If you bought a Sony or Sharp TV from the past couple of years and you have an iPhone, you've got yourself a new way to navigate your smartwares. At long last, Google's Android TV Remote app is now available in the iOS App Store. It replicates the functionality of the same app for Android, which has been available for years.
The remote-control app for Android TV devices isn't all that full-featured—it’s essentially just an app version of the plastic remote included with the Google Nexus Player. Regardless, it’s a handy backup clicker or a back-from-the-dead use case for an old iPod Touch. You've got your D-pad for navigating menus. Got that home button right there, too. Back button? Check. Even has an icon on there for a-playin’ and a-pausin’, and you can turn the whole screen into a touchpad like some kind of weirdo.
But the most useful function of the app is its double-duty microphone/keyboard feature. You can use your phone as a mouthpiece for Android TV’s excellent voice search (hopefully Siri won’t get jealous). The app one-ups the Nexus remote by letting you input text with your phone’s touchscreen keyboard. Plus, it communicates to your TV or set-top device over Wi-Fi, so you don't need a line-of-sight connection. And yo, it’s free.
