How to make a universal remote control from a smartphone. Eight best phones with IR blaster and remote control (2015)

An infrared photon walks into a bar and asks, “Is it hot in here for everyone or just me?” Do you understand the meaning? Here's a hint: infrared radiation is essentially temperature radiation... Okay, don't bother with the physics. Let's rather focus on smartphones with IR blaster.

No, radiating heat is not the purpose of those little IR LEDs built into many smartphones. Not even close. The IR port inside the phone allows it to function as a universal remote control for a range of home electronic devices. Using a specially downloaded app, your phone can remotely control your TV, set-top boxes, and maybe even your air conditioner.

Not all smartphones have an IR blaster, which is why we have compiled a list of flagships that are equipped with it. Below you can see their best representatives:

1. Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 Active

Starting with the Galaxy S4, Samsung began to include IR ports in its flagships. Its current leader, the Galaxy S6, and its derivatives, the Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 Active, are no exception. All three phones come with the Peel Smart Remote app, which acts as an advanced TV guide with reminders and recommendations.

The IR port on the LG G4 allows you to control TV, DVD/Blu Ray player, air conditioner, almost any device that can be controlled using the IR remote control. You can set the universal controller profile manually by transmitting the existing radio remote control signal to the phone's IR port. The latter reads the signal and stores information about its purpose.

Yes, the LG Flex 2 also comes with an IR blaster built into its curved body. It works on the same principle as on the LG G4.

4. HTC One M9, HTC One M9+

One of the first HTC phones to feature an IR blaster was the One M7. This option has been cleverly built into the Power button. The HTC One M9 and One M9+ take over the IR option from their predecessor, greatly enhancing its functionality with the pre-loaded Peel Smart Remote app.

If you live in Asia, you can purchase one of the HTC One ME. Apart from the IR port, the phone also features a Quad HD screen, a powerful MediaTek system and a 20MP camera inside a semi-polycarbonate body.

6. Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note Edge

They may be last year's models, but they can still take a hit. Both the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge are capable of replacing your TV remote control with their IR ports. And it is possible that they will also be joined by the Note 5 model, which should be officially announced in the coming weeks.

The high-end ZTE Nubia Z9 has a lot of options to impress us with, including a powerful hardware configuration and a stylish design with an edge-to-edge screen. But it also boasts an IR port, with which you can remotely control home appliances.

8. Oppo Mirror 5, Mirror 5s

Oppo Mirror 5 and Mirror 5s are two promising budget Chinese devices. Their IR port will allow you to control devices remotely, and a special lens increases the range of the beam. Both phones are coming out in August.

I think you have encountered the search for a remote control more than once in your life. Probably at these moments you dreamed that you could call this very remote control. So, for those in the tank, a remote control that you can call has already been invented. And perhaps it is in your pocket.

Now there are a huge number of smartphones on the market with a built-in infrared port, and all of them can control almost any equipment. Danya’s article will tell you how the infrared port works and why a smartphone needs it at all.

So, what is an infrared port? From a technical point of view, this interface is usually called IrDA or InfaRed, Data, Association, in fact, this is a group of standards that describe data transfer protocols using the infrared range of light waves as a carrier.

Such radiation is invisible to the human eye, however, it can be easily noticed by any photo or video camera. Those viewers who come from the early 90s should remember in the era of push-button phones, the IR port was actively used for data transfer.

In those distant times, men went to the mammoth in large groups, and women and children were engaged in gathering. Then at night the whole community gathered around the fire and shared ringtones and pictures, placing a couple of phones opposite each other.

The signal, namely infrared radiation, travels very far. You can place two smartphones at a distance of 100 meters and the signal will still go through. The main thing is that the beam from the transmission to the receiver is on the same straight line.

Although the signal travels at the speed of light, the data transfer speed of the infrared port is very low, about 100 KB per second. But in those days, content weighed quite a bit. The infrared port could be found on Nokia, although they had Bluetooth and WI-FI, and even in the presence of such interfaces, the ability to transfer data via the infrared port still remained.

It was at this time that with the advent of smart phones, users had a great opportunity to control any household appliance from their phone. After Android took over the world, WI-FI and Bluetooth protocols finally supplanted the IR port from phones. As a result, the IR port was undeservedly forgotten by manufacturers. However, in 2013, HTC and Samsung released their flagships, Galaxy S4 and HTC One M7, with infrared support.

