I’m overwhelmed by all the universal TV remote options and can’t tell which ones actually work well with multiple brands and streaming devices. I’ve tried a couple cheap ones that either lose their settings or don’t control all my gear. Can anyone recommend a reliable universal TV remote that’s easy to program, has good range, and won’t be a headache for the whole family to use?
Hi all,
I hit the point where I was done hunting for TV remotes under the couch. We have two TVs at home, Samsung in the living room and LG in the bedroom, and somehow both remotes are never where they should be. I already have my phone on me most of the day, so I went down the rabbit hole of “universal TV remote” apps on iOS, Android, and even Mac.
Below is what I tested, what broke, what worked, and what I would personally keep installed.
I’ll keep links in, since I used those myself when I was downloading.
Part 1: TV remote apps I tried on iPhone
I grabbed four of the more visible ones from the App Store:
TVRem Universal TV Remote
TV Remote – Universal Control
Universal Remote TV Smart
TV Remote – Universal
I used them on Samsung and LG, and poked around menus enough to annoy everyone in the house.
TVRem Universal TV Remote – the one I kept on my iPhone
This is the one I ended up keeping. It talks to a bunch of brands and platforms: LG, Samsung, Sony, Android TV, Roku, and a few others I do not own.
What surprised me a bit, it is straight up free. No “7 days free then surprise yearly sub,” no grayed-out buttons asking for money.
Stuff I used:
• Touchpad for moving around apps on the TV
• Voice control through Google Assistant / Alexa on supported models
• Keyboard input for search fields and app logins
• Normal channel and volume controls
Pros
- Interface is clean and not confusing
- Connection to TV took seconds on my network
- No paywall, no subscription popup
- Works with most common brands and platforms I checked
- Covers all the buttons I use on a physical remote
Cons
- No Vizio support, so if your main TV is Vizio, this one is out
Price: free
Link: TVRem Universal TV Remote App App - App Store
There is also this Reddit thread where people argue about universal remotes vs physical ones and list their picks:
https://www.reddit.com/r/DataRecoveryHelp/comments/1qqa2bh/best_universal_tv_remote/
Product page I ran into while following links:
Video:
My take:
If you are on iPhone and your TV is not Vizio, this is the one I would try first. It felt like a normal remote, no surprise payments, nothing weird with ads.
TV Remote – Universal Control
This one also wants to be a universal remote. It uses Wi‑Fi, so phone and TV need to sit on the same network.
Feature-wise, it has most of the modern bits: touchpad, voice control, built-in keyboard, channel launcher, and some casting tools.
The catch: most of it sits behind a paywall. I had to start a free trial to see anything serious.
Pros
- Touchpad / keyboard / voice control are present
- Supports a lot of brands and platforms
Cons
- Ads all over the place in the unpaid state
- Simple actions often trigger a subscription prompt
- I hit a few random crashes opening menus
Price: from $4.99 and up
Link: TV Remote - Universal Control App - App Store
My take:
Usable, but I got tired of “Start trial” prompts. If you plan to pay and you like the layout, it might work for you. I wanted something cheaper or free for this kind of tool.
Universal Remote TV Smart
This one looks like it was built by someone who does not use remotes much. Technically, it is universal and supports a ton of brands.
The problem is the layout. Button positions feel awkward, and it never felt like a real remote in my hand. I found myself mis-tapping a lot.
You still get basics: keyboard, app navigation, volume, channel switching.
Pros
- Wide brand coverage
Cons
- Awkward and clumsy interface layout
- No voice control at all
- Full-screen video ads you are forced to sit through
- Most useful actions push you toward a paid plan, even something as basic as trying to open YouTube
Price: from $7.99 and up
Link: Universal remote tv smart App - App Store
My take:
Out of the iPhone apps I tried, this was at the bottom. The interface wore me out, and having to watch ads or pay for almost everything made zero sense to me.
TV Remote – Universal
This one turns your iPhone or iPad into a remote for LG, Samsung, Sony, Vizio, Android TV, and others. Wi‑Fi only, so again, same network needed.
Features are on the lighter side: channel and app switching, keyboard input, playback controls like pause and rewind.
