How to control your TV with Alexa

Far from being just a smart speaker, Alexa now has over 100,000 skills, or commands, it can carry out. From turning on lights, to adding items to your grocery list, Alexa’s ultimate goal is to make people’s lives simpler and more convenient. 

And to that end, what could be better than never having to search for the remote in the couch cushions ever again? That’s right, Alexa can turn on your TV, change the channel and search for a specific show, all without you having to lift a literal finger. 

However, just like any tech, the learning curve for setting up these skills may have kept you from taking full advantage of your device’s capabilities. According to Statista, Amazon sold tens of millions of Echo devices in 2020, more than 50% of the smart speaker market. So, read on to learn how to connect Alexa to your TV.

How to connect Alexa to your TV

Hooking Alexa up to your TV is simple and should only take a few minutes. All you need is access to the Alexa app.

1. Open your Alexa app and tap ‘devices’ at the bottom of the screen. Find Alexa in the app store
2. Click ‘+’ and select ‘add device’
3. Select ‘TV’
4. Choose your smart TV brand
5. Follow the Alexa App’s instructions to complete the set-up process

Alexa works with the Amazon Echo and Amazon Fire TV line of products. This can include Fire TV stick with built-in Alexa, Fire TV Cube, Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show and all previous generations of said products. Alexa is also compatible with other smart TV brands, and we share some of our top picks below.

Common commands to use with Alexa

Commands may differ based on your TV or set-top box, but these are a few you can try out.

• “Alexa, turn on/off the TV”
• “Alexa, open [streaming service name]”
• ‘Alexa, turn the volume up/down”
• “Alexa, change the channel to [channel]”
• Alexa, play/pause/stop [TV, show, movie]”
• “Alexa, watch [TV show] on [streaming app]” 

You can also explore other things like navigating menus, launching applications, changing settings or features and searching for content.

Other ways to control your TV with Alexa

There are a host of other Alexa-compatible options that can be great to use with your TV. So, if you already own one of these items listed below, the good news is you’re halfway to hands-free. 

• Fire TV stick with built-in Alexa: This streaming stick’s setup is so simple — just plug into an HDMI port on your TV. This device can handle lots of Alexa commands, but you will have to press the microphone button on the remote first, so it’s not completely hands-free. 
• Fire Edition TV: Any of the Echo family of devices, including the Echo Dot and the Echo Show, can connect to a Fire edition TV (Toshiba and Insignia have these versions), or a TV with Alexa compatibility (Samsung, LG and Sony all make compatible models). You can link your Alexa device to your TV using the Alexa app on your smartphone.
• A smart home hub: If you have one of the other Amazon devices like an Echo, Echo Dot or Fire TV stick, you will need an adaptor before you can use your voice to turn your TV on and off. An adaptor, or hub, will convert your hun into the infrared signal that controls your TV on/off function.

• DISH and DIRECTV: The DISH Hopper or the DIRECTV Genie both react to Alexa commands to search for shows or schedule your DVR recordings. 
• Use your cellphone: You can connect Alexa to your TV through a cellphone with an IR blaster. Many are Android devices; if you own one, you can bypass the adaptor and use your phone as a hub. Search the make and model of your phone online or check for two dots on top of the phone to find out if it has an IR blaster.

Once you’ve got your Alexa queued up, find the most up-to-date streaming and internet content at our Resource Center.

What TV and streaming brands can you control with Alexa?

The list of platforms supported by Alexa is evolving, but here are a few to look out for:

• Amazon Fire TV
• Roku
• Xbox
• Sony
• Samsung
• Vizio SmartCast
• Altice One
• Verizon Fios
• NVIDIA Shield TV
• Philips
• Panasonic
• TCL
• Logitech Harmony

Our picks for Alexa-compatible TVs

• VIZIO 40-inch D-Series Full HD 1080p Smart TV: Amazon’s Choice, 4.3 / 5 star rating, Apple AirPlay, Chromecast
• Amazon Fire TV 50″ 4-Series 4K Smart TV: 4.5 / 5 star rating, 4K Ultra HD, 6-month MGM+ subscription, live and free TV options
• Samsung 65″ Smart TV: 4.2 / 5 star rating, Google Assistant, Alexa
• LG C3 Series 65″ Smart TV: 4.6 / 5 star rating, 4K, Dolby Vision, gaming features, LG OLED evo

FAQs