How to use Android's built-in Google TV/Android TV remote

How to use Android's built-in Google TV/Android Tv set remote

You're probably sitting on the real remote anyways

Google has finally built a reliable virtual TV remote into Android.

This is how to use it:

What you lot need

An Android telephone with the Google TV app
A device running Android Television receiver or Google TV

If you lot're non familiar with these devices, nosotros have a longer article that outlines them hither.

Instructions

The first thing you lot'll need to do is brand sure you lot've updated the Google Play Movies and TV app to Google TV. This is basically the same app, just the Google TV update adds more than browseable sections, a watchlist, a store, your library and the virtual remote.

I will note that with my OnePlus 9 Pro, the Google TV app still features the Play Movies and Television set icon, only likewise that glitch, information technology works well.

If you open up the app, you should see a small-scale remote icon floating in the bottom right of the screen. Borer on that should connect y'all to any Android/Google TVs that are on the aforementioned Wi-Fi network as your phone. After you pair with them, you lot're good to get.

If you have the Google Television receiver app, you can even add together a shortcut direct to the remote to make it easier to access. Swipe downward to open up the notification shade, then pull down further to admission the quick toggles at the top of the screen. If none of your buttons say 'Tv remote,' endeavor tapping on the pen icon on the bottom left, and customize these icons to your preference.

If yous've used an Android/Google Telly recently, the virtual buttons should be very familiar to you since they mimic the bodily layout of the Chromecast remote. The main command space is a swipe-based touchpad as well. This makes its control kind of similar to an older Apple Television set remote. Nonetheless, you tin modify this to a classic D-pad by borer on the three-dot menu in the top right.

If yous have more one Android/Google Tv set on your network, y'all can speedily swap between television sets past tapping the name of the TV in the top left corner of the remote interface. If you lot tap on a search box with the virtual remote open up, it will prompt you lot to fill up information technology in with the on-screen keyboard.

Y'all can download the Google Tv app here.

Quick explanation

If you've updated the Google Play Movies and Boob tube app into the Google Telly app, you should be able to add together a virtual remote to the Android quick toggles in the notification shade.

How it stacks up to other virtual remotes

I haven't used LG or Samsung's virtual remotes in a long time and don't even know if they're all the same competing. Still, I use both versions of the Apple virtual remote and the Roku version.

This new Android remote stands upward well against the Apple TV remote, but it's a little barebones for my liking. The Roku remote has absurd features similar the power to transmit TV audio through your telephone. This is admittedly a niche characteristic, just one that I find cool nonetheless and would love to see Google adopt.