- Jul. 29th 2022 1:06 pm PT
TV Remote was released for iOS last year as an alternative to letting iPhone users control their Smart TVs from an iPhone or iPad. This week, the app was updated to version 2, which comes with multiple new features such as theme options, custom layout, widgets, and more.
The main idea of the app is quite simple: the interface replicates the main buttons on your TV remote control, so you can do things like change channels, change the volume, or even access the TV’s home screen without having to pick up your remote control. Everything is done from your device. Setting up a compatible TV for the first time only takes a few seconds.
In my experience using it with a Samsung QLED TV, the TV Remote app has a better and more consistent experience than the official Samsung app provides.
With the TV Remote app, everything works nearly instantly, and I don’t have to wait a few seconds until the app identifies my TV, which happens every time with the Samsung app for some unknown reason.
With TV Remote 2, the app is more customizable than ever. For instance, it now features theme options so that users can change the appearance of their virtual remote control. You can even create or set a different theme for each TV paired with the app. There are also options to choose specific colors of the remote control in light and dark mode.
The themes are synchronized with your other Apple devices via iCloud, so you don’t need to recreate the same themes on each of them. Another new feature allows users to customize the layout of the app. This way, you can rearrange the buttons and choose the ones that are most useful to you.
Other enhancements coming with this update include new and redesigned home screen widgets, accessibility improvements, and faster TV discovery.
TV Remote 2 is now available for free on the App Store. However, in order to unlock some of the features such as themes and widgets, users must subscribe to TV Remote Premium. The app works with iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. It’s worth noting that the app works with LG, Samsung, Hitachi, Toshiba, Sharp, and more Smart TVs.
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