Whereas TV remotes are forever being lost down the back of the sofa, we all tend to keep a much closer eye on our smartphones. And ultimately, anything that can reduce the number of gadgets lying around our homes is a good thing, right?
The way phones can be used as TV remotes can be broadly split into two categories: ones that use an infrared (IR) blaster, and apps that can be used to control hardware like Rokus and Chromecasts.
In this piece, we take a look at both types.
Phones With a Built-In IR Blaster
It seems IR blasters in Android devices are in decline. Only 12 months ago we saw a whole host of flagship phones come equipped with the technology, but manufacturers seem to be leaving the tech behind in their more recent releases.
For example, the Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, and S6 Active all had one, as did the LG G4, the HTC One M9, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
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However, the Galaxy S7, the Note 5, and the HTC 10 all chose to omit it. Thankfully, LG chose to retain it in the G5.
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Phones that ship with an IR blaster typically come with their own app to control it, but these apps are often not very full-featured. If your phone has an IR blaster, you should look at downloading a third-party option. 
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