By that time: TVs, air conditioners, music systems and vacuum cleaners acquired infrared receivers and, accordingly, remote controls, which are constantly lost.

The decision to build an IR port into the phone, in my opinion, is brilliant; a smartphone is always at hand, a modern person does not lose sight of it, even in his sleep. The smartphone can control absolutely any equipment without any problems. But how does it work? First, you need to download the application to your smartphone, they can be downloaded from Google Play, absolutely free. I think the best applications are TV remote, SURE, all of them can be downloaded absolutely free.

But, usually, if you buy a smartphone with an infrared port, the manufacturer equips its device with an application that stores a huge number of presets for a wide variety of equipment.

How does the infrared port work in a smartphone?

The infrared port itself does not perform any task; it is a light bulb that shines in a range invisible to our eyes. However, this glow can be seen on camera. The processor on the phone receives commands from the application and converts information about the key pressed into a sequence of electrical pulses that are sent to an infrared LED.

The diode flashes quickly and quickly at different frequencies, this is how information is encoded. Then, it gets to the photodetector, which is located in the TV itself, the TV understands the encrypted infrared signal and again converts it into an electrical impulse. This information is transmitted to the TV processor and it, in turn, switches channels or adjusts the volume. Each button has its own pulse sequence, moreover, each manufacturer has its own encryption algorithms, which is why the TV remote control does not fit the vacuum cleaner. And applications need to be configured individually for each individual electronic device.

Android smartphones have many useful features. In addition to supporting the 2G, 3G, LTE Internet and other modules necessary for communication, they are equipped with light sensors, proximity sensors, an accelerometer, and some even have an infrared port. It is these smartphones that will be discussed in this article.

Let's figure out what an infrared port is and how it can help turn your mobile into a TV remote control. You will find out which devices support this feature.

An infrared port or infrared port is a special indicator on a smartphone using the infrared range of light waves as a transmission medium. This is what is used in all TV remote controls.

Simply put, an infrared port is a simple light bulb on a remote control or smartphone that sends rays to the TV, which receives them, deciphers them and understands the command given in this way.

Some Android smartphones have an infrared port and can be used as a remote control, which is quite convenient.

How to determine that a smartphone has an infrared port?

It’s very strange, but most manufacturers refuse the infrared port, they say, it’s already old technology. The main manufacturers installing IR port today are Xiaomi and Huawei.

As a rule, an infrared port is present in most phone models from these companies. In general, there has been such a trend that almost all Chinese smartphones have an infrared port.

It is very easy to check the presence of an infrared port. It looks like a red light on the top end of the smartphone. Something like this:

You can also go to the characteristics of your mobile device and see if it has an infrared port for controlling household appliances.

What equipment can be controlled?

Unfortunately, mobile phone manufacturers provide a “cut version” of the infrared port to reduce its size. Therefore, it is only possible to send an infrared beam, but not to receive it.

It turns out that the IR port can be used to control home appliances. But there is one important condition: the remote control with which you control the equipment must be supported by a special application on your smartphone. Thus, theoretically, it is possible to control any equipment, but in practice, control requires the support of a remote control. To find out if this remote control is in the database of a special application, you just need to try to find the brand of your equipment and try to establish contact, which is discussed below in the article.

The smartphone can be used to control the following types of equipment:

• TV;
• TV set-top box, tuner, DVD;
• Projector;
• Air conditioner;
• Mi TV, Mi Box;
• Fan;
• AV receiver;
• Camera.

How to make your phone a remote control for home appliances?

In order to turn your smartphone into a remote control for any device in the house, be it a TV or an air conditioner, you need to perform a couple of simple steps, namely:

As already mentioned, to control household appliances from an Android phone, we need a special application. In this article we will use a proprietary application from Xiaomi - Mi Remote. But you can use any other. They are all very similar in their functionality and if you figure out how to use the Mi Remote, you will understand how the others work.

You can download the application from the official application store from Google called Play Market (or Google Play) completely free of charge.

The application is distributed without paid subscriptions and without advertising, because it is the official software for owners of MIUI firmware in smartphones from Xiaomi. But anyone can install it, even if you have a device from another manufacturer and do not have an infrared port.

