12 Fast Tips to Find a Lost Television Remote

Download Article

A list of ideas for finding your lost TV remote

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: March 28, 2025 Fact Checked

Download Article

ARTICLE

VIDEO

Have you lost your television remote? There's a good chance that it hasn't gone far from your couch or television! Look everywhere you can think of, and ask the other people in your household to see if they have any leads. Have you checked between the couch cushions?

Things You Should Know

Look in obvious places as well as non-obvious places, like the freezer and underneath coats, for your lost remote.
After you've exhausted looking for the remote around your house, ask anyone you live with if they've seen it.
As a preventative step, get a tracker for your remote if you're prone to losing it.

1

Check the obvious places.

Download Article

There's a good chance that you lost the remote in the room where you watch television. Many people tend to leave their remote near the television set, or near where they sit when they're watching T.V. It is very common to lose a remote in the couch.^{[1]
X
Research source}

2

Check less-obvious spots.

Download Article

Try looking in hidden places. Check underneath books, magazines, blankets, and coats (under anything that might be resting on top of the remote and hiding it from you). Check between the cushions of couches and chairs. Look underneath and behind furniture.
- Check beside the kettle, the shelf in the hall, the bathroom cabinet, and anywhere else you might have brought it with you.

3

Retrace your steps.

Download Article

Think about where you've been. Perhaps you carried the remote out of the room, set it down while your mind was on something else, and accidentally left the remote in a strange place. Consider whether you might have left the remote somewhere en route to the bathroom, your bedroom, the kitchen, or the front door.
- Check the fridge. If you had something to eat or drink during the past few hours, you might have left the remote in the fridge while grabbing your food.
- Maybe you took a phone call recently, while you were watching television, and you set the remote down while you were on the phone. Perhaps you answered the door during your favorite show, carried the remote out of the room, and set it down in your entryway.

4

Clear the area.

Download Article

This is useful if you watch TV in bed. The remote will often get buried under the sheets or covers and the best way to find it is to just run your hands along the bedspread until you feel something boxlike in shape. If this does not work, look under the bed, and then check the area at the foot of the bed.

5

Ask around.

Download Article

If anyone else has used the remote recently, he or she might be able to give you a lead as to its location. Perhaps this person placed the remote in a spot where you don't normally leave it. Perhaps he or she absentmindedly left the device in a part of the house that you do not often visit. Even if you don't find the remote right away, asking someone else can help you decide where not to look. They can help find the controller.

6

See if anyone else is using it.

Download Article

Find out if anyone has taken it. Your teenager might have brought the remote to his or her room and forgotten to bring it back. Your toddler might have hidden the remote as a prank. Your dog might have carried the device off to chew on it!
- Check the kid's toy box. You never know when your son or daughter might have taken off with the remote!

7

Recruit others.

Download Article

You don't need to find the remote alone! Ask your friends or family members to help you look for the missing device. It might help if you can give them an engaging reason to find the remote. If you find the remote, then you can all watch a movie together, or you can catch the program that's coming on in twenty minutes.

8

Stay aware of your remote.

Download Article

If you keep a closer eye on your remote in the future, you may be less likely to lose it. Try to be engaged and aware each time that you set your remote down. Take a mental snapshot of the device so that you remember where it is.

9

Specify a spot.

Download Article

Try designating a specific place to put the remote. Don't ever put the remote anywhere other than this place. It might be on the coffee table, next to the television, or in a dedicated "remote control holder" that is attached to your couch or table.
- If you regularly lose the remote, consider buying a remote control holder so that you have a set place to put it.
- Apply a Velcro strip to the back of the remote, then attach the matching "opposite" Velcro strip to the TV. Keep the remote firmly attached to the Velcro strip on the TV when not in use.

10

Make the remote more vivid.

Download Article

Attach a strip of brightly-colored tape, a reflector, or a long, fuzzy tail. Tie a ribbon to the device, give it wings, or glue plastic legs onto it. Add anything that you think will make it easier for you to notice and remember your remote! Try not to add anything that will impair the function of the device.

11

Buy a replacement.

Download Article

^{[2]
X
Research source} These devices work with most brands of television, and they will free you from the need to keep a small fleet of easy-to-confuse remotes. It's easy to find yourself using separate remotes for your television, your DVD player, your sound system, and other devices. You may find that it is easier to keep track of one remote than it is to keep track of, say, four.

12

Use a tracker.

Download Article

Several companies now sell small, relatively inexpensive tracking devices that link up to a smartphone app, like Tile or AirTag. Clip the tracker to your television remote in case you ever lose it again. You can set your smartphone to beep when the remote is nearby or the tag itself will beep until you find it. Some apps will even try to find your remote when it is far from you.

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

What should I do if a toddler hid the television remote?

Community Answer

If the child is too young to speak or show you where the remote is hidden, look around the places the toddler has been and can reach.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 139 Helpful 176
Question

What should I do if my little sister won't tell me where the remote is, and no one else has seen it?

Community Answer

Well, you could try a bribe, but the most effective method may be to get your parents involved. Adults have a way of getting information kids don't have the power to.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 140 Helpful 124
Question

How do I find a remote that someone hid?

Community Answer

Try asking the person where they hid it. This might involve bribing them, ie: if they tell you where the remote is, you will buy them ice cream. If they don't tell you, then you will have to search for the remote. Consider the person's height while doing this: a child won't be able to hide a remote in the top kitchen cabinet because they won't be able to reach it.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 120 Helpful 139

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Read Video Transcript

Reader Videos

Tips

Certain brands—such as DISH—offer a "Locate Remote" feature. Find the "Locate Remote" action on your console or Hopper, and then follow the beeping sound until you find your remote!^{[3]
X
Research source}

Thanks
Helpful 2 Not Helpful 3
TVs with software like Roku or Fire also have a remote-finding feature. Use those to track your lost remote. With a Fire TV, you can simply say to Alexa, "Find my remote" or press the "Remote Finder" button on the TV remote mobile app.^{[4]
X
Research source} If you have a Roku TV, open the mobile app on your Android or iPhone, then tap the "Remote Finder" button.^{[5]
X
Research source}

Thanks
Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
You won't always find your remote the first time looking. Keep trying! Try to remember the last place you saw it or used it. Look behind your television.

Thanks
Helpful 21 Not Helpful 21

Show More Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

You may have to buy a new one if you can't find it. Look for one that matches any TV, or buy a universal remote until you find your lost one.

Thanks
Helpful 75 Not Helpful 164