If you have a device running Google TV or Android TV, you can use your phone instead.
The remote control interface looks similar to Apple’s, too. There appears to be a touchpad area that takes up most of the screen and lets you navigate your TV like a cursor. Below that sit keys for going back a page, to the home screen or launching the Assistant, with volume controls occupying the bottom row. At the top right is a power button and settings menu.
Letting you use your Android phone as a remote offers several benefits. When your physical remote control runs out of battery, for instance, or if you’ve misplaced it, your smartphone is a handy stand-in. It’s also much easier to use your phone to type in a movie title you’re looking for when you don’t want to or can’t use voice dictation. What’s more, entering the passwords for your various accounts is a whole lot less painful.
A new feature will soon be built into Android phones: remote control functions for smart TVs and streamers that run Google TV or Android TV. You can use your phone to control TV power, move around TV menus and use the phone’s keyboard to more easily enter usernames, passwords and search terms.
