Your LG TV’s remote control is one of the most important parts of your home entertainment setup, but it’s also often underutilized. Of course, you still use it to turn the TV on and off, adjust the volume, and change settings. But aside from these actions, it mostly stays on your TV stand, untouched. Part of the reason could be due to button confusion. The symbols on your LG TV remote aren’t as intuitive, which is why many users may ignore them completely.
There are, of course, a handful of symbols you already know: the back button, which is a left-pointing arrow, the Home button, which, as the name suggests, is shaped like a house, and the voice control button, which looks like a microphone. These are standard buttons you’ll find on LG TV remotes (and most other major TV brands, for that matter), so they’re easy to recognize.
However, the same can’t always be said for the rest of the buttons on your remote. But don’t worry, if you are wondering how to use the full potential of your LG TV remote, here is a detailed guide on the meaning of the symbols on your LG TV remote.
Magic remote control 2026 and 2025
Compared to older LG TV remotes, the Magic 2025 and 2026 remotes are much simpler with fewer buttons. They also look almost identical, except for the top right button and the branded shortcut buttons. Here’s what the symbols mean on these LG TV remote models:
The box with a question mark symbol (version 2025) is the Accessibility button. Tapping it once launches the Accessibility app, and pressing and holding it opens the Accessibility Shortcuts panel. The heart symbol (2026 version) represents the Custom Menu, meaning the button can be assigned to one of five actions: Mute, Input List, Accessibility App, Accessibility Shortcut, and Live TV. You can set one action for a single press and another action for a long press. To customize the button, go to All Settings > General > Accessibility > Control Features.
The home symbol with a circle means Home Hub, designed to manage your connected devices, such as your smart home devices. You can also hold down the Home Hub button to switch to a new input source. The Guide symbol means TV Guide. If you click on it once, the TV guide displays in full screen. If you long press it, it shows upcoming programs.
Button 123 provides access to more actions. On the Home screen, this opens the Options panel with shortcuts to Home Settings, Quick Guide, and User Guide. On any other screen, it displays options specific to that page. You can also long press button 123 to activate Audio Description (AD) or Secondary Audio Program (SAP). The LG TV remote control symbol with the wavy lines is the AI button that displays the recommended content. It also lets you control the TV with voice commands when you hold it.
LG Magic Remote 2024 and earlier
If your LG TV remote has colored buttons, it’s one of those models released in 2024 or earlier. These come with a full numeric keypad and several buttons with all kinds of other symbols. To better understand how to use these special symbol buttons, check out this quick guide to the symbols on your LG TV remote control:
The Guide symbol allows you to open the TV Guide with a simple press and the list of recorded programs with a long press. The three-point remote control button opens more remote functions, including starting a recording, opening the program list and accessing the TV/Radio option. If you hold the button, audio descriptions or secondary audio program may be activated if available in your country.
The plug symbol next to the microphone provides access to input options. You can also use it to open the Home Hub with a long press. The 0 button also serves as a shortcut to change the quick access buttons. The number buttons on your remote can be assigned quick access shortcuts, like launching an app or switching to a specific HDMI input. When you hold down the 0 button, you can then delete existing shortcuts or assign new ones.
The mute button, when pressed and held, can be used to bring up the Accessibility app. The N symbol at the bottom means that your LG TV remote control is NFC compatible. This allows you to quickly pair your TV to the LG ThinQ app on your phone by simply hovering it over the symbol on the remote. Just make sure your mobile is also NFC compatible.
