Your Insignia TV may have all the buttons you need built-in to do this – but not all of them will. A universal remote could connect to your TV without Wi-fi. It will have to do this using IR, as the initial Bluetooth pairing would require both devices on the same network first.
Connecting a mouse and keyboard to your Insignia TV via USB also works out well, and we personally find this method the most applicable option for many households. Don’t bother using streaming apps, as those require your TV to be connected to Wi-fi networks first.
Connecting your Insignia TV to Wi-fi can be challenging without a remote – especially since their dedicated app service (Insignia Connect) has been discontinued for years! We’ll guide you through every practical method we’ve discovered below.
Ways to Connect Insignia TV to Wi-fi Without Remotes
Check If Your TV Has The Buttons Needed
While you can use buttons in lieu of a remote, it’s important to note that not all Insignia TVs come with the buttons needed for this. Certain buttons are omitted to streamline manufacturing costs, which can be awful if your Insignia remote stops working.
You will, at minimum, require inputs for “Input”, “Channel Up/Down”, and “Enter”.
Older insignia models may not offer all three, and sometimes may only come with a power button! Newer ones might make use of alternative button layouts that need either more inputs or different inputs altogether, limiting this solution to a case-by-case basis.
Even if you were lucky enough to have an insignia TV with the right buttons and layout to connect it to Wi-fi without a remote, you’d have to manually navigate to your home network and input your password with those buttons – which can be awkward and frustratingly slow!
Universal Remote (IR)
If you happen to have a universal remote, you could use that to connect your Insignia TV to your home network. The pairing process will vary greatly between manufacturers, though.
Universal remotes pair with TVs using infrared signals – the only requirement being the code for your Insignia TV model. Once you input it, the connection should work without a hitch!
Would Bluetooth Work?
Unfortunately, Insignia TVs don’t allow initial Bluetooth pairings without an internet connection. This is due to government requirements, making it non-negotiable through official channels. Future re-pairings, however, are perfectly fine even if you don’t have Wi-fi.
In short, universal remotes often offer both IR and Bluetooth functionality. Stick to IR for the initial pairing, as it’s guaranteed to work even without network connection available.
If you happen to have established a Bluetooth link beforehand, go with Bluetooth – it offers better range, greater consistency, and can take advantage of more Smart TV features.
Mouse and Keyboard (USB Port)
Lastly, you could use a mouse and keyboard to control your Insignia TV. While the other two methods work, we most strongly recommend this one for ease of use and practicality.
It’s as simple as plugging your keyboard and mouse into your Insignia TV’s USB port. There’s no significant delay or complicated pairing process. In fact, you could even connect a laptop to your Insignia TV and pull it off – you wouldn’t even need an HDMI cable!
This approach not only trivializes the initial pairing but makes inputting the network password far more convenient, making it our favored solution for connecting Insignia TVs to Wi-fi!
Why Can’t I Use the Insignia Connect App?
Most online guides will recommend using the Insignia Connect App to link your Insignia TV to a Wi-fi network, but that method is not only unavailable but has never worked to begin with!
For starters, the Insignia Connect App has been discontinued since late 2019. This has left a lot of users understandably frustrated with their purchase, especially given that no alternative smart home control method has been provided since.
Even if it were still available on the app market, Smart TV applications all use Wi-fi as their main mode of communication. This means that if your TV isn’t already connected to Wi-fi, your app won’t even be able to detect it – much less control it!