Universal TV Remote for All TV

Review by eFreeware

Few things in a living room get misplaced as reliably as a television remote. When there are two or three TVs in a home, each with its own handset, the problem multiplies: the remote for the bedroom set ends up downstairs, the batteries die at the worst moment, and someone has to get up mid-episode to hunt for it. Universal TV Remote for All TV, from developer BoostVision, is built around that everyday annoyance. The idea is simple: keep the controls on the phone that is already within reach.

The app falls into the Tools category and is free to download. It carries ads and offers in-app purchases, so the free entry point comes with the usual considerations of that model. It has been installed more than 10 million times and holds a 4.4 average across 232,215 ratings, which suggests a lot of people have found it useful enough to keep. It first appeared in September 2022 and was updated in September 2026.

Controlling a smart TV over WiFi

The core of the app is straightforward: as long as your phone or tablet is on the same WiFi network as your smart TV, it acts as a replacement remote. The developer says it can detect smart TVs on that network automatically, so you are not asked to type in IP addresses or pair devices by hand. From there, the usual controls are available: powering the TV on and off, adjusting volume, managing channels and controlling playback, including reversing and fast-forwarding.

Two details stand out to me. The first is the touchpad, which is meant to make navigation quicker than tapping arrow buttons one at a time. The second is text input and search, which lets you type a title on the phone's keyboard instead of spelling it out letter by letter with a remote's directional pad. Anyone who has searched for a movie that way knows how tedious it can be, so having a real keyboard in the loop is a genuine quality-of-life improvement.

The app supports mainstream brands, including Roku, FireStick TV, Samsung, Vizio, Sony, Apple TV and LG webOS TV. That is a broad spread, though the developer is careful to note that not every television model has been tested and that full compatibility cannot be guaranteed. That is a fair caveat for a category where hardware varies so much, and worth keeping in mind if your set is an older or less common model.

When WiFi is not an option

Not every television in a home is a smart TV, and not every network is reliable. The app accounts for both with an IR mode, which lets it control a TV even when WiFi is unavailable. That means the phone can serve as a substitute for a traditional infrared handset rather than only for networked sets. For a household with one smart TV in the living room and an older set in a spare room, that flexibility makes the app more broadly useful than a WiFi-only tool would be.

Because the app is designed to work across multiple televisions, it also addresses the specific irritation of switching between remotes. Instead of keeping track of which handset belongs to which screen, you select the TV you want and control it from the same place. The developer frames this as the main benefit, and it is the scenario where the app makes the most sense: several screens, one phone, fewer lost remotes.

Casting and screen mirroring

Beyond remote control, the app handles some sharing duties. It can cast photos and videos from your phone's local album to the TV, which is handy for showing pictures to a room full of people without passing a handset around. It also mirrors your phone screen to a larger display. Recent updates mention a self-developed mirroring protocol and a new way to cast to Roku TV, so this part of the app has been getting attention.

I would treat casting and mirroring as secondary reasons to install rather than the main draw. The remote functions are what the app is built around, and the sharing features are a useful bonus for the times when you want the big screen to show something from your phone. If your primary need is getting a video from your device onto a television, that is a different job, and the app's own tools are aimed at the same household context as its remote controls.

Getting connected

Setup follows a short sequence the developer lays out. You download and install the app, choose your TV brand or streaming stick, tap to connect, and the remote is ready. There is no lengthy configuration, which fits the app's purpose: it should be quicker to open than to find a physical remote.

The main requirement is that the phone and the TV sit on the same network for the WiFi connection to work smoothly. If a connection does not take, the developer suggests reinstalling the app and rebooting the TV, updating to the latest version, or trying a different device. Those are the standard troubleshooting steps for network-based control, and having them listed in advance saves a trip to a support page.

It is worth setting expectations around compatibility. The app has been tested on many models, but testing every television on the market is not possible, so universal operation is not promised. Checking that your set appears among the supported brands before installing is the sensible approach.

Who gets the most from it

This app is best suited to households with more than one television, especially a mix of smart sets and older ones. If remotes go missing, batteries run out at inconvenient times, or family members constantly swap handsets between rooms, keeping the controls on a phone removes a recurring source of friction. It also fits people who dislike on-screen keyboards on televisions and would rather type a search term on a phone.

The app is free with ads and in-app purchases, which is the model most people will expect from a utility of this type. The install numbers and rating suggest the approach works for a large audience, though the developer's own caveat about model coverage is the thing I would weigh first. If your television is a mainstream brand, the odds look good; if it is unusual, a quick check before relying on the app makes sense.

For travelers or anyone who frequently uses unfamiliar televisions, the IR mode adds a layer of usefulness that a WiFi-only remote would lack. Between the two connection methods, the app covers a wider range of situations than its name alone suggests.

A practical replacement for the lost remote

Universal TV Remote for All TV does one job well and adds a few useful extras around it. The WiFi control covers the everyday tasks of power, volume, channels and playback, the IR mode handles televisions that are not on the network, and casting and mirroring round things out for the times you want to share something from your phone. The setup is short, and the developer's troubleshooting notes address the most common connection problems before they arise.

The caveats are the ones that come with the territory: ads and in-app purchases are part of the free version, and compatibility, while broad, is not guaranteed for every model. I would recommend it to anyone juggling several televisions and their separate remotes, particularly in a household where a phone is always closer at hand than the remote. If your television is a mainstream smart model and you want a single place to control it, this app is a reasonable addition to the phone.

What's new in version 2.5.8

*Support self-developed mirroring protocol *Improving User Experience *New way to cast to Roku TV *Universal Remote for all Smart TVs & IR TVs. *Support mainstream TV brands including Roku, FireStick TV, Samsung, Vizio TV, Sony TV, Apple TV and LG webOS TV. *Bug Fix