The days of having to keep your TV remote in your living room might be gone if you use a certain app on your phone. It’s a third-party app called Bluetooth Remote, which is available on the Google Play Store for free. Bluetooth enables remote connection between devices, mitigating the need for wires and other connections, and if you’re someone who always has their smartphone nearby, this app negates the need for a separate television remote. As of this writing, the last update to the app was in March 2026, so it seems to have active tech support behind it.
Bluetooth Remote comes with all the buttons you expect on a basic remote, such as directional inputs, a number keypad, and play/pause buttons. One additional benefit is that it includes a keyboard. Having to type in search terms or your account login with your TV remote can be a slow, clunky process, but the keyboard function lets you just type that information in.
How does it compare to similar apps?
This isn’t the only app that lets you control your TV from your phone. If you have a compatible TV or streaming device, then the Google TV and Google Home apps also let you use your phone as a remote. There are ways this Bluetooth app differs from the others in terms of functionality, though. Android TV is owned by Google, but do note that there are some differences between Google and Android TVs.
The Google Home app is more robust, as it’s designed to integrate with multiple features of your home, including locking doors, turning lights on and off, and providing Gemini summaries of where each family member went in the home during the day. Google Home is the better choice if you want a full-service app for your entire house, but Bluetooth Remote is much more streamlined as it was designed with a single use in mind. If you have no need for an app to control functions in your house or summarize your day, the Google Home app might honestly do too much for you.
Similarly, the remote option on the Google TV app is more of a side experience. That app is more focused on watching videos on your phone, and the remote option is for when you cast your video to a compatible device. This app is built for on-the-go viewing. Bluetooth Remote may not include video content, but if you’re just looking for a streamlined remote, it may be easier for you.
What users think of the Bluetooth remote app
As of this writing, the Bluetooth Remote app has over 500,000 downloads and a 4.1-star rating based on 1,700 reviews. The majority of the reviews are very positive. Users really like that it is an ad-free experience and that the interface is simple and straightforward to use. There’s also praise for the app being truly free, with no extras to pay for and no subscription tiers.
Despite the majority of reviews being positive, there are still some negative ones. Users have complained that it doesn’t work correctly with their specific television (though it should be noted that several of these reviews mention they’re not using a compatible Android TV). Other customers said they had to re-pair the Bluetooth connection to the TV often.
Apps like this illustrate why there might be no need for TV remotes anymore. Using something we always have on hand, like our smartphones, gives us one less thing to keep track of. The fact that this app is also free, has no ads, and is simple is also a breath of fresh air in a world where it can seem like every app is crammed with too many options, too many pop-up ads, and too many things locked behind paywalls.