Pros
- TV discovery and connection process is simple
- Interface does not feel messy
- Core functions work as expected
- Free trial is available to test full set
Cons
- Ads, unless you pay to remove them
- Most of the extra buttons trigger an upsell screen
Price: from $4.99 and up
Link: TV Remote - Universal App - App Store
My take:
I tested it with the trial. It lagged a bit on the main screen on my phone, but was usable. The amount of paywalled stuff and the ads made me delete it once the test was done.
Part 2: TV remote apps I tried on Android
My wife uses Android, so I borrowed her phone and tested a few things there too.
Universal TV Remote Control
This one supports a huge list of brands: Sony, Samsung, LG, Philips, TCL, Hisense, Panasonic, and more.
I liked the fact it works both over Wi‑Fi and as an IR remote on phones that still have IR blasters. So if your TV is older, you are not stuck.
Features: trackpad, voice search, app launcher, keyboard, the usual. All available in the free tier.
The problem: the ad situation is rough.
Pros
- Works with a long list of TV models
- IR + Wi‑Fi support
- Most important tools are free to use
Cons
- Ads everywhere, some of them hard or impossible to close without waiting
- I had app crashes that forced me to reconnect to the TV
Price: free
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=codematics.universal.tv.remote.control&hl=en
My take:
I liked the feature set and brand support but stopped using it because of the frequency of ads and crashes. My patience ran out fast.
Remote Control For All TV | AI
This one is Wi‑Fi based, with the “AI” tag stuck into the name.
The free version lets you do basic stuff: change channels, adjust volume, basic navigation. Connection to the TV was on the slower side for me.
Extra tools like removing ads, AI assistant, keyboard with voice input, and screen mirroring sit behind a paid upgrade.
Pros
- Works with many brands
- Basic remote use is possible for free
Cons
- Frequent ads in the free mode
- Slow TV detection in my tests
- More advanced functions locked behind a paid plan
Price: from $4.99 and up
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sensustech.universal.remote.control.ai
My take:
If you only want basic controls and you are ok waiting a bit for it to find your TV, it is tolerable. For frequent daily use, the delays and upsells wore me down.
Universal TV Remote Control (Unimote)
Unimote talks to Smart TVs over Wi‑Fi and also works with IR if your phone supports it.
It detected my TV quickly, but half the time I had to retry to get an actual connection. Once connected, it was easy enough to move around.
Then the ads started to pile up.
Pros
- Simple design for core navigation
- IR and Wi‑Fi both supported
Cons
- Full-screen video ads that cut into usage
- Free version feels limited, with upgrades spread everywhere
- Connection to the TV dropped often during testing
Price: from $5.99 and up
My take:
I would keep this on a phone as a backup remote when nothing else works. For everyday control, I got tired of reconnecting and skipping ads.
Universal TV Remote Control (by Uzeegar)
Last Android app I tried. Also universal, and covers usual suspects like LG, Samsung, Sony, TCL.
It gives you power on/off, a main control screen, Home/Menu access, and playback controls. It supports both Wi‑Fi and IR.
Pros
- All core features are present
- Free trial for the full setup
Cons
- Ad-heavy
- Most better features sit behind payment
Price: from $3.99 and up
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.uzeegar.universal.smart.tv.remote.control&hl=uk
My take:
Decent core design, but again, the ads break the flow. If you hate ads as much as I do, this will get on your nerves fast.
Part 3: Using your Mac as a TV remote
I was curious if I could control the TV while working on my MacBook, so I tried two Mac apps.
TVRem Universal TV Remote for Mac
Same name as the iPhone one, and it is from the Mac App Store. I tested with a Samsung TV.
Connection was simple. Interface is clean, not packed with tiny icons. Took me under a minute to figure out the layout.
It is free, again, with no obvious pay traps.
Features I used:
• Touchpad for navigation
• Keyboard input from Mac
• App launcher for jumping into YouTube, Netflix, etc.
Pros
- Easy to understand interface
- No ads
- Works with several major brands
- All basic remote features are available
Cons
- No Vizio support
Price: free
Link: TVRem Universal TV Remote App App - App Store
My take:
If you often watch stuff while at your Mac, this is kind of nice. I could mute or pause without reaching for the coffee table. Lack of Vizio support is the only notable gap I saw.
