Smart Remote+ vs Universal TV Remote
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Smart Remote+
Transform your Apple devices into a comprehensive remote for LG smart TVs. Control playback, volume, and navigation directly from your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or home screen widgets. Features like Live Activities and Wake-on-LAN offer seamless, instant access to your TV.
- Live Activities and Dynamic Island integration
- Full Apple Watch app with directional pad and Digital Crown
- Home Screen Widgets for instant control
- Wake-on-LAN for powering on TV
- Automatic TV discovery and multi-TV support
- Customizable remote layouts
- Service menu and number pad access
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Turn your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch into the ultimate TV remote — now for LG webOS, Samsung, Sony Bravia, Google TV / Android TV, and Apple TV. With Live Activities, Dynamic Island support, powerful widgets, and ultra-reliable Wake-on-LAN, controlling your TV has never felt this seamless. Whether you're across the room or anywhere in your home, your TV is always just a tap away. Works With Your TV • LG webOS TVs (2016 and newer) — the full experience: touchpad, Scenes, picture settings, Live Activities, service menu, and more • Sony Bravia TVs — power, volume, inputs, navigation, and media playback; connects instantly with no pairing codes • Samsung TVs — power, volume, inputs, navigation, and media playback; just accept the pairing on the TV • Google TV and Android TV devices (TCL, Philips, Nvidia Shield, Chromecast with Google TV, US Hisense, and more) — power, volume, inputs, navigation, media playback, and app launching • Apple TV — pair with the on-screen code, navigate with the D-pad or swipe gestures, control playback, and launch installed apps. Choose a saved TV for volume control while using your Apple TV remote. Live Activity & Dynamic Island (LG webOS) See what's playing on your TV directly from your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. Control play/pause, volume, and mute instantly — with app-themed colors for Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and more. Your TV controls, without even opening the app. Full Apple Watch App Control your TV from your wrist. Includes: • Directional pad navigation • Media playback controls • Power on/off • HDMI input switching Perfect when your phone isn't nearby. Powerful Home Screen Widgets Access your TV controls instantly without opening the app. Widgets let you: • Power on your TV • Adjust volume • Switch HDMI inputs • Launch streaming apps (LG and Google TV) • Control playback Available in multiple sizes and fully integrated with Wake-on-LAN. Scenes (LG webOS) Save picture mode, sound output, and input as a one-tap preset. Movie night, gaming, daytime TV — set the whole TV up in a single tap from the app, widgets, or Shortcuts. Automatic TV Discovery Find the TVs on your network with a single tap. The app automatically detects your TV's name, IP address, and MAC addresses — no manual configuration required. Customizable Remote Layout Build your ideal remote. Rearrange, show, or hide: • Volume slider • Volume buttons • Media controls • Navigation controls • And more Give every TV its own layout — or share one default across them all. The editor only offers controls your TV actually supports, and layouts are independent on iPhone and Apple Watch. TV Self-Test Not sure everything's working? Run a live command sweep that proves what your TV responds to and produces a shareable report — perfect for diagnosing tricky network setups. Configuration Import & Export Back up or transfer your TV configurations between devices with ease. Service Menu Access (LG webOS) Access the TV service menu and number pad for hotel mode and advanced settings when needed. Multiple TV Support Easily switch between different TVs in your home — even different brands. Each TV maintains its own connection and settings for effortless multi-room control. Built for Reliability • Improved auto-reconnect after background idle • Enhanced Live Activity state tracking • More stable watch command handling • Continuous performance improvements Pay once for Pro — no subscriptions, no ads. Experience the convenience of complete TV control — through the full app, widgets, Live Activities, or right from your wrist. No more searching for the remote.
Universal TV Remote
Transform your phone into a universal remote for smart TVs and streaming devices. Easily control playback, navigate menus, and launch apps wirelessly. Cast your own media to the big screen and browse TV listings without missing a beat.
- Universal smart TV compatibility
- Cast videos and photos
- TV guide with listings
- Smart keyboard for search
- Full media playback controls
- Quick app launching
- Manage multiple TVs
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Lost your remote again? Dead batteries at the worst moment? There's a better way. TVGO – Universal TV Remote turns your phone into a powerful universal TV remote for every smart TV and streaming device in your home. No batteries. No searching under the couch cushions. Just instant, wireless control from the phone that's always in your hand. Works with majority of the major brand: Samsung, LG, Vizio, Sony, Bravia, TCL, Hisense, Roku, Fire TV, Toshiba, Philips, Panasonic, Xiaomi, Sharp, and JVC. If it's a smart TV, this universal TV remote might control it. --- POWERFUL FEATURES UNIVERSAL COMPATIBILITY The only universal TV remote you'll ever need. Supports all major smart TVs and streaming sticks — Samsung, LG, Vizio, Sony Bravia, TCL, Hisense, Roku, Fire TV, Toshiba, Philips, Panasonic, Xiaomi, Sharp, and JVC — all from one sleek app. CAST YOUR VIDEOS & PHOTOS IN YOUR TV Share your favorite videos and images directly from your phone to the big screen. Perfect for family slideshows, travel memories, or streaming personal content wirelessly. TV GUIDE; SHOWS & LISTING Never miss what's on. Browse the full TV guide with live channel listings and upcoming shows, so you always know what to watch next. SMART KEYBOARD FOR SEARCH Stop the frustrating hunt-and-peck typing on your TV screen. Use your phone's full keyboard to instantly search for movies and shows — your universal TV remote makes finding content effortless. FULL MEDIA COMMANDS Pause, play, rewind, and fast-forward your favorite shows with the precision of a physical remote — only better. EASY CHANNEL & VOLUME NAVIGATION Zip through channels, fine-tune the volume, and navigate your TV interface with a responsive, intuitive universal TV remote layout designed for speed. QUICK APP LAUNCH Open Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and more with a single tap. Skip the menus and dive straight into the action. MANAGE YOUR MULTIPLE TVS One universal TV remote for every room. Switch between the living room Samsung and the bedroom TCL effortlessly within the same app. FAMILY SHARING READY One setup for the whole household. Enable Family Sharing so everyone controls their TV from their own phone. --- How to Connect: 1. Make sure your phone and smart TV are on the same Wi-Fi network. 2. Open TVGO and select your device from the auto-detected list. 3. Your universal TV remote is ready — start controlling instantly. --- Privacy Policy: https://carpediemcreations.io/privacy-policy Terms & Conditions: https://carpediemcreations.io/terms-of-use Support: tvgo@carpediemcreations.io
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Smart Remote+ at none against Universal TV Remote's shown. Smart Remote+ also leads on ratings volume (11 vs 2) and device support (4 vs 1). Universal TV Remote's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.2). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Smart Remote+ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Universal TV Remote sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Universal TV Remote holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smart Remote+ has 11 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Smart Remote+ ships an update every 9 days, Universal TV Remote every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Smart Remote+ | Universal TV Remote |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (11 ratings) | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 11 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 65 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bouncing Ball Games | Carpe Diem Creations |
Customer experience
Smart Remote+
Universal TV Remote
In-app purchases
Smart Remote+
- Smart Remote+ Pro$2.99
Universal TV Remote
- TV Remote Weekly3 Days trial$4.997 Days
- TV Remote Monthly$9.991 Month
- TV Remote Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
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- TV Remote Yearly$29.991 Year
- TV Remote Lifetime$34.99
Questions
Is Smart Remote+ free?
Is Universal TV Remote free?
Which has better reviews, Smart Remote+ or Universal TV Remote?
Do Smart Remote+ or Universal TV Remote have ads?
Which is updated more often, Smart Remote+ or Universal TV Remote?
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