Your phone can do everything else, so why not use it to control your TV, too?
These days, there's little you can't do on your mobile phone. From paying bills to ordering dinner, Apple's catchphrase of "there's an app for that" has proven to be more than just a marketing slogan, with some of us willing to pay more than $1,500 just to experience the bleeding edge of mobile technology.
Why, then, are we still fumbling around with clunky remotes just to change the blasted TV channel? Shouldn't there be an app for that, too? Well, thankfully there is, and it makes channel-surfing from the comfort of your couch easier than it’s ever been.
What you need
To turn your smartphone into an all-purpose TV remote, you're going to need to download the free Peel Universal Smart TV Remote Control app, available both for iOS devices on the iOS App Store and for Android devices on Google Play.
Unfortunately, iPhone owners are at a bit of a disadvantage here. Unlike most Android phones, Apple devices don't come with a built-in infrared (IR) transmitter. This isn't too big a problem if you own a Wi-Fi-compatible smart TV, since you should be able to control it through your local wireless network instead of over infrared. However, if your TV's getting a little long in the tooth and doesn't support Wi-Fi, you'll need to purchase a separate infrared receiver like Peel's own Pronto controller to enable remote control functionality on your iPhone.
Pronto and Peel App Smart Universal Remote Control from Amazon US site
Turn your phone into a universal remote control and control your TV.View details
One thing worth noting is that, like most free apps, Peel contains ads. These appear at the top of the app's guide pages and are gratefully unobtrusive. If for some reason you don't want to use Peel, though, or it doesn't work with your TV, there are many similar apps available on both app stores. However, this guide will focus on Peel, as it's one of the simplest and most popular remote apps.
How it works
Once you've installed the Peel app, it'll guide you through the process of setting up any TVs you want to control. Simply select the brand of your TV and your location (necessary for the app to load up the correct TV guide for your area) and the app will step you through testing the power button and channel buttons to determine the specific remote protocol your TV uses.
Depending on the model of your TV, you may need to try certain buttons multiple times before the Peel app will identify the correct signal to send. Don't worry, though, because the app is simple to follow even if you do need to do a little tweaking.
All in all, the setup process takes a couple of minutes at most, and when you're done, you'll be able to not only change the channel, adjust the volume and turn your TV on and off from your phone, you'll be able to browse your local TV guide and set reminders for upcoming shows you don't want to miss.
What TVs does the Peel app support?
The Peel app is compatible with most modern TVs from the following manufacturers:
Other TVs may also work, so it's worth testing the app out even if your particular brand isn't in the list above.
What other devices is the Peel app compatible with?
TVs aren't the only devices the Peel app can control. Streaming media players like Apple TV and Chromecast along with gaming consoles like Xbox One and Xbox 360 also work with Peel, though the functions you can perform from your phone differ from device to device. Below are some of the popular products and brands Peel is compatible with:
|Projectors||DVD players||Blu-ray players||Home theatre systems||Air conditioners|
Bear in mind that the above list is only a portion of compatible devices, of which there are hundreds. You can search the full list from within the Peel app.
What phones does the Peel app support?
For non-smart TVs and other infrared-only devices, you'll need an Android phone with a built-in infrared transmitter like the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, the Huawei P10 Plus, the Huawei Mate 9 or the LG G5.
For Wi-Fi compatible smart TVs and all other smart devices, the Peel app will happily work with any iPhone running iOS 8.0 or later and almost any Android device on the market.
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