Connecting a phone keyboard to Android TV: a complete guide with photos and videos

Connecting a keyboard from a smartphone to a TV Android TV is a task that seems simple only at first glance. In practice, users are faced with a lack of Bluetooth pairing, non-functioning USB adapters, or incompatible applications. This article will help you understand all the nuances: from choosing a connection method to solving common errors.

We will consider 5 working methods from standard Bluetooth to using specialized applications like Remote Keyboard or Unified Remote. We will pay special attention hidden settings of Android TV 12+, where manufacturers often block the connection of third-party input devices by default. If you tried to connect a keyboard via USB-OTG, but the TV doesn’t see it, here you will find an explanation and solution.

Important: the instructions are relevant for TVs Sony Bravia, Xiaomi Mi TV, Philips with Android TV 9.0 and later, as well as for set-top boxes NVIDIA Shield and Xiaomi Mi Box. For older models (Android 7-8), additional steps may be required - they are placed in a separate section.

1. Connecting via Bluetooth: step-by-step guide

The most universal way is to use Bluetooth keyboard, but not everyone knows that the virtual keyboard of a smartphone can also be transmitted using this protocol. Here's how to do it:

1. Activate Bluetooth on the TV: go to Settings → Devices → Bluetooth.
2. On your smartphone enable Developer mode (if it is not there, tap 7 times on the build number in Settings → About phone).
3. In Settings → System → Developer Mode find the option HID device (or Keyboard emulation) and turn it on.
4. Run search devices on the TV and connect the phone as Bluetooth keyboard.

⚠️ Attention: On TVs Samsung s Tizen OS this method does not work - they do not support HID profiles for smartphones. Only a USB or network connection is suitable for them (see sections 3 and 4).

If the TV does not find the smartphone in the list of devices:

• 🔄 Reboot both devices — sometimes resetting the Bluetooth module helps.
• 📱 Disable power saving on the phone for Bluetooth (in the battery settings).
• 🔧 Update firmware TV - in older versions of Android TV (up to 10) there were bugs with HID devices.

Enable Bluetooth on TV and phone|

Activate developer mode on your smartphone|

Enable HID keyboard emulation|

Reboot devices when pairing fails-->

2. Using USB-OTG: direct data transfer

If Bluetooth refuses to work, USB-OTG will become a reliable alternative. You will need:

• 🔌 USB-OTG cable (Type-C/Micro-USB → USB-A, depending on the TV connector).
• 📱 Smartphone with OTG support (check in the model specifications).
• 🖥️ TV with a USB port (on some models Xiaomi Mi TV it is hidden behind a plug).

Instructions:

1. Connect the OTG cable to the phone, and the other end to the USB port of the TV.
2. A notification about the connected device will appear on the TV screen. Select Use as keyboard.
3. If the option does not appear, go to Settings → Devices → USB and manually select the mode HID device.

⚠️ Attention: On TVs Philips with Android TV 11+, USB keyboards are disabled by default for security reasons. To unlock the function, you need to:

1. Hold the button Home on the remote control for 5 seconds.
2. Enter the code 114466 (service menu).
3. Find item USB Input Devices → Enable.

adb shell setprop sys.usb.config diag,adb,serial_cdev,rmnet,cdc_ether,adb

3. Applications for remote control: virtual keyboard

If a physical connection is not possible, use specialized applications. They transmit keystrokes over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, emulating a keyboard. Top 3 solutions:

• 📱 Unified Remote — supports HID emulation, works without root. Link to Play Market.
• 🎮 Remote Keyboard —simple interface, but requires connection to the same network Wi-Fi.
• 🖥️ Server for Second Screen is the official application from Google for Android TV, but does not work on all models.

Instructions for Unified Remote:

1. Install the application on your phone and TV (on TV it is called Unified Remote Server).
2. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network.
3. On the phone, select Add remote device → Android TV.
4. In the remote settings, activate Keyboard Remoter.

⚠️ Attention: On TVs Xiaomi s PatchWall application Unified Remote Server may be blocked by the system. Solution:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Special access → Access to notifications.
2. Enable access for Unified Remote Server.
3. Reboot the TV.

4. ADB commands: for advanced users

If standard methods do not work, you can “force” connect the keyboard via Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method requires a computer, but gives 100% results.

What you will need:

• 💻 Computer with installed ADB (download Platform Tools).
• 📱 Smartphone with software debugging enabled USB.
• 🔌 USB cable to connect the phone to the PC.

Step-by-step guide:

1. Connect the phone to the computer and confirm access for debugging.
2. Open the command line in the folder with ADB and execute:

   adb tcpip 5555
   adb connect [TV_IP_ADDRESS]:5555

   (TV IP can be found in Settings → Network).

3. Activate keyboard emulation:

   adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.MEDIA_BUTTON --es keycode 224

   (this is a test command - if the smartphone reacts, then the connection is established).

4. Install the application ADB Keyboard on your phone and follow it instructions.

⚠️ Attention: On TVs with Android TV 12+ (for example, Google Chromecast 4K) ADB over Wi-Fi is disabled by default. To enable it:

1. Connect to the TV via USB-OTG.
2. Do:

   adb shell settings put global adb_wifi_enabled 1

3. Reboot the TV.

5. Alternative methods: HDMI and Miracast

If none of the methods worked, there are “workarounds”:

• 📺 HDMI connection —use MHL cable or USB-C to HDMIto duplicate your smartphone screen on TV. Then you can use the phone's keyboard directly.
• 🔄 Miracast/Wi-Fi Direct —wireless screen mirroring (works on Samsung DeX, Huawei Share).
• 🎮 Game controllers —some applications (for example, Steam Link) allow you to use the phone as a keyboard for TV.

For Miracast:

1. Enable Wi-Fi Direct on the TV (Settings → Network → Wi-Fi Direct).
2. On your phone, activate Wireless display (in quick settings or Settings → Connected devices).
3. Select TV from the list of available devices.

⚠️ Attention: When using Samsung DeX the phone's keyboard will only work in desktop mode. For regular Android TV applications, additional settings will be required. DeX Labs.

6. Solving common problems

Even after successful connection, errors may occur. and ways to fix them:

If the keyboard works, but input delay is too long:

• 📶 Reconnect to the 5 GHz network (if you use Wi-Fi).
• 🔋 Close background applications on your phone.
• 🔄 Disable power saving for Bluetooth/Wi-Fi.

7. Security: how to prevent hacking through the keyboard

Connecting third-party input devices is a potential security threat. Attackers can intercept keystrokes or install malware. To protect yourself:

• 🔒 Disable the keyboard after use (in Bluetooth settings).
• 🛡️ Update firmware of the TV - older versions have vulnerabilities (for example, CVE-2021-0316 Android TV 9).
• 🚫 Do not connect to public Wi-Fi when using applications for remote control.
• 🔑 Use a PIN code to pair Bluetooth (if your TV supports it).

⚠️ Attention: On TVs s Android TV 10 and below there is a bug that allows you to connect keyboards without confirmation. To close the vulnerability:

1. Go to Settings → Devices → Bluetooth.
2. Select Advanced → Secure pairing.
3. Activate the option Confirmation required.

If you use ADB, after setup, disable debugging:

adb shell settings put global adb_wifi_enabled 0

Frequently asked questions