All help topics
Which TVs work with TVCP
Short answer: TVCP works on TVs and boxes that run Google TV or Android TV. To check yours, open the Play Store on the TV and search for TV Control for Parents. If it shows up, your TV works. It doesn't work on Samsung or LG TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Vizio. Your phone can be an iPhone or an Android phone.
Updated
TVs and boxes that work
TVCP runs on anything with Google TV or Android TV and the Google Play Store, for example:
- Google TV and Android TV models from Sony, TCL, Hisense, Xiaomi and Philips
- TV boxes like Nvidia Shield, Xiaomi Mi Box and Google TV Streamer, and many TV-provider boxes that run Android TV (for example Freebox Pop, Airtel Xstream, Tata Play Binge+)
- Chromecast with Google TV
TVs that don’t work
TVCP doesn’t work on TVs that run their own system: Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS). It also doesn’t work on Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Vizio.
How to check your TV
- Search for the app on the TV. On your TV, open the Play Store and search for TV Control for Parents. If it shows up, your TV works.
- Not in front of the TV? Look at the box or the manual. It should say “Google TV” or “Android TV”.
Having the Play Store on your TV usually means it runs Android TV, but not always. Some boxes, often cheap ones, run regular Android, the kind made for phones and tablets, instead of Android TV. They have the Play Store, but TVCP doesn’t show up in it. So the search is the real test, not the Play Store itself.
Some brands, such as TCL and Hisense, sell TVs with different systems: Google TV on some models, Roku or Fire TV on others. Check your model, not the brand.
Want to look up your model? Android TV Guide keeps an independent list of Android TV and Google TV devices, including TV-provider boxes.
Your phone
The Guardian app, where you set the rules, runs on iPhone and on Android phones. Get it from the App Store or Google Play.
Quick answers
Does TVCP work on Samsung or LG TVs?
No. Samsung TVs run Tizen and LG TVs run webOS, and TVCP needs Google TV or Android TV. A Google TV device plugged into the TV, such as a Google TV Streamer or a Chromecast with Google TV, does work.
Does TVCP work on Amazon Fire TV?
No. TVCP doesn't work on Fire TV sticks or on TVs that run Fire TV.
Does TVCP work on Roku?
No. TVCP doesn't work on Roku devices or on TVs that run Roku.
My box has the Google Play Store. Does TVCP work on it?
Not always. Some boxes, often cheap ones, run regular Android instead of Android TV. They have the Play Store, but TVCP doesn't show up in it. Open the Play Store on the TV and search for TV Control for Parents. If it shows up, your TV works.
Do I need an Android phone?
No. The Guardian app runs on iPhone and on Android phones.
Next steps
How TVCP works
Two apps, one system: you set the rules in the Guardian app on your phone, and the TVCP app on the TV enforces them.
Set up TVCP: install the apps and pair your TV
Install the Guardian app on your phone and TVCP on your TV, then pair them with the QR code or the pairing code.
Can't find "Display over other apps" or "Usage access" on your TV
Where the two settings TVCP needs are on most TVs, and what to do when the setting page does not open.