Smart Speaker Controller vs Any Text · Widgets
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Smart Speaker Controller
Control your smart speakers using your smartphone without needing to speak. This app functions like a TV remote for your smart speakers, offering pre-registered commands and a recording feature for custom voice prompts.
- Control smart speakers via smartphone
- No speaking required
- Universal compatibility
- Pre-registered commands
- Voice recording function
- Editable wake-words
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This is a remote control app that allows you to easily control your smart speakers with your smartphone. When you wake up from sleep and have a hard time speaking, or when you have a sore throat and can't speak, this app allows you to easily control your smart speakers without speaking. You can use this app to control your smart speakers just like a TV remote control. <Functions> Compatible with all smart speakers! It is compatible with all smart speakers. Ready to use! The 15 buttons are registered with frequently used words from the beginning, so you can use them without registration. Recording function You can record your voice and call it out with a single tap. You can record your voice and call out with a single tap. Pre-registered wake-word The wake-word of the smart speaker is already registered, so you can use it just by selecting it. Of course, you can edit the wake-words freely, so please feel free to use them. If there are any features you would like to see added or improved in future updates, please let us know in the review section.
Any Text · Widgets
Display any text on your Lock or Home Screen to keep important notes, goals, or tasks visible. Customize text with Markdown and utilize 20 different widgets. Integrates with Shortcuts for powerful automations and syncs across devices via iCloud.
- Customizable text widgets
- Lock Screen and Home Screen support
- Markdown styling (bold, italic, strikethrough)
- Live Activity and StandBy support
- iCloud device syncing
- Shortcuts app integration
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Put any kind of text on your Lock Screen or Home Screen so you won't miss it. It could be an important note, your goal, a list of tasks, etc. It also supports Live Activity and StandBy. The app includes 20 widgets that lets you put different text on different Lock Screen configurations or Home Screen. You can style parts of the text bold, italic, or strikethrough using Markdown. Syncs seamlessly across your devices with iCloud. Simply tap the widget to open the app to edit the text. ■ Shortcuts The app is scriptable through the Shortcuts app, enabling a lot of powerful use-cases. For example, you could use an automation to change the text at a certain point in the day or at certain places. The only limit is your creativity. ■ Support You can contact me through the feedback button in the app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Smart Speaker Controller at Free against Any Text · Widgets's $4.00. Smart Speaker Controller also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 26.0). Any Text · Widgets's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 3.9) and ads (none vs shown). On in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Smart Speaker Controller is free to download; Any Text · Widgets costs $4.00 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Any Text · Widgets holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Any Text · Widgets has 450 ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Smart Speaker Controller's written reviews are positive against 82% of Any Text · Widgets's.
Smart Speaker Controller ships an update every 3 weeks, Any Text · Widgets every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 18, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Smart Speaker Controller | Any Text · Widgets |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $4.00 |
| Rating | 3.9 (23 ratings) | 4.6 (450 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | 81.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 23 | 450 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | — | #35 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Yuki Kubota | Sindre Sorhus |
Customer experience
Smart Speaker Controller
Any Text · Widgets
Bugs and requests
Smart Speaker Controller
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Any Text · Widgets
Reported bugs
3 issues- Widget not showing on Lock Screen
- Text not updating in a timely manner
- Force show when locked doesn't work
Requested features
6 requests- Allow alternating/rotating text
- Add custom font support
- Provide full-width widget options
- Add custom widget background colors
- Enable editing widgets directly
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- Add Apple Watch widget support
In-app purchases
Smart Speaker Controller
No in-app purchases
Any Text · Widgets
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Smart Speaker Controller free?
Is Any Text · Widgets free?
Which has better reviews, Smart Speaker Controller or Any Text · Widgets?
Do Smart Speaker Controller or Any Text · Widgets have ads?
Which is updated more often, Smart Speaker Controller or Any Text · Widgets?
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