By Klaus Jakobsen, developer of A Decent Remote “Why does this remote app do nothing?” is a very common complaint, and it usually has a simple cause. There are two kinds of TV remote app, they work in completely different ways, and the store listing does not always tell you which one you are installing.
Does my phone have an IR blaster?
Check in this order:
- Look at the top edge of the phone. An IR blaster is a tiny dark window, separate from the microphone holes.
- Check the specifications. Search for your exact model and look for infrared or IR blaster.
- Try a free IR test app. Android can report whether an emitter exists, which settles it.
Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO have kept IR on many models, and some other brands sold in India and China do too. Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus and most others have not offered it on recent phones, though older models are a different story. If yours has none, that is normal, and it does not stop you controlling a smart TV.
How can a remote work with no infrared?
An old remote flashes infrared light at the sensor on the TV. It has to point at the TV, and it only sends simple codes.
A smart TV is on your home network, and listens for commands there too. A Wi-Fi remote app sends the command across your network, so the phone needs no special hardware at all. There are also some real benefits:
- You do not need to point it at anything, and it works from another room.
- It can type, which infrared cannot do.
- It can see what the TV is, so it can show the right buttons for it.
The trade-off is that the TV and the phone have to share a network, and the TV has to be switched on or listening in standby.
Which kind do you need?
| Your situation | What to use |
|---|---|
| Smart TV on your Wi-Fi, any phone | A Wi-Fi remote app |
| Streaming stick or box on your Wi-Fi | A Wi-Fi remote app |
| Old TV with no network, and your phone has IR | An IR remote app |
| Old TV with no network, and your phone has no IR | A streaming stick, or a cheap replacement remote |
| Smart TV that dropped off Wi-Fi | Reconnect it first, using a USB mouse or the buttons on the TV |
A Decent Remote is a Wi-Fi app, and it works on any supported phone with or without an IR blaster. It does not use the IR blaster at all, so it will not run a TV with no network, even on a phone that has one. If that is your situation, an IR app is the right tool, and it is fine to use one. The Android version is being built now. Leave your email and you get one message the day it is on Google Play.
How do I spot an IR app before installing it?
The listing normally says so, though sometimes only in the description:
- Words such as IR, infrared or “requires an IR blaster” mean an IR app.
- Words such as Wi-Fi, “same network” or “smart TV” mean a network app.
- Recent reviews are a good check. Search them for your phone or for “doesn’t work”. If a lot of people say the buttons do nothing, you have probably found an IR app.
Some apps do both, and those are fine as long as you know which part you will be using.
What if my TV is too old for Wi-Fi?
A TV with no network and a phone with no IR have no way to talk to each other, so no app can solve this. The cheap fix is a streaming stick in the HDMI port. It gives the old TV a network connection, and your phone can then control the stick. The old TV guide covers that and the alternatives.
