Open the remote app while the player is awake, then land on any search or login field on the TV. The iPhone should automatically raise its normal keyboard—no grid, type, or paste. I keep Bluetooth enabled (which helps with discovery), allow Local Network access in iOS, and sign in so the app can find the right box every time. In the middle of that setup, the Roku Remote App for iPhone explains the simple prep and tips, like testing on a search screen first. Little extras: use Passwords/Keychain for long logins, turn off auto-caps if it keeps flipping the first letter, and long-press for symbols when a service wants something quirky.

Save the streaming logins in your password manager so the keyboard can auto-fill instead of you hunting special characters. If multiple boxes live on your network, label them with room names so the phone isn’t guessing which one to control. Keeping a short note—“same SSID, wake player, open search, then type”—turns setup into a habit. And if the keyboard doesn’t appear once in a while, a quick relaunch of the app after waking the player usually brings it right back.