The other day an old co-worker told me that he often uses his phone as a remote control for the TV. All you have to do is install a small app to use the infrared sensor or the WiFi signal of your phone to remotely control your television. It’s that easy.
There are many free apps in the PlayStore that can be used to control your TV remotely. But the best is not only that. These apps can also be used to control your satellite receiver, DVD/Bluray player, smart speakers, video game console, and more. The most popular applications are IR Remote and AnyMote Smart Remote (Free Version), but there are many more.
Of course, both these apps and the rest tend to abuse ads and advertise a lot. If it is too annoying, you can opt for a premium paid app, especially if you will give it a lot of use. In this sense, we can take a look at applications such as RCoid Pro, available for $10.99 in the Play Store and with a much higher rating than its free competitors.
In addition to that, keep in mind that if you do not have a Smart TV, you will not use the control by WiFi or Bluetooth. So, in this case, your mobile phone must have an infrared signal if you want to use any of these apps.
Finally, it is important to remember that some manufacturers, such as Samsung or LG, among others, have specific applications developed for their television brands. They are applications that work much better than universal remote control apps, so they are worth considering. You can try:
- SmartThings for Samsung
- LG TV Plus for LG
How to set IR Remote as a universal remote control for TV
Next, we will briefly explain how to configure the IR Remote app as a remote control. The rest of the apps work similarly, so it can serve us perfectly as an example.
- Download and install IR Universal Remote from the Google PlayStore.
- Open the app.
- In the first configuration screen, you must select the type of communication you are going to use. Select ” infrared ” if your television does not have an internet connection. Also, keep in mind that your phone has to be able to emit infrared signals. Not all smartphones have this feature.
- On the next screen, you can choose the type of device you want to control. Select ” Television ” to use the remote controller on your TV.
- Now it’s time to define the make/model of your television. There is an extensive range of brands available.
- To finish, you will only have to select how the buttons will be displayed. In the form of a list (list) or buttons (GUI). I recommend you select the button interface. It is the one that most resembles a conventional remote.
From here, just point to the TV with your Android phone and select the channel you want to watch, and in short, use the application as if it were remote control. That easy!
