Google TV and Android TV are straightforward to control from a phone — the pairing is built into apps you may already have. The only real requirement is that the TV is on and on your Wi-Fi.
1. Use the Google Home app
The Google Home app on your phone includes a remote for any Android TV or Google TV device on your network. (The standalone Google TV app has one too.)
- Put your phone and the TV on the same Wi-Fi network.
- Open the app, pick the TV, and tap the remote icon.
- If asked, enter the pairing code shown on the TV screen.
From there you get a full on-screen remote, a D-pad, and a keyboard for search — which is far quicker than typing with arrow keys.
2. Wake the TV with a connected device
If the TV is off, HDMI-CEC can bring it up: turn on a device plugged into it — a console, a soundbar, a Blu-ray player — and the TV usually powers on and switches to that input. Many Android TVs also respond to their own physical button, under the panel or on the back.
3. Other remote apps
Any app that speaks the Android TV remote protocol can control the TV once it’s paired with the on-screen code — including Zapp, which adds volume, inputs and a keyboard with no subscription and no ads.
One honest limit that applies to every remote, ours included: Google TV doesn’t share its installed-app list with remote apps, so you won’t get one-tap app shortcuts on this platform the way you can on a Roku.
4. A replacement remote
A genuine replacement, or a compatible universal remote, pairs with the TV and is the right long-term fix — but the phone method above works immediately and, keyboard included, many people prefer it.