Comparison

TV Remote:Universal Control vs Smart TV Remote

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

Head to head
About

TV Remote:Universal Control

Transform your iPhone into a universal remote for all your smart TVs. Easily control playback, navigate menus with a touchpad, and access all original remote functions. Upgrade for app control and screen mirroring.

Highlights
  • Universal brand support
  • Easy Wi-Fi setup
  • Responsive touchpad navigation
  • Full playback controls
  • App control and screen mirroring (premium)
Features
Read full description

Stop looking under the sofa cushions for your lost remote. TV Remote: Universal Control transforms your iPhone into a powerful and reliable remote for all your home entertainment devices. Whether you need to control a Samsung, LG, Sony, Roku, Fire TV, or other Smart TV brands, our app provides a stable connection and a user-friendly interface to manage your viewing experience effortlessly. Core Features Universal Brand Support Compatible with almost all major Smart TV brands including Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, Roku, Fire TV, Hisense, and TCL. Easy Setup No manual configuration required. As long as your iPhone and TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, the app will automatically detect your TV for instant pairing. Responsive Touchpad Ditch the clunky arrow buttons. Use the large, smooth touchpad to navigate through menus and apps with gestures and swipes. Full Playback Control Manage volume, switch channels, mute, and power your TV on or off with high-performance buttons designed for one-handed use. Premium Features Upgrade to Premium to unlock the full potential of your Smart TV: Full Remote Operations: Access every single button and advanced function available on your original remote. TV App Control: Launch and switch between your favorite streaming apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Disney Plus directly from your phone. Screen Casting and Mirroring: Share photos, videos, and your entire phone screen on the TV with high definition and low latency. Subscription Information Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period at the rate of your selected plan. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user Account Settings on the device after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/rcontrol-privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://sites.google.com/view/rcontrol-terms-of-use

About

Smart TV Remote

Transform your iPhone into a universal remote for all your smart TVs. Effortlessly control power, volume, channels, and access apps directly from your device. Enjoy a seamless experience with a touchpad, keyboard, and app launcher.

Highlights
  • Universal TV control
  • Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Touchpad navigation
  • On-screen keyboard
  • App launching
  • Save multiple TVs
Read full description

Turn your iPhone into the remote for every smart TV in the house. The app finds the TV on your Wi-Fi, pairs the way the TV asks, and gives you every key, a touchpad, a keyboard and your apps, all in one place that never ends up under the sofa. Works With the TVs People Actually Own Samsung, LG, Sony Bravia, Roku, Vizio, Philips, Panasonic, and the Android TV and Google TV sets made by TCL, Hisense, Xiaomi and many others. Each brand is spoken in its own language, so the keys respond the way the original remote does. Ready in a Minute Put the phone on the same Wi-Fi as the TV and open the app. The TV appears within seconds. The first time, the TV shows a code or asks for permission on its screen, once; after that the connection is automatic whenever you open the app. Every Key of the Remote Power, volume and mute, channels and numbers, inputs, arrows and OK, play and pause, home and back. The keys are laid out like a real remote, with haptic feedback on every press, and the phone's own volume buttons control the TV. Touchpad and Keyboard Swipe across the touchpad to move through menus and tap to select. On TVs with a pointer, the cursor follows your finger. When it is time to search, type on your phone's keyboard instead of hunting for letters on the screen one at a time. Your Apps in One Tap Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Prime Video and everything else installed on the TV, opened straight from the phone. Keep your favorites at the top of the remote. Turn the TV On From the Couch Most recent smart TVs can be woken over the network. Once the app has paired with the TV, it can turn it on for you, even from standby, and it helps you switch the setting on when the TV needs it. Every TV in the House Living room, bedroom, kitchen: save each TV once and switch between them in a tap. Rename them, forget them, add a new one whenever you like. Private by Design There is no account and no server between you and your TV. The app talks to the TV directly over your home network. No ads, and no tracking of what you watch. Premium Finding and pairing your TVs is free. Premium unlocks the remote itself: every key, the touchpad, the keyboard and app launch. Choose a weekly or yearly subscription, or pay once with Lifetime. Prices are shown in the app before you buy. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. This app is not affiliated with or endorsed by Samsung, LG, Sony, Roku, Vizio, Philips, Panasonic, Google or any other brand mentioned. Privacy Policy: https://tvremote.org/privacy Terms of Use: https://tvremote.org/terms

Screenshots

TV Remote:Universal Control4 screens
Smart TV Remote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: TV Remote:Universal Control at none against Smart TV Remote's shown. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. TV Remote:Universal Control sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and Smart TV Remote sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for TV Remote:Universal Control against 5.0 for Smart TV Remote. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TV Remote:Universal Control ships an update weekly, Smart TV Remote every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
TV Remote:Universal Control versus Smart TV Remote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTV Remote:Universal ControlSmart TV Remote
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size69 MB74 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperOctopus Internet Technology Co., LimitedFlorea Media SRL

Customer experience

TV Remote:Universal Control

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Smart TV Remote

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

TV Remote:Universal Control

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly Subscription3 Days trial2 variants$9.997 Days
  • Annual Subscription3 Days trial$59.991 Year
4 purchases

Smart TV Remote

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Weekly7 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Yearly3 Days trial$22.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$34.99

Questions

Is TV Remote:Universal Control free?
TV Remote:Universal Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Smart TV Remote free?
Smart TV Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TV Remote:Universal Control or Smart TV Remote?
TV Remote:Universal Control and Smart TV Remote are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do TV Remote:Universal Control or Smart TV Remote have ads?
Smart TV Remote shows ads; TV Remote:Universal Control does not.
Which is updated more often, TV Remote:Universal Control or Smart TV Remote?
TV Remote:Universal Control ships an update weekly, and Smart TV Remote every 8 days. Most recently, TV Remote:Universal Control was updated on October 7, 2026 and Smart TV Remote on October 13, 2026.

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