TV List
The TVs Beam controls
One row per TV family, with how pairing goes and what to switch on at the TV first.
- Xiaomi
- Sharp
- ZTE
Every platform Beam speaks
Beam controls the TV over your own Wi-Fi, so the phone and the TV have to be on the same network. Support follows the platform a TV runs rather than the brand on the bezel.
LG
webOS
- How pairing works
- The TV shows a request. Accept it with the TV's own remote.
- What the TV needs first
- Nothing.
Samsung
Tizen, and legacy Samsung sets
- How pairing works
- The TV shows a request. Accept it with the TV's own remote.
- What the TV needs first
- If the TV refuses, open External Device Manager, then Device Connection Manager, then Device List, and allow TV Remote.
Google TV and Android TV
Certified devices with Google services
- How pairing works
- The TV shows a six character code. Type it in, or scan it with the camera.
- What the TV needs first
- Nothing.
Roku
Roku OS, on TVs and players
- How pairing works
- No code. Beam connects straight away.
- What the TV needs first
- On Roku OS 14.1 and later, open Settings, System, Advanced system settings, Control by mobile apps, and set network access to Default.
Philips
JointSpace
- How pairing works
- The TV shows a code. Type it in, or scan it with the camera.
- What the TV needs first
- Sets from 2011 and 2012 ship JointSpace switched off. Press 5646877223 on the TV remote while watching TV to turn it on.
Sony
Supported BRAVIA sets
- How pairing works
- The TV shows a code. Type it in, or scan it with the camera.
- What the TV needs first
- Nothing.
VIZIO
SmartCast
- How pairing works
- The TV shows a code. Type it in, or scan it with the camera.
- What the TV needs first
- Nothing.
Sharp
AQUOS, including the Japanese Android TV sets
- How pairing works
- No code. Beam connects straight away.
- What the TV needs first
- IP control ships switched off, and a set with it off answers nothing at all. Turn it on in the TV's network settings, and leave the optional login beside it off: Beam cannot enter one.
Hisense
VIDAA
- How pairing works
- The TV shows a four digit code. Type it in, or scan it with the camera.
- What the TV needs first
- Nothing. The newest sets ask for a security certificate Beam does not carry yet, and Beam says so rather than leaving you waiting.
Panasonic
VIERA, 2011 to 2023
- How pairing works
- Sets from 2018 on show a four digit code. Type it in, or scan it with the camera. Older sets connect straight away.
- What the TV needs first
- On sets from 2018 on, turn on TV Remote under Menu, Network, TV Remote App Settings. Older sets need nothing.
Fire TV, Apple TV, IR-only televisions, and Android-based TVs without Google services are not supported.
Questions and answers
- How do I know whether my TV is supported?
- Support follows the platform a TV runs, not the name on the bezel, because one brand can ship several platforms in the same year. If your TV is in the table above and it is on the same Wi-Fi network as your phone, Beam finds it in a scan. A TV that never appears is either on a different network, or it has no local control protocol Beam can speak.
- Why doesn't my Sharp TV show up in Beam?
- Sharp ships IP control switched off, and a set with it off advertises nothing and answers nothing, so there is nothing for Beam to find. Turn IP control on in the TV's network settings and scan again. If a login and password are set beside that switch, turn those off too, because Beam cannot enter them.
- My Roku is found but the buttons do nothing.
- Roku OS 14.1 and later can refuse remote keys until control by mobile apps is allowed. On the Roku, open Settings, System, Advanced system settings, Control by mobile apps, and set network access to Default.
- My Philips TV is found but will not connect.
- Philips sets from 2011 and 2012 ship JointSpace, the service Beam talks to, switched off. Press 5646877223 on the TV remote while watching TV to turn it on, then try again.
- Which Panasonic TVs does Beam control?
- Panasonic sets from 2011 to 2023 run Panasonic's own VIERA platform, and Beam controls those. Sets from 2024 on run Fire TV or TiVo OS, which Beam does not control. Sets from 2018 on show a pairing code only once TV Remote is turned on under Menu, Network, TV Remote App Settings; older sets connect with no code.
- Beam says my Hisense TV asks for a certificate.
- The newest VIDAA firmware only talks to apps that carry Hisense's own security certificate, and this version of Beam does not include it, so Beam says so rather than pretending to connect. Older VIDAA sets pair with a four digit code as usual. VIDAA sets sold as Toshiba or Edenwood are the same platform.
- Which TVs can Beam send a photo to?
- Google TV, Android TV, VIZIO and Sharp sets take a photo over Chromecast built-in. Many LG, Samsung, Sony and Philips sets take one through the TV's own DLNA renderer instead. Beam shows the photo key only on a TV it has found a route to, so a set offering neither simply has no photo key. The TV pulls the photo from your phone over your Wi-Fi, and it is never uploaded to Beam.
- Can Beam control a TV from outside the house?
- No. Beam talks straight to the TV over the local network, so the phone and the TV have to be on the same Wi-Fi. There is no cloud relay, and TV commands never pass through Beam's servers.
Your TV is not in the table?
Tell us the make, the model and the year, and we will say whether the set has a protocol Beam can learn. The Beam help and manual covers setup, pairing and what the app collects.
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