Step 2 - Setting up Mi Remote

After the first launch of the program, we need to add our first remote control. To do this, click the “Add” button or the plus sign at the top right:

Please note that in some similar applications this item may be slightly different. For example, there may be a “Tuners” item, but “DVD player” will not be there, and so on. Therefore, if you don’t have the equipment you need, just download a similar application. Some of them will be indicated at the end of the article.

Then, when we have chosen the type of equipment, we look for the brand. There are a lot of brands, so we recommend using the search. If suddenly you have very few brands, then simply connect to a high-speed Wi-Fi network and they will download from the cloud themselves.

The last step in setting up is checking the functionality. The system will prompt you to press a button, pointing the infrared port of your smartphone towards the equipment. If the equipment receives the signal and performs the appropriate action, it means that you have chosen everything correctly and now you can fully use your smartphone to control home appliances.

In case of malfunction, you can either choose another brand or try other button options. Often not all buttons on the remote will work, so we recommend experimenting a little. Also try to change the brand, since the remote control labeled in the application as this brand is not always suitable for a particular device. For example, remote controls from Weston and Walson are suitable for an old West TV. Strange, but they both work.

Step 3 – use the Mi Remote app

After successful setup, you can start using the application.

To open the remote control menu, just launch this application and select the appropriate technology that you previously set as default in the application. On the main screen you can add an endless number of types and brands of equipment.

Controlling it is as easy as shelling pears:

1. Power button. Turns equipment on and off. In this case, TV.
2. Configuration change button. With its help, you can change the control style: by clicking or swiping.
3. The main working part of the remote control. Here are the main buttons like switching channels, changing the volume, and so on. It is this area that can be used as swipes if you change the setting in button 2. Instead of pressing up, you will swipe up, instead of pressing down, you will swipe down, and so on.

The application supports working with several remote controls at once. You can add an infinite number of different remotes and give them all any names.

To proceed to selecting the required remote control or create a new one, go to the main screen of the Mi Remote application. To do this, either simply re-enter the application, or click on the “Back” arrow at the top right. You will be taken to the main screen. It's extremely simple. At the top right there is a plus sign, already familiar to us from the first time we added a remote control, it makes it possible to add a new remote control.

In one of the articles, we looked at the question of how to unlock an Android phone if you forgot your graphic password.

The possibilities of a modern smartphone are limitless. Almost any technical problem, whether we are doing complex computational work, or simply want to “teach” a gadget new capabilities, can be solved with a few taps on the screen. Let's talk about how you can control your TV using an Android mobile gadget. This may be necessary if the original remote control has failed and there is no way to quickly replace it.

Not so long ago, in order to turn on the TV from a smartphone, you had to have special technical knowledge, but now it is enough to install a special Android application. The TV must have certain functions that can be used to establish a connection between the TV and the smartphone:

• Smart TV. Allows you to connect to your TV via Wi-Fi
• IR port
• Bluetooth module

The corresponding modules must be installed in the phone.

Large manufacturers such as LG, Panasonic or Samsung develop applications specifically for their models. We will look at universal programs for Android that turn a smartphone into a remote control for various TV models.

TV Remote Control

OS version: Android 2.2 or later
Download
Cost: Free

A universal application that allows you to control your TV from your phone. The program does not support the Russian language, but even a novice user can understand the simple menu. All you need to do is set the connection mode (IR or Wi-Fi), enter the IP address of the TV and install the desired model.

The application supports a huge number of TV models, including:

• Samsung
• Panasonic
• Vizio
• Sharp
• Funai
• JVC and many others

The application has a basic set of commands for a TV: a power button, a numeric keypad, buttons for switching channels and sound settings. The application does not have a paid advanced version, so advertisements will appear on the control panel from time to time.

Remote control

OS version: Android 4.0.3 or later
Download
Cost: Free

A convenient application that turns your smartphone into a TV remote control. In the settings, just select the connection mode: via infrared or Wi-Fi. In the second case, the program itself can determine the IP address of the TV and connect to it. The phone program allows you to manage models from seven manufacturers:

• Samsung
• Toshiba
• Panasonic
• Phillips
• Sharp

The application developers claim that new TV models are added with each update.

