One of the most underrated and often ignored functions of modern Android smartphones is that of the infrared interface (IR blaster), which allows you to change the TV channel or use other electronic devices using the phone as a remote control. There are many smartphones that have an infrared interface, so it is worth checking the technical specifications and, if available, use one of the applications described in this article to configure it and use the smartphone to change channels on any TV, stereo, console or even to control other devices such as the air conditioner .
Among the models of smartphones equipped with infrared port we can mention here the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S5 / S6 / S6 and Note 4, HTC One, Xiaomi Mi 4 /, Mi 5, Redmi 4, Redmi Note, Huawei Honor 6, 8 and 9, Mate 9, P20, LG G2, G3 eG4 and many others.
An Android mobile phone with infrared interface can therefore be used as a universal remote control to control any electronic device that can be used with a remote control, using these applications .
READ ALSO: Control the TV with your Android phone with the remote control apps
1) Universal Remote SURE is a very detailed application, which works with many TVs and also supports other devices equipped with an infrared port.
This application also has the advantage of supporting remote control via wifi of DLNA servers, Samsung or LG smart TVs, streaming devices such as Apple TV or Chromecast.
The flaw is that to remove advertising you need to pay a subscription, which is not exactly the best.
2) Universal TV Remote is one of the best free apps to switch channels on TV using the phone's infrared sensor. Setup is simple and supports almost every existing, old and new TV model. You can then use your smartphone instead of the remote control, if it is broken or if it has dead batteries. There is also support for devices other than TVs. the only flaw is advertising, which cannot be eliminated, at least for now.
3) Peel Smart Remote is a very popular app that comes pre-installed in many Samsung smartphones and can be used to switch channels on the TV using the phone's Infrared sensor. This is a very valid app, which works with every TV and also with DVD players, air conditioners and audio systems, easy to configure, which also supports the control via wifi (of smart TVs or streaming devices). You just need to choose the model of the TV to be controlled and do the automatic pairing to replace the remote control with the phone. Even this application is, however, full of advertising and also suffers from being a little invasive, putting itself on the phone lock screen.
4) Mi Remote Controller is an application of Xiaomi, completely free, which allows you to change channels on any TV using your phone and also to remote control other devices with infrared port such as air conditioners or DVD players. This application works very well, it immediately recognizes the used TV without having to know the model (only the brand) and is ad-free, thus becoming my personal choice.
5) TV Remote Control for Samsung is an excellent application to change channels on Samsung TV using your mobile phone, configuring it as a remote control. The app works very well, in its free version, even to use the smartphone as a remote control for the air conditioner, the fan and anything with an infrared socket.
6) Zaza Remote is definitely one of the applications with multiple supported devices, capable of changing channels on any TV, changing the temperature of the air conditioner, stopping and starting fans, DVD players, appliances and infrared cameras. This app, less popular than others, is free and without advertising, therefore excellent for all uses and better than many others.
7)
ASmart Remote IR, good app to change channels, free, which supports televisions and many other infrared devices.
8) Smart IR Remote - AnyMote is one of the best apps for remote control TVs and changing channels using the phone's infrared sensor. This app supports over 900, 000 devices including televisions of all brands and also DSLR cameras, air conditioners and practically any technology equipped with an IR blaster. The remote control itself is simple and easy to use, to always keep close at hand. This app is compatible with Samsung and HTC smartphones, not with those of other brands. This is the only paid application that I point out in this article, because it really deserves its universality.
9) The apps of the TV manufacturer
If you have a new LG TV, you can install the LG TV Plus application on your phone to change channels and control all its functions.
For Samsung TVs there is the Remote Control application for Samsung TVs, for Sony TVs, the Sony remote control and so on.
For other car parks it is easy to search the Google Play Store for the remote control app, if none of the above are satisfactory.
It is also interesting to note that with these applications it is possible to change the channel or change the temperature of the air conditioner in public places such as restaurants, bars and hotels.
READ ALSO: How to program a universal remote control for TV
