My remote disappeared into the couch last Tuesday. I flipped every cushion. I checked under the couch. I checked in the couch — reaching into the dark abyss between the seat and the armrest where all things go to die. I found a fork and seventeen cents. No remote.

My phone found it in thirty seconds. The remote was on the kitchen counter next to the coffee maker. I have no memory of putting it there.

Use Your Phone Camera to See Infrared Light

Most TV remotes use an infrared LED at the tip to send signals. Your eyes cannot see infrared light. But your phone camera can.

Open your phone’s camera app. Point the remote at the camera lens. Press any button on the remote. If the remote is working, you will see a purple or white flash at the tip of the remote on your phone screen. The remote is emitting IR light. Your phone is translating it into visible light.

To find a lost remote using this trick, turn off the lights, open your camera app, and sweep the room slowly while pressing the camera. Any IR source — the remote, a security camera, some motion sensors — will glow on your screen. In a dark room, the glow is easy to spot.

This only works for infrared remotes. Some newer remotes use Bluetooth — Roku, Apple TV, some Fire TV remotes. Those do not emit IR light and this trick will not help.

Other Ways to Track It Down Without Destroying Your Living Room

Check the bathroom. Sounds weird but remotes migrate. People carry them without thinking. The bathroom counter and the kitchen are the two most common remote destinations that are not the living room.

Use the Roku or Fire TV app as a temporary remote. Both have free phone apps with full remote functionality. You can use the app to navigate to the settings menu where some devices have a “find remote” feature that makes the remote beep. Roku remotes with a speaker will play a sound.

Attach a Tile or AirTag to the remote for next time. I stuck a small Tile Sticker to the back of my remote after the kitchen counter incident. Now I just ping it from my phone. The remote chirps. Problem solved permanently.