Whether your physical remote controller is lost, damaged, or not working, you need to look for an alternative option to control your smart TV. In recent times, universal remote apps are gaining popularity as it lets the user control smart TV and multiple other smart devices easily from the smartphone. A large number of remote apps require IR blasters built-in smartphones, and others work with WIFI. In addition, most remote apps are easy to use and have very elegant and user-friendly interfaces. Take a look at our extended review if you need more clarification on choosing the best universal remote apps to efficiently control your smart devices.
An Overview of the Universal Remote Apps
The best universal remote apps worth using on Android and iOS smartphones to control Smart TVs and other devices are listed down.
| Remote Apps | Ratings | Download Link |
|---|---|---|
| Google Home It is an official app of Google to control Google and Android TVs | ★★★★★ | Google Play Store Apple App Store |
| Logitech Harmony Hub Controls all the smart TVs and home devices | ★★★★★ | Play Store Apple App Store |
| SURE – Universal Smart TV Remote It is compatible with both Android and iOS devices to control all the smart devices | ★★★★☆ | Play Store App Store |
| Unified Remote It runs on both WiFi and IR blaster built-in devices. | ★★★★☆ | Play Store Apple App Store |
| Mi remote Controller Used to control and manage the Mi TV, Mi TV Stick, and apps. | ★★★★☆ | Google Play Store |
| Yatse It precisely designed to manage the Kodi app | ★★★☆☆ | Google Play Store |
| Twinone TV Remote It can control all smart TV models | ★★★☆☆ | Play Store |
| RCA Universal Remote Works best with the RCA TVs | ★★★☆☆ | Google Play Store |
| CetusPlay Remote Control It covers all the possible Smart TVs and other streaming devices. | ★★★☆☆ | Google Play Store |
| ASmart Remote IR Supports more brands and models | ★★★☆☆ | Google Play Store |
Google Home
Google TV Remote app is the best remote app to control your smart TVs and other smart devices. It allows you to set up or manage the Google Nest Cam or Google Nest Audio smart speaker. Google Home also offers Google Assistant so that you can search over your voice. It also provides additional information, including weather reports, calendars, and more. The best thing is it can recognize different voices, and you can use natural language commands to ask your Google Home to stream the content.
Supported Devices:
- Android – version 6.0 or higher
- iOS – 14.0 or higher
| What We Like | What We Dont Like | Review |
|---|---|---|
| Simple and user-friendly interface | Limited smart home capability | It is 100% free to use |
| Compatible with both Android and iOS devices | Lack of control buttons |
Logitech Harmony Hub
Logitech Harmony Hub is one of the best universal remote apps to control smart devices from your smartphone or tablet. It supports controlling over 275000 WiFi and Bluetooth devices. In addition, it supports Amazon Alexa, Apple Homekit or Siri, and Google Assistant to make your search easy. You can access more than 50 channels and stream your favorite content. The Harmony app controls up to eight different streaming devices.
Supported Devices:
- Android – version 8.0 and higher
- iOS – 12.0 or later
| What We Like | What We Dont Like | Review |
|---|---|---|
| It supports Nest Learning Thermostat and Philips Hue Lights | Takes more time to complete the initial setup | Includes too many pop-up advertisements. |
| Compatible with Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant |
SURE – Universal Smart TV Remote
SURE remote app is one of the world-leading universal remote apps to control and manage your smart home devices. You can easily cast or share music, videos, and photos to a smart TV or other media devices. It works on smartphones with an inbuilt IR Blaster or Broadlink WiFi-to-IR converter. You can use voice commands to browse and play the content. No registration or sign-up is required to access the remote control app.
Supported Devices:
- Android – 5.0 or higher
- iOS – 10.0 or higher
| What We Like | What We Dont Like | Review |
|---|---|---|
| No integration is required for other voice assistants | Compatible only if the device has IR Blaster. | Free and user-friendly interface |
| Supports all audio and video formats | It contains annoying adverts. |
Unified Remote
The Unified Remote app is the one and only remote control app to control your PC from your phone. The app controls different programs and 70+ applications, including VLC, YouTube, Spotify, and many more. It also includes basic mouse and keyboard input and provides an open AI to create custom remote controls. You can enable dark or light themes inside the app. The unified remote app supports single and multi-touch mouse control. You can create a shortcut to access the launcher easily. The Unified Remote app automatically pauses the remote control while receiving the calls.
