Every television made in the last decade can be turned on without its remote. There are three reliable ways, and at least one of them works on any set.

1. The TV’s own button

Nearly every TV has a single physical button — often a small joystick — tucked under the front panel, usually centre-bottom or bottom-right. It’s rarely visible from the front, so reach under and feel for it. One press turns the TV on; on joystick models, push it around to change volume and inputs, and press-and-hold for a menu.

This is the universal answer. If you remember nothing else, remember to reach under the panel.

2. A connected HDMI device

If something is plugged into the TV over HDMI — a games console, a soundbar, a streaming stick, a Blu-ray player — turning that on will usually switch the TV on with it and jump straight to its input. The feature is called HDMI-CEC, and it’s on by default on most sets (each brand gives it a different name: Anynet+, SimpLink, BRAVIA Sync, 1-Touch play).

3. Your phone

Once the TV is on and connected to your Wi-Fi, your phone can be the remote — power, volume, inputs, apps, a keyboard for search. Each brand has its own app, and Zapp covers Samsung, LG, Roku, Google TV and Fire TV in one, with no subscription. It can even wake a TV from standby once it’s been paired.

One honest limit: a phone can’t turn on a TV that is completely off and has never been connected, because the TV’s network sleeps with it. Use the button or a connected device for that first cold start.

Brand-by-brand steps

The button is in a slightly different place on each brand, and the phone setup differs too. Here are the specifics:

What won’t work

An iPhone can’t control a TV over infrared — there’s no IR hardware in an iPhone, so a phone only works over Wi-Fi with a networked smart TV. For an old, non-smart TV with a dead remote, a cheap universal remote is the real fix.