How to use the phone as a remote control

Nowadays it is easy to have many electronic devices at home that can be controlled by remote control. Examples are the television or the air conditioner. On the market there are a series of universal remote controls that allow to manage all the devices in a very simple way. However, in this guide we will explain how to use the phone as a remote control so you will not spend money unnecessarily.

How to use the phone as a remote control with standard app

There are some smartphones on the square that have an application pre-installed by the same manufacturer which allows you to manage all the electronic devices turning it into a real remote control. Before specifically looking at the operation, it is important to make sure that the terminal in question has an infrared sensor (almost always present on the upper part).

Currently, there are very few companies that offer IR connectivity on their devices. The pioneers of this technology are definitely Xiaomi and Huawei. Since every Remote Control app works differently, in this guide we’ll talk about the one on Xiaomi devices.

Let’s see how to exploit it:

From the main screen of the MIUI (UI present on the Chinese company’s terminals), locate the folder Tools and pressed on Mi Remote to start the application ( Mi Remote controller is the name on the Play Store ).
After that, press on + Add remote control that you find at the bottom or on the + located on the top left and choose the device you want to control: Mi TV / Mi Box, TV, conditioner, fan, Smart boxes, A/V Receiver, Player DVD, Projector, Chinese Satellite TV or Camera.
After choosing the preferred device (eg TV), look for the brand using the Popular section, the side menu # -Z or the Search for brands field.
After identifying the manufacturer of your device, press on to access the next screen.
In the case of the TV, the message Is TV active?. If the TV is on, press on Active or if it is off on Off.
Now, point the IR sensor of the Xiaomi smartphone to the TV and follow the wizard to confirm the operation each time (for example, if the volume has risen or if the menu key has worked properly).
Now, from the Edit Remote Control screen, assign a name to the device you want to control (eg Samsung TV ) and set the place where the unit is present via the Rename Device section (eg Living Room, Dining Room or Office ).
In the next step, choose Add a link to the screen and press Pair to confirm the pairing.
An interface will automatically appear in which all the buttons are present to better manage the TV. For example, you can change the channel, turn down the volume, change the channels, and so on. To access the other buttons on the remote control, you need to press on the 3 horizontal dots on the bottom left. Finally, by plugging on the 3 vertical dots located at the top right, you can access the settings of the created remote control.

How to use the mobile phone as a remote control with Sure

Sure is a powerful and free universal remote control application that allows you to quickly and easily manage the appliances you have at home. Just like the standard app, Sure uses the infrared sensor or Wi-Fi network to control Smart TVs and streaming devices. In addition to this, the application is able to send images and videos from the smartphone to the smart TV always using a wireless connection.

That said, let’s see how to use it:

Grab your smartphone and proceed to download the Sure Universal Remote from the Google Play Store.
Once the installation is complete, start the software and click on Add device you find below.
From the box that appears ( Device will be connected to ), choose Infrared device (IR) and press OK to confirm.
Now, from Select type, choose the device you want to manage from your smartphone between TV, Digital Decoder/Cable, Air Conditioner, AV Receiver/Sound Bar, Multimedia Streamer, Home Automation, CD/DVD Player or Projector.
By pressing, for example, on TV, you will access the next step in which to choose the brand (eg LG, Samsung or Sony). Alternatively, use the Find Your Brand field at the top to search for the brand.
After pressing on the name of the company, press on the various items in the section Perform the test of your TV (power on, power off, menu, volume up and volume down).
Once all the commands have been correctly tested, if the feedback is positive, tap on Successful! Save remote control to proceed with saving the remote control.
Once this is done, you will return to the Sure start screen where you will find the remote control on the front line to manage your electronic device.

If you want to manage a Smart TV or a streaming device, then choose Add new device from the menu that appears by pressing on the 3 dots on the top right of the home screen (if you already have another appliance) or on + Add device from the home screen. From the window that appears, choose this time Wi-Fi Device instead of Infrared Device, click OK and select the device you want to control between TV, Set-top box, Media Sharing, Smartphone or Smart Speaker. Alternatively, press on File to transfer a file wirelessly from your smartphone to the smart TV. After selecting the brand of your device, wait for Sure to find it and follow the wizard to establish the connection.

How to use the phone as a remote control with Remote Mouse

If your intent is to use your smartphone as a remote control but to control a computer instead of an appliance, then you can take advantage, as a first solution, the excellent Remote Mouse app, available for both Android and iOS.

Let’s find out how to use it:

First of all, you need to install the program on your computer ( Windows, MacOS or Linux ). To do this, simply go to the official Web site of Remote Mouse, press on Download it now and choose the correct entry under the section Install the Remote Mouse server on your computer.
After completing the installation, the program will start automatically and will work silently in the toolbar.
Now, proceed to download the Remote mouse app on Android from the Google Play Store (also available as APK ) or on iPhone and iPad from the App Store.
Once pressed on Start (only on Android), you will find the name of your computer on the front line (under the name of the Wi-Fi network ). The two devices must be connected to the same wireless network, otherwise the connection will not take place.
To start using your smartphone as a mouse, simply click on the PC name.

How to use the phone as a remote control: alternatives

On the square there are many other solutions to consider when using your phone as a remote control to manage appliances and computers. Find the alternatives selected by us below.