I turned my phone into an Android TV remote for free - here's why it's genius

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I cannot tell you how many times I've picked up a new TV remote and thought, "Well, this is poorly designed."

Or, just the other day, I realized the AAA batteries in my TV remote were dead… and I had no spares lying around. Given the state of smart TVs, there are no physical buttons that allow you to turn the TV on/off, navigate the menu, and enjoy a bit of mindlessness.

When that happened, I grabbed my phone, hoping I could find a remote app that would work. My search led me to Bluetooth Remote . I was skeptical. I'd tried remote apps for various TVs before, but never seemed to locate one that was able to either connect to my television or work with any ease or reliability.

Also: The best TVs of 2026: Expert tested and recommended

Bluetooth Remote changed all of that. Not only did Bluetooth Remote immediately (and automatically) locate my TV, but it connected with a simple tap. Once that was taken care of, I found this free remote app to be an absolute gem.

One of my favorite features of the app is that it can be used as a touchpad. When used in this mode, you'll see a cursor on your TV screen that you can manipulate with the touchpad on the app to select whatever it is you want to enjoy.

No more using the awkward buttons to slowly navigate through the installed apps on the TV. Thanks to Bluetooth Remote, I can very quickly open the app I want on my TV and then navigate through whatever service I'm using with ease and speed.

That mouse pad/cursor feature alone makes this app worth using.

Other features include a virtual keyboard, number pad, sound control, channel control, power off (power obviously on does not work because…Bluetooth), TV menu control, closed caption on/off, home button, play, reverse, and rewind.

Bluetooth Remote has just the right amount of features and no more.

Seriously, this is the TV remote you want, so long as you have an Android phone and an Android TV. Sorry if that precludes you from using Bluetooth Remote.

If you've installed any app from the Google Play Store, then you know the drill:

You have to give the app permissions before it'll play nice.