Universal Remote vs SmartRemote
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Universal Remote
Transform your smartphone into a universal remote for various home appliances. Supports infrared and Bluetooth modes, controlling TVs, air conditioners, projectors, and more. Offers broad compatibility with numerous brands and devices.
- Infrared and Bluetooth control modes
- Supports TVs, air conditioners, projectors, TV boxes
- Wide range of appliance brands supported
- Simplified device operation
- Multi-device saving and management
- Accurate device identification
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Principles and Operations This application adopts the internationally‑used infrared code library. It sends out infrared signals through signal conversion to control infrared accessories, so as to operate target devices. Notes The infrared mode of this product must be used with a dedicated external infrared device, which is sold separately. Please take note of this. Universal Remote Control Universal Infrared Mobile‑phone Remote Control for Household Appliances Devices supported by the APP include TVs, air conditioners, projectors, TV boxes, remote‑controlled fans and remote‑controlled table lamps. [Multi‑device Support] Compatible with a wide range of common household appliances for excellent interoperability. [Multi‑brand Support] Supports numerous domestic and overseas home‑appliance brands. Powered by the international standard infrared code library, it has undergone rigorous testing and achieves a 92 % compatibility rate for various brands. [Multi‑mode Support] Both infrared and Bluetooth connection modes are available. The infrared mode requires an infrared accessory; for Bluetooth mode, the target device must support Bluetooth control. [Easy Operation] Operation workflows for different devices have been redesigned to greatly reduce operating complexity. Multi‑device profiles can be saved; once configured, settings do not need to be re‑entered for subsequent use. [Accurate Recognition] Features unique device‑identification capability to prevent operational confusion when multiple devices are controlled simultaneously.
SmartRemote
Turn your smartphone into a universal remote for various home appliances like TVs, ACs, and projectors. Control multiple devices from one app and simplify your smart living experience. Eliminate the need for multiple physical remotes.
- Universal remote control
- Control TVs, ACs, projectors, fans, lights
- All-in-one device management
- Replaces physical remotes
- Easy smart living integration
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Universal Remote: All-in-one controller for AC & TV. Transform your phone into a smart remote to control air conditioners, TVs, boxes, projectors, fans, lights and more. Say goodbye to old remotes and enjoy easy smart living.
Screenshots
Verdict
Universal Remote and SmartRemote both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 68% of SmartRemote's written reviews are positive against 9% of Universal Remote's. SmartRemote also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (daily vs monthly). Universal Remote's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Universal Remote against 4.4 for SmartRemote. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 281 and 117 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 9% of Universal Remote's written reviews are positive against 68% of SmartRemote's.
Universal Remote ships an update monthly, SmartRemote daily. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Universal Remote | SmartRemote |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (281 ratings) | 4.4 (117 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 9.3% of reviews | 67.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 281 — better | 117 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Daily — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 玉 曹 | 浩轩 阮 |
Customer experience
Universal Remote
SmartRemote
Bugs and requests
Universal Remote
Reported bugs
10 issues- Ads cannot be closed
- App redirects unexpectedly
- Time freezes during use
- Some buttons do not match
- App is unusable on iOS
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- Ads get stuck and cannot be skipped
- App freezes during ad playback
- Functionality is not working
- App redirects to games
- App requires specific IR equipment
Requested features
6 requests- Fix button mapping issues
- Improve compatibility for all phone types
- Remove ads
- Make the app usable without ads
- Simplify the user interface
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Allow use without IR equipment
SmartRemote
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Universal Remote
No in-app purchases
SmartRemote
No in-app purchases