TV Remote, Universal Remote for Mac
This one is also in the Mac App Store, and also claims broad brand support.
Connection to my TV worked on the first attempt. Interface looked fine, nothing special, nothing awful.
My problem here was stability and pricing. Most features I cared about sat behind a pay screen, and I had random crashes while moving through menus.
Pros
- UI is decent
- Supports many big brand TVs and provides core features
Cons
- Upgrades needed for many things
- Occasional app crashes
Price: from $4.99 and up
Link: TV Remote, Universal Remote App - App Store
My take:
If you pay and do not hit the crash bug on your machine, it might be fine. On my side, the combo of paywall plus instability made me go back to TVRem.
Part 4: Physical TV remote vs apps on your phone
Quick definitions
Physical remote: the actual plastic remote that ships with your TV or that you buy as a replacement.
Remote app: phone or tablet app that turns that device into a remote.
Why I leaned toward apps
- Less stuff to lose
My phone is usually in my pocket or on the desk. The remote somehow migrates into random drawers, under blankets, or into the kitchen. Once I switched to the app for daily use, I stopped doing “where is the remote now” walks.
- Typing does not suck anymore
Typing Wi‑Fi passwords or search queries using arrow keys on a remote feels slow. On the apps, I got a normal on-screen keyboard. Some of them have voice input. Entering Netflix or YouTube search terms went from “ugh” to “ok, done”.
- Cost
Replacement remotes on Amazon for Samsung TVs from about 2019 to 2025 tend to sit around 15–20 dollars. LG replacements float somewhere in the 13–35 dollar range, depending on the model and if you want “magic” style remotes.
A free remote app, if it works well for your TV, saves that cost. If it is a paid app in the 4–8 dollar range and you keep it for years, it is still cheaper than buying multiple physical remotes.
- One app, several devices
Many remote apps let you switch between several TVs inside the app. If you have a living room TV, a bedroom TV, and maybe something in the kitchen, you can handle all from the same phone. No basket full of remotes.
- Slightly better UI
Some TV remotes look like calculators. The app UIs, when they are done well, are simpler. Fewer buttons at once, touchpad navigation, quicker jumps into apps like Netflix or YouTube.
Where apps fall short
• You need Wi‑Fi or Bluetooth, and both TV and phone must be on the same network. If the TV is asleep in a way that drops its network connection, or the router is misbehaving, the app does nothing.
• You depend on your phone. If your battery is dead or your kid runs off with your phone, you are out of luck.
• Some TVs only expose basic controls to apps. Volume and power work, but not every advanced setting.
My real-world picks
After a few evenings of messing with all of this:
• On my iPhone, I stuck with TVRem Universal TV Remote. Free, simple, no nag screens, and had the touchpad plus keyboard pair that made daily use fast. Lack of Vizio is the only caveat.
• Among the paid iOS apps, TV Remote – Universal felt like the only one that did not feel like a pure ad funnel. If someone is fine paying, this one might make sense.
On the Android side, my wife ended up choosing Universal TV Remote Control (the first Android one I described). I am not a fan of how many ads pop up, but in her words, “It works and I do not want to try another ten of them,” so there is that.
If you are tired of keeping multiple physical remotes around, I would start with TVRem on iPhone or Mac from these links:
iPhone / iPad / Mac:
Then, if that does not support your TV brand, move down the list and test alternatives for a few minutes each. You will feel pretty fast which ones are too aggressive with ads or upsells for your taste.
Hope my testing saves you a few hours of trial and error.
2 Likes
If the cheap universals are losing settings or not powering everything, I’d stop buying more of those and switch approach a bit.
You have 3 realistic paths:
- Physical “real” universal remote
- Phone / app remote
- Hybrid of both
I’ll keep it tight and practical.
- Physical universal remotes that do not suck
If you want one remote on the coffee table that works every time and remembers settings, look here first:
• Sofabaton U1
- About 50–60 USD.
- Works with IR devices and some streaming boxes.
- You program it from an app, but the remote itself holds everything.
- Good for older receivers, soundbars, cable boxes, random brands.
- Weak point: no HDMI CEC control, no backlight.
• Sofabaton X1
- About 150 USD.
