Direct Remote for DIRECTV vs µBrowser
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Direct Remote for DIRECTV
Control your DIRECTV receiver from your iPhone or iPad over Wi-Fi. Features voice control, gesture navigation, and quick access to favorite channels. Manage multiple receivers and enjoy program information from anywhere on your network.
- Wi-Fi remote control for DIRECTV receivers
- Voice control for receiver commands
- Gesture and traditional touch interface
- Quick tuning for favorite channels
- Program guide and information display
- Automatic receiver discovery on network
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Direct Remote is a Wi-Fi remote control for your DIRECTV receiver that allows you to control your receiver using your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad from anywhere on your Wi-Fi network. Works with Genie Client Receivers as well as RVU enabled TV sets. See notes below to check compatibility with your DIRECTV system. Features: • Voice control for DIRECTV receivers! • Control using gestures or a more traditional touch interface • Quick tuning for up to 65 favorite channels • Shortcuts and home widgets • Program guide for favorite channels • Displays program information and name of the program you are watching • Automatically discovers receivers on network • Enables easy control in dark • Allows control of every receiver on the network with one device • Receiver can be hidden in a cabinet or another room • Works with DIRECTV receivers enabled for network control (see compatible models below) *** Requires iOS 10.0 or higher. Notes: • Receiver must be connected to Wi-Fi network in order for this app to work. One way to check this is to push the right arrow on your remote control. If you have access to Internet connected apps, your receiver is connected to the network. • Compatible models are all Genie receivers and clients, HR20, HR21, R22, R23, HR24 and H21, H23, H24, H25 and all newer receivers. Also works with 3rd party RVU enabled TV sets. You can verify your model by looking under the front panel door of your receiver. • Controls DirecTV receiver only, will not control your TV power or volume If you have any questions prior to purchasing, feel free to contact me using the support link.
µBrowser
A micro browser designed for your Apple Watch, offering a quick way to access basic web browsing when other devices aren't available. It allows you to open URLs, search the web, and manage your browsing history and favorites.
- Open any URL
- Web search with DuckDuckGo
- View and save visited pages
- Manage bookmarks via iOS app
- Watch face complications
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µBrowser is the micro browser for your Apple Watch. Quickly look something up, open a favorite website or read a webpage when you don’t have another device around. Built for short visits on a small screen, µBrowser puts the web on your wrist. NEW: Ask µBrowser Ask questions about webpages, get a quick summary and explore further with follow-up questions. Answers include sources so you can open the original page. FEATURES • Open web addresses directly on your Apple Watch. • Search with DuckDuckGo, Google, Bing, Brave Search, Startpage or Ecosia. • Revisit recent pages and save your favorites as bookmarks. • Manage bookmarks with the iPhone companion app. • Quickly access the browser through watch face complications. • Choose whether to save browsing history and searches, and keep cookies between sessions. PLEASE NOTE Browsing on your wrist has its limits. Large or complex webpages may not work as expected, JavaScript support is limited, and signing in to websites may not work. Ask µBrowser works with publicly readable content and may be unable to access pages behind sign-ins or paywalls. Ask µBrowser requires watchOS 27 or later and available Apple Intelligence and Private Cloud Compute services. Availability depends on your device, Apple Account, language and region. Daily usage limits may apply. An internet connection is required.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: µBrowser at 57% against Direct Remote for DIRECTV's 25%. µBrowser also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and rating (4.0 vs 3.8). Direct Remote for DIRECTV's advantage is ratings volume (1.1K vs 104) and price ($0.99 vs $2.99). On ads, in-app purchases, chart position 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
Direct Remote for DIRECTV costs $0.99 and µBrowser $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
µBrowser holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Direct Remote for DIRECTV has 1.1K ratings behind it against 104, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Direct Remote for DIRECTV's written reviews are positive against 57% of µBrowser's.
Direct Remote for DIRECTV ships an update every 3 months, µBrowser every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Direct Remote for DIRECTV | µBrowser |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 3.8 (1.1K ratings) | 4.0 (104 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 25.3% of reviews | 57.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K — better | 104 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #67 — better | #108 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 102 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | David Likosar | Arno Appenzeller |
Customer experience
Direct Remote for DIRECTV
µBrowser
Bugs and requests
Direct Remote for DIRECTV
Reported bugs
5 issues- Fails to discover/connect to receivers
- Loses connection randomly
- Unresponsive controls
- Scrolling issues in guide
- Compatibility problems with newer devices
Requested features
4 requests- Add numeric keypad
- Improve voice recognition
- Implement dark mode
- Provide better instructions and troubleshooting
µBrowser
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Direct Remote for DIRECTV
No in-app purchases
µBrowser
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Direct Remote for DIRECTV free?
Is µBrowser free?
Which has better reviews, Direct Remote for DIRECTV or µBrowser?
Do Direct Remote for DIRECTV or µBrowser have ads?
Which is updated more often, Direct Remote for DIRECTV or µBrowser?
Which is more popular, Direct Remote for DIRECTV or µBrowser?
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