![]() He got his start in the industry covering Windows Phone on a small blog, and later moved to Phandroid where he covered Android news, reviewed devices, wrote tutorials, created YouTube videos, and hosted a podcast.įrom smartphones to Bluetooth earbuds to Z-Wave switches, Joe is interested in all kinds of technology. He has written thousands of articles, hundreds of tutorials, and dozens of reviews.īefore joining How-To Geek, Joe worked at XDA-Developers as Managing Editor and covered news from the Google ecosystem. Joe loves all things technology and is also an avid DIYer at heart. He has been covering Android and the rest of the Google ecosystem for years, reviewing devices, hosting podcasts, filming videos, and writing tutorials. Joe Fedewa has been writing about technology for over a decade. When you first open the app, it will ask you to accept the terms of service. ![]() Control the Chromecast with Google TV with Google's Remote Appįirst, download the Android TV remote app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone or tablet. This is a pretty good basic remote, but there's a third-party app that's even better. Google itself has an official Android TV remote app for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Related: What's the Difference between Google TV and Android TV? These will allow you to navigate around the TV's apps and menus. The Chromecast with Google TV is also an Android TV device at its core, which means it can be controlled by a "remote" app on your phone or tablet. You can "cast" videos and music to it from your phone or tablet. First of all, as the name implies, the Chromecast with Google TV is a Chromecast device. It matches the “Snow” Chromecast almost perfectly but wouldn’t look nearly as good on the “Sky” or “Sunrise” options.If you don't have the remote or would rather use your phone, there are a couple of options. One of my only complaints, though, is the color. This device might not be needed for everyone, but at $24.99, I think its utility justifies the cost. I found the larger size a bit more comfortable in the hand, and it didn’t affect the reachability of the buttons at all, in fact, making them all easier to reach without adjusting my grip on the remote. Notably, I actually liked the additional size that the SideClick added to the Chromecast with Google TV’s remote. You could even map buttons from multiple IR remotes at once, too. Pressing the power and “B” buttons puts the device in pairing mode, then pointing the IR remote of your choice at the SideClick lets you match any button to the SideClick. It’s a bit confusing to perform, but it’s useful for the rare times CEC fails me. I did that by mapping the D-Pad, “OK,” home, and back buttons to the SideClick’s buttons. The SideClick, though, allows me to ditch the remote for my TCL Roku TV entirely while using Chromecast with Google TV. CEC could actually handle those same functions just as reliably. In my case, though, these main functions weren’t enough for me to ditch any remotes. You can dig into the settings to set up these buttons. This is handled with a collection of preset codes in the Chromecast’s Android-based software. The Chromecast remote can use IR to control TVs and soundbars for four key functions power, input, and volume up or down. Sound familiar? That’s because the Chromecast with Google TV’s included voice remote already does the basics of this function, although with a couple of caveats. It can duplicate the IR output of your original remote, adding it to your “new” remote. ![]() What’s the utility of this accessory? SideClick is essentially a miniaturized universal remote that is supposed to handle vital functions of your TV or soundbar without keeping multiple remotes out. Available for the past couple of months, though, there’s also a version available that’s designed to fit the voice remote for Chromecast with Google TV. SideClick isn’t exactly a new accessory it’s actually been available for devices, such as the various Roku models, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more. If you need more, though, the SideClick for Chromecast with Google TV essentially adds a universal remote to the device. For many, this issue is fixed at least in part by the two IR-enabled buttons at the bottom of the included remote. The Chromecast with Google TV is one of the best streamers on the market today, but as with most add-on devices, it means adding another remote to the living room.
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