How to turn your smartphone into a TV remote control

Apple and Google make it easy for users to access their various TV operating systems from a smartphone, so that their handset can be used as a remote control. Still, this very easy-to-use feature is often overlooked.

In all cases, you need to make sure that your TV and smartphone are connected to the same WiFi network. For smart TVs running Google TV or Android TV, the best solution is to download and install the Google Home application, regardless of which smartphone you use.

Then simply select the TV from the list of connected devices. To pair up the devices, you need to enter the code that appears on the TV screen on your smartphone. From then on, it is possible to control your TV directly from your smartphone, via this application.

You can, for example, move around the screen, scroll, select an application or a show, adjust the sound and even turn the TV off and on.

The main advantage is that it makes it much easier to type searches on the screen from the keyboard of your smartphone. If necessary, Google Assistant is also available. Note that it is possible to do the same thing from the Google TV app for those who also want to enjoy Google’s on-demand content offer.

As for Apple TV, it is extremely easy to turn your iPhone into a remote control. Just launch the Apple TV Remote from the control center. You can then control your Apple TV from your iPhone, or even your iPad. As with Google, you’ll need to enter a code to pair the two devices, and then you can browse the menus on your TV as you wish.

Apart from these “official” solutions, there’s also a multitude of third-party applications that allow you to turn your smartphone into a remote control, whatever the type of smart TV. Use them at your own risk, in terms of security.

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