Both are free phone remotes for Android TV and Google TV, and both pair with the code your TV shows. Use Google's Google TV app if you want Google's official remote, with phone typing in any text box that accepts it. Use The Remote if you want a remote with no account and no ads, plus YouTube search from your phone, YouTube links that play on the TV, TVs organised by room and a Guest mode. Many people keep both.
What Google's Google TV app does
According to Google, the Google TV app's remote can play and control media, turn the TV on or off, use Google Assistant, change the volume, and enter text for searches or login details. You pair it by choosing the TV and entering the code it shows, on the same Wi-Fi. Android users can add the remote to Quick Settings. Google TV Help It's also available on iPhone. Google Streaming Help
What The Remote adds
- No account and no ads. No sign-up, no sign-in, no in-app purchases.
- YouTube search from your phone. Type the search on your phone, and the results open in YouTube on the TV.
- YouTube links that play on the TV. Share a link to The Remote, pick the TV, and it plays there.
- TVs organised by room. Name each TV and give it a room, like Living Room TV or Bedroom.
- Guest mode. Limits the remote to navigation, play/pause and volume. Hold the TV name for 1 second to exit.
- Layout options. Larger controls, Easy remote, home-screen widgets and app language options.
Side by side
- Price: both free. The Remote has no ads.
- Pairing: both use the code on the TV and need the same Wi-Fi.
- Typing: Google's app enters text in text boxes that accept it, including logins. The Remote's phone typing is for YouTube search only.
- YouTube: in Google's app, you type into YouTube's search box on the TV. The Remote has its own YouTube search and YouTube link sharing.
- Several TVs: The Remote names TVs and sorts them by room.
- Phones: Google's app runs on Android and iPhone. The Remote is Android only (Android 8.0 or later).
- How you get it: Google's app comes from app stores. The Remote installs from our website.
Typing on the TV
Need to type a Wi-Fi password, a login or a search in an app other than YouTube? Use the Google TV app. Searching YouTube is where The Remote helps: some users find YouTube's TV search box doesn't take phone-keyboard text, and The Remote has its own YouTube search. See why your phone keyboard may not type in YouTube.
If you lost your remote
Both work as a backup remote when the TV is already on your home Wi-Fi. Neither can reach a TV that's off the network or still on a setup screen. The lost remote guide covers those cases.
Which TVs
The Remote works with Android TV and Google TV devices with Android TV Remote Service v2. That includes Google TV devices that support the Android TV Remote Service, such as Chromecast with Google TV and Google TV Streamer. Google Streaming Help Controls vary by model. YouTube support depends on the TV's YouTube app version.