Consider the following scenario: you have a Samsung Smart TV, and you want to connect it to a smart home system for voice control. You connect the TV to your chosen system, such as Alexa. When you give the command to turn off the TV, it turns off without any issues. However, when you try to turn it back on via Alexa, the assistant confirms receipt of the command, but the TV remains off. To understand this issue, let’s look at how Samsung TVs process remote control commands.
How Alexa and Google control the TV
For the TV to turn on via the internet, it must be registered with Samsung SmartThings—smart home software. After registering with SmartThings, the TV connects to Alexa or Google.
To control the TV properly, it must be configured to respond to standby commands. This is where the nuances of Samsung TVs come into play.
To turn on the TV remotely via Alexa or Google, it must support WOL (Wake On LAN) or WOW (Wake On WiFi). WOW allows control via Wi-Fi, while WOL allows control via a wired internet connection. When the TV is turned off, it goes into standby mode rather than shutting down completely. The infrared receiver remains active, allowing you to turn on the TV with the remote. For Alexa or Google to wake the TV from standby, the HDMI, LAN, and Wi-Fi modules must remain active in standby mode and respond to commands sent through these channels.
Setting up voice control for a Samsung TV
Samsung TVs released before 2018 supported standby mode only for Wi-Fi and HDMI. If your TV is connected via a wired connection, you can only control it when it is turned on. Although you can send a command to turn it off, you won’t be able to turn it back on.
Modern Samsung TVs do not have separate WOL or WOW settings. Instead, they use the “Wake via Mobile Device” feature, which allows third-party mobile devices to turn on the TV, and “IP Remote,” which enables control over the Internet. Both of these settings must be enabled.
To enable the “Wake-up via Mobile Device” feature, go to “Settings,” then “All Settings,” select “Connection,” then “Network,” open “Advanced Settings,” and enable this option. The “IP Remote” feature is enabled through the same menu.
After enabling these features, try turning off the TV via Alexa and turning it back on after five minutes. The TV should now support waking up from standby via Wi-Fi. If it still doesn’t turn on, check to see if the Wi-Fi module is disabled in standby mode.
Checking Wi-Fi Standby Mode
You can check whether Wi-Fi is working on the TV in standby mode by enabling a hotspot on your smartphone and connecting the TV to it. After turning off the TV, wait five minutes and check if it is still connected to the hotspot. If the connection remains active, the Wi-Fi module is working properly. Experienced users can verify this information through their router.
Turning on older Samsung TV models via Alexa or Google
For older Samsung TVs that do not support network wake-up, you can use external devices and HDMI ports. You can use streaming devices such as Firestick, Roku, or Chromecast. Enable Anynet+ (HDMI control) on the TV, then turn on the streaming device via Alexa or Google. As soon as the device turns on, the TV will automatically turn on, allowing you to control it directly through your smart home system.