- Hub based, supports IR, Bluetooth, Wi Fi devices.
- Good with Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, game consoles as “activities.”
- You press one button like “Watch TV” and it powers TV, AVR, streaming box, sets inputs.
- This is the closest current thing to old Harmony remotes.
• One For All (URC series, like URC 7880)
- About 30–40 USD.
- Less fancy, uses codes instead of a phone app.
- Stable, remembers settings, works with many brands.
- Good if you want “set once, forget it” and do not care about macros or activities.
If your main pain is losing codes, avoid those 10 dollar generics with no model number. Go for Sofabaton or One For All. They store configs in non volatile memory, so you do not lose everything when batteries die.
- How this compares to what @mikeappsreviewer wrote
They went deep on phone and Mac apps like TVRem. That is nice if you prefer your phone as the main remote. I do not, for a few reasons:
• Phones run out of battery.
• Other people in the house do not always have the app set up.
• Guests understand a physical remote faster.
I agree with them on one point. Phone apps are amazing for typing passwords and logging in. My compromise is:
• Use physical universal remote for 95 percent of use.
• Open the TV or box’s official app or something like TVRem only for text entry, initial setup, or when the physical remote is buried.
- Matching setups to your gear
Quick mapping that helps narrow things:
• If you have:
– Modern smart TV plus soundbar plus single streaming box
→ Try Sofabaton U1 first, or One For All URC model, and lean on HDMI CEC so one power button starts everything.
• If you have:
– Receiver, multiple HDMI sources, older gear, game consoles
→ Sofabaton X1 is better, since it talks to more devices with a hub.
• If you mostly use the built in TV apps
→ A decent app on your phone like TVRem plus the original TV remote for “backup” is fine. Then a cheap One For All for visitors is a nice backup.
- Concrete checklist before you buy
• List every device you need to control: TV, AVR, soundbar, streaming sticks, consoles, cable box.
• For each device, check: IR only, or also Bluetooth, or Wi Fi.
• Check Sofabaton or One For All compatibility lists for those models.
• Make sure the remote supports at least 4 devices if you have multiple boxes.
• Look for “activity” or “macro” support if you want one button to power and switch inputs.
- Simple picks
If you want quick recommendations and do not want to research a ton:
• Under 40 USD, mostly IR gear: One For All URC7880.
• 50–80 USD, mixed IR gear and a couple of streamers: Sofabaton U1.
• Willing to spend for less headache, many devices, includes Bluetooth: Sofabaton X1.
That combo avoids the constant reset issues you saw with the cheap stuff, and gives you one remote that survives battery swaps and works with mixed brands and streaming boxes. For text entry and app navigation, borrow @mikeappsreviewer’s idea and keep a phone app like TVRem as a helper, not the main tool.
You’re not crazy, the cheap “universal” remotes are basically disposable toys.
Since @mikeappsreviewer went deep on phone/Mac apps and @byteguru did the Sofabaton / One For All rundown, I’ll come at it from the “what actually survives a messy living room for 3+ years” angle.
Short version:
If you want one remote for multiple brands + streaming boxes and you’re sick of losing settings:
-
Stop buying the sub‑$15 generics
Those are usually learning remotes with volatile memory or garbage-quality firmware. Battery dies or you bump it wrong, config goes poof. You’ve already seen that. -
Decide how many types of device you really need to control
- Only IR stuff (TVs, soundbars, cable box)
- IR + Bluetooth/WiFi (Fire Stick, Apple TV, Roku, game consoles)
-
Pick one of these based on that:
• Mostly IR gear, up to 4–6 devices
→ One For All URC7880 or similar URC series- Uses preloaded code library
- Stores settings in non volatile memory
- Does not randomly forget everything when batteries die
- Good if you do not care about fancy “activities” and just want reliable power/volume/input on several boxes
• Mix of IR gear and at least one streaming device you want proper control of
→ Sofabaton U1- Yeah, @byteguru already mentioned it, but I disagree with them slightly: for many people this is the sweet spot, not a weird middle ground
- It is way more flexible than the One For All, but cheaper and less fussy than the X1
- Great if you have: TV + soundbar/AVR + one or two streamers
• Big setup, lots of streaming boxes, activity macros are a must
→ Sofabaton X1- If you miss Logitech Harmony, this is as close as it gets right now
- One button to power TV + AVR + set inputs + wake your streaming box
- Clash with @mikeappsreviewer a bit here: I’d rather hit one X1 “Watch Netflix” button than open a phone app, unlock screen, wait for WiFi, etc.
