This new Google TV feature is perfect for when you just can’t find your remote
Mobile remote is finally here
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Finally, aGoogle TVupdate we can all relate to. We’ve all scrambled to find a runaway TV remote at least a few times in our lives, and it seems thatGoogleis no stranger to this phenomenon if its latest Google TV update is anything to go by.
As reported byThe Verge, the latest Google TV update is launching today, and will let viewers use their Android phone as a mobile remote, a feature that was originally announced during May 2021’sGoogle I/O event.
While this new feature isn’t expected to hitApple iOS devicesanytime soon, Android phone owners will be able to turn their phone into a makeshift remote control, allowing users to navigate Google TV and use the virtual keyboard to search and enter login info, for example.
Google has also stated that the mobile remote feature will eventually be compatible with the Android TVoperating system, too, meaning that we could see it implemented insmart 4K TVsand thebest projectorssoon.
The mobile remote feature can be accessed by adding its tile to your quick settings on either yourAndroid phoneor directly through the Google TV app, which will be launching globally over the next few weeks.
Analysis: an undeniably useful feature
Being able to use your phone as a mobile remote is such a good idea that we can’t quite believe Google hadn’t thought of it sooner. While it’s by no means a replacement for the actual remote, it’s undoubtedly a handy backup to have in case your remote goes missing or sinks into the depths of your couch.
However, one activity that’s objectively better and easier on your phone is text entry. We’ve all painstakingly entered passwords and searched for movies and shows using the remote, a process that can take an unreasonably stressful amount of time. Using your Android phone’s virtual keyboard, that once painstaking endeavor is shaved down to just a few seconds.
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It’s not exactly new tech, and similar features and apps have been added to our personal devices before. For example, several ‘remote mouse’ apps exist that let you use your phone’s touch screen to control the mouse connected to your PC – a useful feature if you have your rig set up with a big living room screen, for example.
Plus, it’s great that Google will extend this update to Android TV. If you’re big into Android, you might one day be able to do away with your remotes once and for all, instead controlling everything through one handy interface on your phone.
Rhys is TRG’s Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.
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