The TV is controlled from a smartphone through a simple menu in which you can select the signal source (TV or AV), enter the TV menu, switch channels using the numeric keypad or individual soft buttons, and adjust the sound.

The application does not have a paid version, so you cannot disable pop-up ads.

Other Fly smartphones
On our website you can find a catalog with other Fly smartphones on Android.

Easy Universal TV Remote

OS version: Android 2.3 or later
Download
Cost: Free

A smartphone application that turns your Android device into a TV remote control. It differs from previous programs only in its interface: with its help you can control the sound, change channels and turn off the TV.

To get started, you need to select one of three connection modes and your TV model.

Most free applications have one main drawback - they cannot disable advertising. You can get rid of annoying banners and significantly expand the functionality of your smartphone as a TV remote control by installing paid applications.

Galaxy universal remote control

Download
Cost: 219 rubles

A universal application for a smartphone that allows you to turn your gadget into a remote control not only for your TV, but also for any household appliance with a built-in IR port.

If there are several TVs in the house, the application user can make bookmarks for each model for quick access at any time. If you have additional devices connected to your TV, such as amplifiers or game consoles, you can set the universal remote to each device from one menu.

The application has extensive functionality:

• Unique control panel. The user can add his own command buttons, set their shape, size and color, and set his own icon on each button.
• Creating macros. Ability to customize a list of actions for one click. This could be turning on the TV, switching to a certain channel, or increasing the volume.
• Create and save custom IR command codes
• Scanning device models to configure phone alignment
• Backup. All settings and commands can be transferred to another phone.
• Widget for the home screen of an Android smartphone. You can control the TV without even going into the application.

If the application turns out to be incompatible with a specific TV model, the developers have provided a system for returning the money paid for the program.

OneZap Remote

OS version: Android 4.0 or later
Download
Cost: 172 rubles

A convenient and inexpensive application that allows you to turn your smartphone into a TV remote control. The program database contains 250 integrated devices:

• Samsung
• Denon
• Pioneer
• Onkyo and so on

The application user can use either a preset menu or create his own by choosing the color scheme of the interface, the size and shape of the buttons. If you have a DVD player connected to your TV, you can create a separate button or set of buttons to control both devices.

How to enable the IR port on a Xiaomi phone: step-by-step instructions. Application for IR port Mi Remote and its alternatives. What to do if there is no IR port?

Our children will never know that once upon a time televisions were tube-based, and there was no way to control them remotely. To turn up the volume or change the channel, I had to get up from the couch every time. Today, there is no need for unnecessary movements; moreover, you can collect all the remote controls for consumer electronics in your smartphone, and put the plastic transmitters in a box and hide it in the closet (or take it out to the balcony).

At this point one could make a remark that in order to implement the function of remote control of household appliances, the smartphone must have an infrared port, but... in fact, this is not entirely true. If there is a 3.5 mm audio jack or at least microUSB, consider the remote control in your pocket. True, you will have to get an additional accessory, but this is not a problem - an external IR port for a TV can be bought for some 100-300 rubles.

In this publication we will talk about how to enable the IR port for a TV using Xiaomi phones as an example. The remote control of any household appliance in smartphones from other manufacturers can be configured in the same way. Especially for those who need detailed instructions on setting up a port in Samsung or Huawei, we will prepare separate materials.

Smartphones with IR port

A built-in infrared port is found in almost all Xiaomi smartphones, not only in flagships, but also in budget and mid-segment models. You can find out whether your phone has an IR port or not in the specifications. By the way, in our database it is easy to select phones equipped with this function.

• Go to .
• In “Basic filters”, select the manufacturer you are interested in (in our example it is Xiaomi, but you can choose any brand).
• Open additional filters and check the "Yes" option in the "IrDA only" filter.
• Click the New Search button. Ready!

Additionally, you can change the table settings by selecting the “Communications” block or the “IrDA” item separately, but this is not necessary. The database search will work fine in any case, and you will get a list of phones with an IR port. If you want to see more models, after the first issue, click the “Add” button. If you are only interested in budget phones, turn on the “Price class” filter or manually set the price range in additional filters (Price: min, Price: max).

How to enable Xiaomi IR port?

