Comparison

Universal Remote vs SMS Forwarder

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Universal Remote

Control your smart TV with your phone, featuring a keyboard and touchpad. Discover personalized channel and show recommendations with an AI assistant. Connects via Wi-Fi for easy pairing.

Highlights
  • AI-powered show recommendations
  • Keyboard and touchpad control
  • Wi-Fi connectivity for pairing
  • Channel list access
  • Smart TV monitoring
Features
Read full description

Now you can not only control your TV, but also find what is the best channel or show for you to watch with help of our AI feature. Our AI TV Remote controller is a user-friendly remote control tool equipped with a keyboard, a touchpad, and a channel list for your smart TV. By connecting your iPhone and your TV to the same Wi-Fi network, you can easily control your TV using your mobile device through a straightforward pairing process. Compatibility: This application is compatible with all WebOS models , including Netcast models from 2012 onwards. Text input limitations: Text input is only accessible within TV apps that support the keyboard. The keyboard will automatically appear on your mobile device's screen once you activate the input field on your TV screen. Please note that some services, such as Netflix and YouTube, have their own keyboards and are not supported by Remote. Terms of Use: Read our Terms of Use at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QVCws0pDGMuE6N0-KCE-cO9VmMpTo_DyaoO8Kc3D6J8 Privacy Policy: Learn about our Privacy Policy at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tr3NciC22uyxcXCDH4fq9eEoVLB3t4Ke7d_Um_gaq7Q Disclaimer: TV Remote is NOT affiliated with LG Electronics and Sony, and the AI TV remote controller is not an official for LG product and Sony

About

SMS Forwarder

Automatically forward incoming SMS and text messages to your chosen destinations like email, other phone numbers, or work apps. Set up custom rules and schedules to control what gets sent, ensuring you never miss important alerts, OTPs, or verification codes.

Highlights
  • Automatic SMS forwarding on iOS
  • Forward to email, phone number, and chat apps
  • Rules, filters, and schedules
  • OTP and 2FA code forwarding
  • On-device processing for privacy
  • Simple setup
Features
Read full description

Re:Text is an SMS forwarder and text message forwarding app for iPhone. It automatically forwards incoming carrier SMS to 10 destinations: Email, Telegram, WhatsApp, another phone number, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, Google Chat, Mattermost, and any custom Webhook or API. If you're searching for how to forward SMS to email, send text messages to Telegram, or share OTP and 2FA codes with a team — Re:Text is built exactly for that. AT A GLANCE - Automatic SMS forwarding on iOS — no taps needed after setup - 10 destinations: more than any comparable iPhone SMS forwarder - Filters by sender or keyword, plus schedules (work hours, weekdays) - Perfect for OTP, 2FA, login codes, and verification texts - Privacy-first: on-device processing, no message storage on our servers - No account signup, no ads — free version included - Setup in 60 seconds FORWARD SMS TO - Email: Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, or any address - Telegram: one-tap bot setup — no BotFather, no tokens, no chat IDs - WhatsApp: fully automatic delivery to your chat - Another phone: any number, iPhone or Android - Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, Google Chat, Mattermost: via incoming webhooks — route SMS to team channels - Webhook / API: full HTTP control (POST/GET/PUT, custom headers, auth tokens, JSON body) — connect Zapier, Make, n8n, Home Assistant, or your own server REAL USE CASES - Never miss a 2FA code: filter by "code", "OTP", "verify" and route verification SMS to email or Telegram instantly - Travel with a local SIM: keep receiving your home number's bank alerts and delivery texts abroad - Separate work and personal: work SMS to Slack during business hours, personal texts to your own channels - Team SMS visibility: customer texts, on-call alerts, and shared login codes in one channel your whole team monitors - Family care: forward a parent's appointment reminders to your WhatsApp - Developer automations: pipe SMS into scripts, sheets, and smart-home flows SMART FORWARDING RULES - Filter by sender number or name - Keyword whitelist ("code", "OTP", "verify") or blacklist (skip promos) - Schedules: forward only during chosen hours and days - Multiple destinations with independent rules (Premium) - Built-in Test Automation — verify delivery before you rely on it PRIVACY AND SECURITY Re:Text uses Apple's iOS-native methods and processes messages on your device. - No message content stored or read on our servers - SMS forwarded only to destinations you configure - No account, no email signup, no advertising SDK - Only iOS-approved forwarding methods — no jailbreak required FAQ - Can I forward texts to email on iPhone? Yes — automatically, with filters and schedules. - Can I forward SMS to Telegram? Yes — the fastest setup of any destination: tap "Open our bot", press Start, done. - Can I forward OTP or 2FA codes? Yes — keyword filters forward only verification messages. - Do you store or read my messages? No — message content is not uploaded to or stored on Re:Text servers. - Is there a free version? Yes — 1 destination, all core features, zero ads. SUBSCRIPTION Premium unlocks unlimited destinations and advanced rules ($9.99/week or $59.99/year, 7-day free trial). Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage in Apple ID Settings. Support: support@re-text-forward.com Terms: https://re-text-forward.com/terms.html Privacy: https://re-text-forward.com/policy.html WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, Google Chat, and Mattermost are trademarks of their respective owners. Re:Text is not affiliated with them.

Screenshots

Universal Remote4 screens
SMS Forwarder4 screens

Verdict

The call

Universal Remote and SMS Forwarder both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 71% of SMS Forwarder's written reviews are positive against 36% of Universal Remote's. Universal Remote's advantage is ratings volume (309 vs 51) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Universal Remote sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and SMS Forwarder sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Universal Remote holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Universal Remote has 309 ratings behind it against 51, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 36% of Universal Remote's written reviews are positive against 71% of SMS Forwarder's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Universal Remote ships an update fortnightly, SMS Forwarder every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Universal Remote versus SMS Forwarder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUniversal RemoteSMS Forwarder
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (309 ratings) — better4.3 (51 ratings)
Positive reviews36.4% of reviews71.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings309 — better51
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB98 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYury MekhauDripcode SP Z O O

Customer experience

Universal Remote

All ratings262 ratings
Positive87.4%
Neutral4.2%
Negative8.4%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive36.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative63.6%

SMS Forwarder

All ratings51 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative17.6%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Universal Remote

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly3 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Monthly1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Yearly$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$24.99
9 purchases

SMS Forwarder

Subscriptions9
  • Week Sub No Trial$7.997 Days
  • Week Sub - Re:Text7 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Month Sub No Trial$9.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Month Sub - Re:Texts3 Days trial$17.991 Month
  • Year Sub No Trial$59.991 Year
  • Year Upgrade Sub - Re:Text$59.991 Year
  • Year Promo Sub - Re:Text1 Year trial$69.991 Year
  • Year Sub - Re:Text7 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • Year Sub - 7 Day Trial7 Days trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Universal Remote free?
Universal Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SMS Forwarder free?
SMS Forwarder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Universal Remote or SMS Forwarder?
Universal Remote is rated higher. Universal Remote averages 4.5 out of 5 from 309 ratings, while SMS Forwarder averages 4.3 from 51 ratings.
Do Universal Remote or SMS Forwarder have ads?
Neither Universal Remote nor SMS Forwarder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Universal Remote or SMS Forwarder?
Universal Remote ships an update fortnightly, and SMS Forwarder every 9 days. Most recently, Universal Remote was updated on October 22, 2026 and SMS Forwarder on October 20, 2026.

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