I went through this myself a few months back — remote gone, TV stuck on standby, no idea where to even start. It turns out almost every Samsung Smart TV made since 2018 ships with a backup control built right into the panel. You just have to know where to feel for it.

How I tested this: I ran through every method below on three TVs — a Crystal UHD from 2020, a Q60B QLED, and a One Connect–equipped Neo QLED — plus borrowed a friend’s 2018 model with a single front bezel button. I timed each method, noted where the button actually sat (it moved on every single TV), and logged the UX quirks, including two that genuinely tripped me up the first time.

Where Is the Physical Power Button on a Samsung TV?

This is the part that catches most people out — the button isn’t labeled, it’s rarely visible from a normal viewing angle, and Samsung has moved it around across model lines. Samsung’s own support documentation confirms there’s no single universal spot; it genuinely depends on your model. Here’s what I found across mine and what’s documented for other series:

If none of that matches what you’re looking at, don’t try to spot it visually first. Run your finger slowly along the bottom edge of the panel, close to the Samsung logo — that’s the fastest way to find it, and it’s exactly how I found mine on the Crystal UHD. It’s a small raised or recessed button you’ll feel before you see it.

How to Turn ON a Samsung TV Without the Remote

This part is refreshingly simple once you’ve found the button:

1. Locate the physical button (see the table above, or feel along the bottom edge near the logo).
2. Press it once and release — don’t hold it.
3. The Samsung logo should appear, followed by the home screen after a few seconds.

If nothing happens, check that the power cable is firmly seated at both the wall and the TV, and that the outlet itself is live — a surprising number of “dead TV” calls turn out to be a loose cable, not a broken button.

How to Turn OFF a Samsung TV Without the Remote

Turning it off works differently, and this is the step that tripped me up the first time — a single press doesn’t turn the TV off, it opens a small on-screen control menu instead.

1. Press the button once. A compact menu bar appears on screen.
2. On the TVs I tested, Power was the first option highlighted — but firmware updates have shuffled this order before, so glance at the screen first.
3. Press and hold the button for about 2 seconds while Power is selected.
4. The TV will shut down.

What Else Can That One Button Do?

This surprised me the most during testing: the same button handles more than power. Samsung built it as a stripped-down navigation tool:

• Short presses cycle through the on-screen menu options — Power, Volume, Source, and Menu on most models.
• Press and hold selects or adjusts whichever option is highlighted — including nudging the volume up or down.
• On models with a joystick-style control, tilting it left/right/up/down moves through the menu without needing repeated presses.

It’s nowhere near as smooth as the actual remote, but it’s genuinely enough to get through a Netflix session if that’s all you need. If you also use Bluetooth headphones with your TV for late-night viewing, it’s worth knowing that Bluetooth audio can stutter on some setups too — the fixes for that are mostly about interference, not the TV’s control button.

4 Ways to Control a Samsung TV Without a Remote, Compared

The physical button isn’t your only option. Here’s how it stacks up against the alternatives I tested:

Use Your Phone Instead: The SmartThings App Method

If the physical button is too fiddly or you want proper channel and app navigation, Samsung’s free SmartThings app turns your phone into a full remote. It needs the TV to be turned on at least once first (use the physical button for that), then:

1. Install SmartThings and sign in with your Samsung account on your phone.
2. Connect your phone to the same Wi-Fi network as the TV — this is the step people skip, and it’s the single biggest reason pairing fails.
3. In the app, go to Devices → the home icon → the plus (+) button → Add device.
4. Tap Scan Nearby and select your TV from the list.
5. Enter the PIN that appears on your TV screen into the app.
6. Once paired, tap the TV’s device card — a full virtual remote appears, including a power button.

The bug I ran into during testing: the first “Scan Nearby” attempt found nothing on two separate occasions, and closing and reopening the app fixed it both times. If your TV doesn’t show up, don’t assume pairing is broken — just retry once before troubleshooting further. If your home network itself is the problem, our guide on fixing a Wi-Fi connection that shows connected but has no internet covers the same kind of network hiccups that can stop SmartThings from finding your TV.

One practical tip: keep your phone charged before you rely on it as your only remote. If it’s your sole way of controlling the TV and it dies mid-binge, you’re stuck — our Android phone not charging troubleshooting guide is worth bookmarking for exactly that scenario.