So, we’ve made sure that the smartphone has an infrared transmitter, all that remains is to figure out how to turn on the IR port and configure it correctly. To turn any Xiaomi phone into a remote control, all you need is one proprietary utility called Mi Remote. This IR port application is developed and supported by programmers from a Chinese company, so you can be sure of its compatibility with your smartphone.

As a rule, the application for the IR port is already installed on your Xiaomi smartphone. Even if you have one that was released on a “bare” Android, Mi Remote is in it. And, by the way, it works successfully even with very old TVs, tested from personal experience.

If for some reason unknown to us there is no application for the Xiaomi IR port on your phone, you can download Mi Remote on Google Play. To do this, simply follow the link provided above. Log in to the page through your Google account and install the free application on your phone.

The Mi Remote IR port app gives you the ability to control not only your TV, but in general any consumer electronics equipped with an IR port. This could be an air conditioner, audio system, projector, DVD player, robot vacuum cleaner or stereo system. The first step is to select the type of device for which you want to enable the remote control, then select the brand from the list provided.

Go to the application for the infrared port, click the “+” icon in the upper corner of the screen, select the type of equipment and brand. There will be plenty of brands on the proposed list; it is extremely unlikely that your equipment will not be on it. There are LG, Samsung, Sony, Thompson, HiSense, Konka, Sharp, Haier, LeTV and even brands whose names we saw for the first time.

Example. You want to turn on the remote control for your Samsung TV via the IR port. First, select the type of device (TV) for which you need a remote control, and then the manufacturer (Samsung, Sony, or whatever you have). In the same way, we turn on the remote control for a split system, air conditioner or music center via the IR port.

The next step is to turn on the TV, point the IR port at it and press the red button on the phone screen to read information about the configuration of the control system. You may have to repeat the procedure two or three times, this is normal.

Next, you will be asked to check the IR port for the TV. To do this, you need to press the on/off button on the smartphone screen. Click. If everything is configured correctly, the TV will turn off. The application will ask you to confirm the device's response. After setup, the display will display a full-fledged remote control with all buttons. We recommend adding it to your home screen for quick access.

As you can see, turning on the remote control for consumer electronics via the IR port is very simple. And if you don’t like the proprietary Mi Remote utility (for example, it may lack virtual buttons), you can install a universal application from third-party developers on your smartphone.

IR Port Apps: Alternatives

Enter the phrase “remote control” in the Google Play search bar. A search will turn up dozens of applications for remote control of consumer electronics, most of them free.

It's hard to say which app will appeal to you because, despite sharing basic functionality, they often differ greatly in details. One of the best applications for the infrared port is ZaZa Remote. The program is absolutely free. Currently, more than 300,000 models of household appliances, from TVs to light bulbs and fans, and more than 8,000 brands are supported. If your equipment is suddenly not on the list, write to the developers, they will add it. You already know how to turn on the IR port using this application. The algorithm of actions is the same as when setting up the IR port via mi Remote.

Another popular program, Sure Universal Remote, offers a built-in media player with support for all major formats and additional functions in the form of direct transfer of media files (music, video) from a smartphone to SmartTV. If you have a regular TV at home, the function will not be useful, but if it is a “smart” one, it can be of great use.

The disadvantage of the application is its relatively large weight and abundance of advertising. On the other hand, developers update the program, add new features, and offer it all for free. Considering all this, they can be forgiven for advertising.

How to enable the infrared port if there is none?

The question of how to turn on the infrared port if there is none may seem a little strange, but this is only at first glance. If your phone does not have a built-in port, the situation is easy to fix. We will prepare detailed material describing different IR transmitters, but for now we will tell you in general terms what kind of animal this is and what it is eaten with.

An IR transmitter is a miniature accessory that looks like a keychain. The difference from a key fob is that it can emit infrared waves and connects to a smartphone. Connection is made via a 3.5mm audio jack or microUSB.

Using such a transmitter, you can turn on the remote control for your TV or air conditioner via the IR port, even on a phone that is not equipped with an infrared port. A very convenient thing, especially considering that such an accessory is inexpensive - you can buy it in Chinese online stores for a couple of hundred rubles, and some retailers will also offer you free shipping.

That's all. If you can’t turn on the IR port on your Xiaomi smartphone, write in the comments, we will help you!