Phil vs Universal TV Remote Control
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Phil
Control your Philips Smart TV with your iPhone or iPad. This virtual remote offers realistic design and access to essential functions like volume, channel, navigation, and playback controls. Requires your device to be on the same Wi-Fi network as the TV.
- Volume control
- Channel selection
- Navigation pad
- Video playback controls
- Menu and options access
- Power off function
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PhilRemote is a virtual remote control that allows you to control your Philips television. The application works on all TVs equipped with "Smart TV" technology and connected to your (WiFi or Ethernet) network. To use this Philips remote control, your iPhone/iPad must be on the same Wi-fi network as your TV. Detection of your TV will be automatic. With a realistic design, you can use all the functions of the original remote control very easily. We have integrated the most useful commands, the features are listed below: -Change the volume -Change the channel number -Use navigation pad -Video control (Play/Pause/Stop...) -Menu, Options, Info, Tools -Power off If you have any suggestions, feel free to contact us. For any comments or questions write us at the following address: contact@nstx.io DISCLAIMER PhilRemote is neither an official Philips product, nor are we affiliated with the Philips company. SUBSCRIPTION: We offer auto-renewing subscription: - Length: Weekly / Monthly / Yearly - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - You will be able to access the Premium features of the app for the duration of the subscription - Subscription automatically renews for the same price and duration period as the original period unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - The account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period at the cost of the chosen package. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's iTunes Account Settings after purchase - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period - You may cancel a subscription during its free trial period via the subscription setting through your Apple account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Please visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039 for more information on how to proceed. - You may turn off the auto-renewal of your subscription via your Apple Account Settings. However, you are not able to cancel the current subscription during its active period - Any unused portion of a free-trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription. Privacy Policy : https://nstx.io/Phil/Phil_privacy.html Terms of Use : https://nstx.io/Phil/Phil_terms.html
Universal TV Remote Control
Transform your iPhone into a powerful universal TV remote. Easily control over 100 TV brands without needing your physical remote or dealing with battery issues. Enjoy fast setup and intuitive controls for all your entertainment needs.
- Control 100+ TV brands
- Wi-Fi connectivity
- Automatic TV discovery
- Power, volume, input controls
- App access and media playback
- Navigation and directional controls
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Want to use or Turn Your iPhone Into a Universal TV Remote? Lost your TV remote or tired of battery issues? Control your TV directly from your iPhone with ease — no physical remote needed. **Fast & Simple Setup** - Connect your iPhone and TV on the same Wi-Fi network - Automatic discovery lists your TVs instantly - Start controlling immediately — no pairing codes required **Intuitive TV Controls** - Power on/off, Mute & Volume - Input selection, Home & Menu navigation - Access apps installed on your TV - Channel Up/Down, Media Playback (Play, Pause, Stop, Rewind, Fast Forward) - Directional navigation: Up, Down, Left, Right ** Works With All TV Brands** Top Brands: Samsung TV Remote, LG, Sony, TCL TV Remote, Roku, Fire TV Remote, Vizio Other Brands: RCA TV Remote, Element, Sceptre TV Remote, Insignia, Toshiba, Hisense TV, Sharp, Panasonic, Philips TV Remote, Skyworth, Onn, Sanyo TV Remote, Westinghouse and Android TV Remote. Supports TVs running Roku OS, Fire TV OS, Android TV OS, Samsung Tizen OS, Viziacast OS, Vidaa OS. No matter the brand, the Universal TV Remote app simplifies your entertainment experience. ** Continuous Updates & Support** - New brands and features added regularly - Dedicated support team ready to help with any issues ** Disclaimer** Codematics is not affiliated with Samsung, LG, Sony, Roku, Vizio, or any other TV brand. This app is not an official product of any brand. Download now and turn your iPhone into a Universal TV Remote for all your devices! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Universal TV Remote Control at 65% against Phil's 17%. Universal TV Remote Control also leads on rating (3.6 vs 3.1) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, ratings volume, ads 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. Phil sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Universal TV Remote Control sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Universal TV Remote Control holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9.8K and 4.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Phil's written reviews are positive against 65% of Universal TV Remote Control's.
Phil ships an update every 4 months, Universal TV Remote Control every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Phil | Universal TV Remote Control |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (9.8K ratings) | 3.6 (4.1K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 17.0% of reviews | 65.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 9.8K — better | 4.1K |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 157 MB | 24 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | yohan teixeira | Codematics Services |
Customer experience
Phil
Universal TV Remote Control
User reviews
Phil
From 9.8K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Works brilliantly
- 👍 Great alternative with extras
Room to improve
- 🐛 Doesn't work
- 🔋 Constant ads make it unusable
- 💰 Paid version still has ads
- 🤬 Aggressive monetization
Universal TV Remote Control
From 4.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Works well
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Useful for lost remotes
- 🚀 Convenient remote alternative
Room to improve
- 🐛 Doesn't work for some TV brands
- 🔋 Drains battery
- 💸 Too many ads
- 🐛 Connectivity issues
Bugs and requests
Phil
Reported bugs
3 issues- Stopped working after TV update
- Crashes on newer iOS devices
- Fails to connect to TV
Requested features
2 requests- No ads option
- Better TV compatibility
Universal TV Remote Control
Reported bugs
3 issues- Frequent crashes
- Buttons don't respond
- Incompatible with certain TV models
Requested features
3 requests- Support for more TV brands
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Ad-free version
In-app purchases
Phil
- Pro mode$4.997 Days
- Premium mode$9.991 Month
- Premium version$19.991 Year
- Remove Ads$19.99
Universal TV Remote Control
- Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$6.997 Days
- Monthly Subscription$19.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription$89.991 Year
- Remove Full Screen Ads$24.99
- Ad Free Version$99.99
Questions
Is Phil free?
Is Universal TV Remote Control free?
Which has better reviews, Phil or Universal TV Remote Control?
Do Phil or Universal TV Remote Control have ads?
Which is updated more often, Phil or Universal TV Remote Control?
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