Android TV and Google TV remote app: pair your phone

Use it when your TV or streaming device actually runs Android TV or Google TV. Many manufacturers use these platforms, so a brand logo alone does not confirm the operating system. A box advertised simply as “Android” is not necessarily an Android TV device with the remote service the app needs.

Check the Sony, TCL or Hisense guide if the platform is unclear.

1. Turn on the TV or streaming device and confirm its network connection.
2. Connect the phone to the same local network.
3. Open TV Remotely and select the device.
4. Enter the code shown on the TV. It is six characters and can include letters A–F.
5. Test navigation before trying text entry or other commands.

Keep the TV screen visible. If no code appears, treat it as a pairing failure rather than scanning again. Check app availability for your phone’s store.

Check iPhone Local Network permission where it applies, guest-network isolation and whether the device is awake. Then use the discovery checklist. Manual IP entry cannot add a missing remote service or skip the pairing code.

Text entry depends on the device’s remote service and the active TV field, so it is not available on every Android TV or Google TV device. Navigation may work even when a streaming app does not accept text. Read the phone keyboard guide for a quick test.

Google offers phone remote control in its own Google TV app. TV Remotely is an independent alternative that also covers other TV platforms, so one app can control a mixed household. Choose based on your devices and the controls you need.

Only Chromecast models that run Google TV have the remote service this guide describes; older Chromecast dongles without a remote do not. Check the device’s platform and the compatibility table before installing.