A Vizio TV universal or replacement remote |
A straightforward answer to a lost or broken Vizio TV remote control is to get a replacement that you can use to operate the device. Finding a suitable replacement controller is how you can connect your Vizio TV to the WiFi without a remote control.
Your options include an official Vizio replacement remote control or a universal remote that works with various TV brands and models. With the Vizio replacement remote control, you can skip the setup process since it will work with your TV.
On the other hand, a universal remote control is a more versatile option because you can use it with other devices. Either of these options will be valuable depending on what you’re looking for in a replacement remote control.
Here are some Vizio replacement and universal remote control options you can check out for your TV. We’ve included the links for these devices if you immediately decide to get one for your Vizio TV.
Note: The first option is a universal remote control that works natively with Vizio TVs, including other TV brands and models.
If you use a standard universal TV remote control, you must set it up to work on your Vizio TV first. Below is a table listing various Vizio TV codes for setting up your standard universal remote control.
| 3-Digit Codes | 4-Digit Codes | 5-Digit Codes |
| 004 | 0030 | 01377 |
| 011 | 0117 | 10117 |
| 113 | 0178 | 10120 |
| 502 | 1078 | 10117 |
| 505 | 1292 | 10885 |
| 627 | 1758 | 11756 |
Note: Universal remote controls have a manual that lists the codes for different TV brands. We recommend using the codes listed there for Vizio TV if the ones on our table don’t work.
FIX 5. Use a third-party remote app on your smartphone
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 8 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 60 seconds |
| Things Needed | A Vizio smart TVAny smartphone with an IR sensorA working internet connection |
Believe it or not, third-party remote control apps can also operate a Vizio TV. Using third-party apps will help you connect your Vizio TV to the WiFi without a remote control since you can use them to navigate the device’s settings menu.
These third-party apps will turn your smartphone into a temporary TV remote control like the official Vizio mobile app. It means you can use your smartphone when you don’t have a working Vizio TV remote control or an available replacement.
You can resort to these third-party remote control apps if the Vizio mobile app is unavailable to download in your region’s Google Play or Apple App Store. Some smartphone brands like Xiaomi may also include a built-in remote control app.
Please note that most apps only work on smartphones with an IR sensor. Unlike the Vizio mobile app, third-party apps don’t connect to your TV via your WiFi network, so they can only communicate using infrared technology.
| Step 1: Open the built-in app store on your smartphone. |
| Step 2: Go to the search bar. |
Step 3: Enter “Vizio TV remote” and click its name from the text suggestions. |
Step 4: Click the Install or Get button beside the third-party Vizio TV remote app you want to use. |
Step 5: Click Open once the app is installed on your smartphone. |
Step 6: Swipe left or right and select the compatible remote control for your Vizio TV. |
Step 7: Click OK to continue with the device search. |
| Step 8: Connect to your Vizio TV and use the third-party remote control app to operate it. |