Supported Devices:
- Android – Version 4.1 or higher
- iOS – Version 8.0 or higher
| What We Like | What We Dont Like | Review |
|---|---|---|
| Provides universal remote control functionalities | Shows pop-up ads while streaming | To access more features, upgrade to a premium version |
| It is supported by Linux, iOS, and Mac |
Mi TV Remote App
The Mi TV Remote app is developed by Xiaomi, especially to control and manage Mi devices. If your Android smartphone has an IR blaster, you can install the app directly from the respective app store and start controlling your smart devices through your mobile phone. You can switch through the channels faster than all other apps. It requires IR based smartphone to control the devices.
Supported Devices:
- Android – Version 5.0 and higher
| What We Like | What We Dont Like | Review |
|---|---|---|
| It does not contain ads | It is not supported for iOS devices | Easy and convenient to use |
| Supports Mi remote’s integration with TV scheduling | Supported only in the limited brands |
Yatse
Yatse is the remote app for Kodi and Plex servers. It accesses any servers on your local network and connects them automatically. You can easily navigate through TV shows as well as movies and search the content through natural voice commands. It includes the features such as DashClock, cloud Save for easy backup and restoration, Wake on LAN, and many more. It allows you to send any media from YouTube or any web browser to Kodi. Additionally, it offers API integration to control Kodi.
Supported Devices:
- Android – Varies with the device
| What We Like | What We Dont Like | Review |
|---|---|---|
| You can stream the content using offline cloud storage | It has native support for only Plex and Emby servers. | It is intuitive and easy to use |
| It has Muzei extensions |
Twinone TV Remote
Twinone TV Remote is a free remote app for Android smartphones and is developed by Twinone. It is used to control your cable TV, cable box, and other smart devices using your android phone’s built-in IR transmitter. It allows you to change the color of the buttons as per your choice. Currently, iOS users cannot use the Twinone TV Remote app on their devices.
Supported Devices:
- Android – 4.4 or higher
| What We Like | What We Dont Like | Review |
|---|---|---|
| Compatible with many smart devices | It occupies enough mobile storage | It is the simple and clear remote interface |
| Can access modern remote control features |
RCA Universal Remote
RCA Universal Remote is specially designed to control the RCA TV, but it is not an official remote app for RCA TV. It supports multiple configuring devices, and that can be found in the Saved Devices folder. You can turn the vibration on and off while pressing the button on your app. To install and configure the app, you need built-in IR blasters smartphones.
Supported Devices:
- Android – Version 4.4 and later
| What We Like | What We Dont Like | Review |
|---|---|---|
| It is easy to configure | It is not the official remote control of the RCA company | Easy, functional, and Elegant IR TV remote control application |
| Supports all the functionality |
CetusPlay Remote Control
CetusPlay is one of the universal remote control apps, and it can control smart devices such as smart TVs, streaming devices, and many more. You can use your natural language to search for content and apps. It also includes live channel features. CetusPlay supports mouse mode, and it only works on the Fire TV, Android smart TV, and Android media box.
Supported Devices:
- Android – 5.0 and later version
| What We Like | What We Dont Like | Review |
|---|---|---|
| Easy to manage the installed apps. | It is not free to use. | You can search for anything on the browser and cast it on your TV. |
| Cast videos, photos, and files easily |
ASmart Remote IR
ASmart Remote IR is used to control your electronic devices through your Android smartphones. However, the IR Blaster should be equipped on your smartphone to access the app to manage other smart devices. Also, it is supported on devices such as air-conditioners, DSLRs, and Projector.
Supported Devices:
- Android – 6.0 or higher
| What We Like | What We Dont Like | Review |
|---|---|---|
| It supports on most popular brands. | It works only on IT blaster built-in Android devices | It is free to use. |
Frequently Asked Question
AnyMote, IRPlus, and Universal TV remote are the best universal remote apps without WiFi.