-
About phone / app remotes
- TVRem that @mikeappsreviewer tested is honestly one of the few app options that doesn’t feel like an ad farm
- But as a primary remote, apps get annoying fast: phone battery, screen lock, other people in the house, etc.
- Where they shine: typing passwords, search terms, initial setup
My setup: physical universal for daily use, phone app only when I need to enter text or the kids have walked off with the main remote.
-
A quick sanity checklist before you hit “Buy”
- List all devices: model of each TV, soundbar/AVR, cable/sat box, streamers, consoles
- Verify each one in the Sofabaton / One For All compatibility docs
- Make sure the remote supports at least 1–2 more devices than you own now, because you will add something later
- Check that it has:
• Activity/macros if you hate juggling inputs
• Backlight if you watch in the dark
• Physical buttons for the things you use daily: inputs, volume, mute, home/menu, play/pause
Honestly, with what you described (multiple brands, streamers, cheap remotes losing settings), you are the exact target user for:
- Sofabaton U1 if you want to keep cost reasonable
- Sofabaton X1 if you want “press one button, everything just works” and you’re done buying remotes for a long time
Use a solid physical remote as the brain, keep a good app like TVRem as a helper, and ignore the 9 dollar “universal” stuff forever.
You are basically stuck between three worlds here: cheap physical universals that forget everything, premium programmable remotes, and phone / desktop apps.
Since @byteguru already mapped the Sofabaton / One For All territory and @caminantenocturno leaned on solid non‑toy hardware, I will push a slightly different angle: treat your phone and computer as your daily universal remote, and use a sturdier physical remote only as backup, not the main brain.
@mikeappsreviewer’s testing is useful here. The one pattern that stood out in their write‑up: almost every “universal TV remote” app either shoves you into subscriptions, buries controls behind ads, or crashes once you try to do more than volume up. The outlier they liked was TVRem Universal TV Remote, and I agree with that direction as a strategy even if I do not think apps alone replace a good physical remote for everyone.
Since you mentioned streaming devices and multiple brands, a TV remote app that talks to Samsung, LG, Sony, Android TV and Roku over Wi‑Fi actually solves more of your problem than the 10 dollar plastic remotes that only speak IR and lose codes when the batteries sag.
If you go this “app first, hardware second” route, the practical combo looks like:
-
A reliable app like TVRem Universal TV Remote on the phone or Mac for:
• switching between TVs without hunting for different plastic remotes
• fast typing for logins and search
• quick app jumping, touchpad, voice, all the things the cheap physical remotes never do -
A midrange physical universal (One For All URC78xx or a Sofabaton U1) programmed just for:
• power, volume, input on each TV
• basic transport buttons for the streamer you use most
So instead of trying to force “one single magical physical remote that does literally everything” like @byteguru is leaning into with X1, you split the workload:
• Apps handle the smart stuff and text entry
• Physical remote handles the simple “TV actually turns on when grandma presses Power” part
That tradeoff also reduces how painful it is when something fails. If the village of cheap remotes dies or loses codes, you still have a working app. If Wi‑Fi drops or a firmware update breaks app control, the physical still gets you to HDMI 1 and sound.
One place I diverge from @mikeappsreviewer: I would not rely on any phone app as the only control for the whole house. When someone comes over or your phone is dead, fighting with app‑only control gets old. Use the software to reduce your remote count, not eliminate every physical remote in the house.
To keep it concrete:
• If you want to stop losing settings and configs, stop buying remotes in the “random brand, under 15 dollars” category. They usually have poor memory and minimal code libraries.
• Let a universal TV remote app like TVRem Universal TV Remote do the heavy lifting for smart functions across all your TVs and streamers.
• Back that up with one decent universal physical remote placed in each room, pared down to essentials.
You get fewer devices on the coffee table, no recurring subscription nonsense, and no more “I changed the batteries and now the remote forgot the TV again” moments.