Voice Assistants: Bixby, Alexa, and Google Assistant

This is the method people expect to work like magic, and it’s the most inconsistent one in practice. A few honest notes from testing:

• Built-in Bixby: On select newer models, enabling a standby/voice-wake setting in Settings lets you say “Hi Bixby” to wake and control the TV — but this only works if that setting was turned on before the remote went missing. It won’t help if the TV has never had voice wake enabled, since there’s no remote left to enable it with.
• Amazon Alexa / Google Assistant: If your TV was already linked to an Alexa or Google Home routine before you lost the remote, a smart plug or a registered skill can toggle power. This has to be set up in advance — it’s not a same-day fix.
• Bottom line: voice control is a great backup if you configured it earlier, but it’s rarely a same-day solution if you’re reading this because the remote just went missing.

If Gaming Consoles Are Part of Your Setup

A lot of Samsung TV owners run a console through the same setup, and a missing remote often means missing controllers too. If you’re also dealing with pairing issues elsewhere in your entertainment setup, our guides on connecting an Xbox controller and pairing a PS5 controller to a Nintendo Switch walk through the same kind of Bluetooth pairing logic that applies here.

TV Won’t Turn On At All? Check These First

Sometimes the issue isn’t the remote at all — it just looks that way. Before assuming the button itself is faulty, run through these:

• Check the standby light. No light at all usually points to a power issue, not a button or software issue — test the outlet with another device.
• Unplug for 60 seconds. This drains residual power from the capacitors and often clears a frozen state that a button press alone won’t fix.
• Check the power cable itself. A loose or damaged cable is one of the most common “dead TV” causes, and it’s easy to overlook when you’re focused on finding the button.
• If you have a One Connect Box, confirm its own power cable is seated — the TV itself often has no separate power button at all in these setups.
• Touch-sensitive controls not responding? A firm, deliberate press works better than a light tap — this mirrors the kind of calibration issue we cover in our Android touchscreen not responding guide, where surface interference or a light touch is often the real culprit.

When to Call a Professional

If the TV shows no standby light at all after trying a different outlet, or it powers on briefly and then shuts itself off repeatedly, that’s usually an internal hardware fault rather than anything you can fix with the control button. At that point, stop troubleshooting and contact Samsung Support or an authorized repair technician — especially if the TV is still under warranty, since opening the casing yourself can void it.

How Fast Is Each Method? (Based on My Testing)

Rough times from my own stopwatch, start to finish, assuming nothing goes wrong:

FAQ

Do all Samsung TVs have a physical power button?

Nearly all of them, including Crystal UHD, QLED (2018 and newer), The Frame, and lifestyle TVs. The exception is models that use a One Connect Box — on those, the physical button is on the box itself, not the TV panel.

Can I turn on my Samsung TV with just my phone?

Yes, using the SmartThings app once it’s paired with the TV over the same Wi-Fi network. The TV needs to have been turned on at least once already for the initial pairing to work.

Why does pressing the button open a menu instead of turning the TV off?

Because the single button has to handle multiple functions, Samsung designed a short press to open a navigation menu rather than act as a direct off switch. You select “Power” from that menu with a press-and-hold to actually shut the TV down.

What if I can’t find any button on my TV?

Check whether your setup includes a One Connect Box — the button is often there instead of on the TV. If you genuinely can’t locate one, your model’s user manual (downloadable from Samsung’s support site by model number) will confirm the exact spot.

Will using the physical button damage the TV?

No. It’s a standard, manufacturer-installed control designed for exactly this situation. There’s no risk to the TV from using it regularly.

Watch It in Action

If you’d rather watch the button in action than read through it, this walkthrough from Ultra value tech shows the same process on camera:

Conclusion

Losing the remote feels worse than it is. Every Samsung TV I tested had a working backup built in — it was just a matter of finding it by touch and learning the press-once, press-and-hold rhythm. If the button feels too limited for day-to-day use, the SmartThings app closes that gap in about three minutes and gives you a proper remote layout on your phone. And if nothing turns the TV on at all, that’s your cue to stop pressing buttons and check the power cable — or call in a professional if the standby light won’t come on no matter what you try.

Related Reads

• Wi-Fi Connected But No Internet on Windows 11: The Fix
• Bluetooth Audio Stuttering: The Complete Fix Guide
• How to Make AirPods Louder: 7 Settings That Work
• How to Connect an Xbox Controller to PC
• How to Connect a PS5 Controller to a Nintendo Switch
• Android Touch Screen Not Responding: The Fix
• Android Phone Not Charging: Troubleshooting Guide