Use the Google TV Android app on the TV’s home Wi-Fi, select your Android TV or Google TV, then pair with its on-screen code. Google's Android TV remote guide
Before putting the physical remote away, try navigation, typing and the sound controls you use most.
Check the device behind the screen
Here, Google TV app means the app on your phone. Google TV device means the TV or streaming device you want to control.
Find the model in the device's settings, manual, or product label and look up the manufacturer's platform specification. A brand name alone isn't a compatibility check. If an HDMI-connected box supplies your TV interface, identify that box too.
Google's remote instructions cover Android TV and Google TV. Its streaming-device instructions specifically include Chromecast with Google TV and Google TV Streamer. Don't extend that list to every device with Chromecast or Android in its name. Google's streaming-device remote guide
Keep the TV switched on and, for a separate streamer, select its HDMI input. You need to see the pairing code.
If the TV is brand new or still connected to an old network, finish its setup first. Some Google TV models offer a phone-assisted initial setup, but the supported route varies. Follow the screen and the manufacturer's instructions rather than expecting the virtual remote to fix an unconfigured connection. Google TV initial setup options
Pair the Google TV app
Install or update Google TV from Google LLC on Google Play. The listing will show whether it's available for your phone and region.
For this Wi-Fi walkthrough, confirm that the phone and TV use the same home network. Open the TV's network settings to check; working internet on each device isn't enough to verify the local connection. Google's virtual-remote network check
- Open the Google TV app on your Android phone
- Tap the TV connection button near the bottom-right of the app. Google's pages use Connect TV or a nearby-TV count for this entry point
- Choose the TV or streamer you intend to control
- Copy the pairing code from that TV screen into the phone app
- Tap Pair, then try moving the selection on the TV
These are Google's documented steps. The connection-button wording varies across its help pages, so use the TV connection entry point visible in your version. Google TV pairing instructions
If several devices appear, check the selected name before entering a code. If none appears, compare the network connections before starting over. If the app rejects the code, check the screen again rather than reusing one from a previous attempt.
Check the controls you'll actually use
Google describes navigation, media playback, and phone-keyboard input among the virtual remote's functions. Use a short check on your setup before assuming every TV app behaves alike. Google's description of basic controls
Navigation: Move between a few items, open one, then return with Back or Home. Watch the TV so you know you're controlling the intended device.
Typing: Open the search field you want to use and try a harmless phrase. Check that the right text reaches the right field. If navigation works but typing fails in one app, keep that distinction when troubleshooting.
Playback: Try pause and resume in the app you normally watch. Check each player you use regularly.
Sound: Check volume at a comfortable level. Note which device produces it: the TV, a soundbar, or a receiver.
Keep the original remote within reach for any controls that don't respond.
Where the limits matter
Volume and power depend on the setup
A physical streaming-device remote can control equipment through a different path from a phone app. Google documents infrared behavior for its Voice Remotes and separate volume settings for the streamer, TV, and external audio equipment. If phone navigation works but volume doesn't, investigate that audio path before pairing everything again. Voice Remote control paths, Google's volume setup
Remote control and casting do different jobs
The virtual remote sends control actions. Casting chooses media for a compatible receiver; screen mirroring displays the phone's screen. Choose the route that matches what you want to put on the screen. Google TV remote and casting instructions
A phone remote still needs a reachable device
The same-network setup described here isn't an away-from-home control service. A hotel or guest network may also block communication between connected devices. Ask the network owner about supported access instead of changing security settings at random. Google's streaming-device network limitations
Where The Remote fits
The Remote is a separate, free Android phone app in beta. It's built for compatible Android TV and Google TV devices on your home network, with Android TV Remote Service v2 required. Available controls vary by model.
You can enter a YouTube search on your phone, review a shared YouTube link before sending it, name saved TVs by room, and choose app-specific controls. YouTube behavior also depends on the TV and its YouTube version. See The Remote's features and requirements
The app needs no account. To try the beta, Request beta access with the email you use on Google Play. Requests are reviewed privately. If approved, you'll receive a manual Google Play invitation to accept before installing.