Remote for Smart Samsung TV

Review by eFreeware

If you own a Samsung smart TV and the remote has a habit of vanishing under a cushion, this app from BoostVision is aimed at you. It turns an Android phone into a replacement controller, and since it is free to install, the cost of trying it is mostly your time. With more than ten million installs and a 4.2 average from over 158,000 ratings, it is clearly a popular answer to that problem.

What I like about the idea is how narrow and specific it is. This is not a universal remote for every brand in the house; it is built for Samsung smart TVs, and it also does a few things a physical remote cannot, such as mirroring your phone screen and sending photos or videos to the TV. That combination is what makes it more interesting than a simple button replacement.

A phone that takes over the basic controls

At its core, the app handles the everyday jobs: switching the TV on and off, changing the volume, moving through channels and navigating menus. The developer also includes a keyboard feature, which means typing a search term or a password on the TV stops being a slow crawl through an on-screen grid. Anyone who has entered a long WiFi password with a directional pad will understand why that matters.

There is also a shortcut area for channels and apps you use often, so you can jump to them in a few taps rather than hunting through the TV's own menus. None of this is unusual for a remote app, but it covers the essentials without asking you to learn a new way of watching television.

The controls are described as fast and stable, which is the kind of claim every remote app makes.

Mirroring and casting from the same app

The part that separates this from a straightforward button replacement is screen mirroring. The app can send your phone or tablet display to the TV at high resolution, which is useful when you want to show something to a room rather than pass a phone around. It is the sort of feature that sounds like a bonus until you need it, and then it becomes the reason you keep the app installed.

Casting works on two fronts. Local photos and videos stored on your device can be sent to the TV, and web videos can be pushed across as well. That covers the common case of wanting to share a clip or a set of holiday pictures on a bigger screen without copying files onto a USB drive.

I would treat mirroring and casting as the app's more ambitious side, and the developer pitches the whole package as an all-in-one control and sharing tool. For a free app, having both a remote and a way to move content onto the TV is a reasonable amount of value.

Setting it up takes a few taps

Connection is meant to be simple. The app detects Samsung smart TVs on the same WiFi network automatically, and the developer's own steps are short: open the app, tap the device button in the top right corner, pick your TV from the list, and start controlling it. That is about as light as setup gets for this category of app.

Compatibility is broad within Samsung's range. The developer lists the 7 series, 6 series, Curved models and K-Series Tizen sets from 2016 onward as supported. If your TV falls outside those families, or is an older model, the app may not find it at all, and the developer admits that not every Samsung model could be covered because of testing limits.

Support for newer Tizen TVs and general experience improvements keep the app in step with Samsung's newer sets rather than frozen at launch. BoostVision released it in July 2022 and has updated it since.

The WiFi rule and other things to accept

The single most important requirement is stated plainly: the app only works when the phone and the TV are on the same WiFi network. That is fine at home, where both devices usually sit on one network, but it rules out controlling the TV from outside the house or from a mobile connection. It also means a weak or unusual home network can spoil the experience before the app gets a chance.

The developer offers a short troubleshooting list for connection trouble: reinstalling the app and rebooting the TV resolves most cases, keeping the app updated helps with some, and trying the smartthings app on another device is suggested for stubborn mobile connection issues. That last point is worth reading twice.

Two other things deserve a mention before you install. The app is free but carries ads and offers in-app purchases, so the experience is not entirely without commercial interruption. And BoostVision is clear that it is not affiliated with Samsung and that this is not an official Samsung product, so you are relying on a third-party developer.

Who this fits best

The natural home for this app is a household with a supported Samsung smart TV and at least one Android phone that is usually within reach. If the physical remote is shared, lost, or has a failing button, having a second controller on a phone is a genuinely useful backup. It also suits people who want to put photos or videos on the TV without fiddling with cables.

It is less compelling if your TV sits outside the listed Samsung families, since the app is built around Samsung's smart TV range and the developer says compatibility cannot be guaranteed across every model. The same WiFi requirement also means it is a home tool rather than something you carry around.

For a free download with a large install base and a solid average rating, the barrier to trying it is low. If it detects your TV, you get a full remote plus mirroring and casting; if it does not, you have lost a few minutes and can uninstall it.

A sensible backup for a Samsung TV owner

Remote for Smart Samsung TV does one job well: it replaces a lost or tired Samsung remote with the phone already in your pocket, and it adds screen mirroring and casting on top. The requirements are clear, the setup is short, and the app has been updated to keep pace with newer Tizen sets.

I would suggest it to Samsung smart TV owners who want a spare controller and a simple way to push photos and videos to the big screen. Keep in mind that it needs the same WiFi network, that it works within Samsung's smart TV families, and that it is free with ads and in-app purchases.

If your TV is on the supported list, this is an easy install to try. If it is not, the app's own compatibility note tells you what to expect.

What's new in version 1.7.4

*Support new Tizen TV *Improving Users Experience Remote control & mirror phone screen to Samsung, manage TV apps and channels within seconds! Cast web videos to Samsung TV