Are you interested in How to Turn Your Android Phone into a Universal Remote? You should be able to do countless things using an old android device, one of the things includes turning it into a digital photo frame.
You can also consider turning one into something more useful, like a universal remote. Instead of making use of the old regular plastic and buttons, Why not just set up using a custom touch-screen interface instead?
How to Turn Your Android Phone into a Universal Remote
It does not exactly matter if you are making use of an old device. Or maybe you are getting tired of having to purchase a new remote every time. You can choose to load up your everyday Android device using all the apps you need to control every gadget that is in your house without having to leave your couch.
Well, depending on the way you set things, you may or may not be able to control every aspect of your digital life directly from your Android device, but using the right apps, you should be able to get something close to that.
Controlling your Home Theater
If you happen to be making use of a smart TV or a streaming media player, then you are in luck. The Roku, Fire TV, and Android TV all have apps ready to use for controlling playback and more. Even some major brand TVs like LG’s WebOS and Samsung’s Tizen have apps that are available on the PlayStore.
If you so happen to own a smart TV or a streaming box, all hope is not lost. While IR blasters were built right into some Android devices previously, nowadays it is not so common. The deal here is that aftermarket IR blasters you can buy to replicate this functionality.
The smallest ones would connect via a 3.5mm headphone jack or USB-C, but there are some external ones made by companies like Broadlink and SwitchBot that are controllable using your Wi-Fi, too. These are placed somewhere using a clear view of your TV’s IR sensor and flash IR patterns based on your input in the device’s app.
They come with a built-in library of thousands of devices, meaning that you would only be required to tell it what kind of TV, Blu-Ray player, or soundbar you have and this would carry out the rest. Best of all, they are typically under $50 available on Amazon and support Alexa and Google Assistant.
Setting up Your Smart Devices
Right after setting up your smart home devices to work using Android is kind of the whole point of having a smart home, to begin with. Obviously, The instructions tend to vary depending on the kind of device you’re setting up, but the typical process is something more like this.
- First off, install your smart device(s)
- Then download the appropriate app that is from Google Play Store to control them
- After that, connect the app directly to the device
You should be able to repurpose your Android device with whatever apps you would need to get all your devices controlled. The chances here are that you have done all of this already with another device, so setting it up on your dedicated universal remote will just involve downloading the right apps and signing in.
Some of the products, if connected to Alexa or Google Assistant would have their controls right in the smart assistant app, with no extra app needed. For example, if you just want to power on your kitchen light, you would most like to open the Alexa or the Google Home Apps, Find the Kitchen light in your list of devices, and after that, tap it and then tap on the power button.
Verdict
No voice control, no searching for the right app. You can’t typically do things that need some fine adjustments or making routines, but it can be a lot quicker approach to controlling individual products.
