As promised, Google added a virtual TV remote in Google Home’s Android app now. It imports most of the features from the Google TV app, which serves a similar purpose.
Once set up, the virtual remote will be able to control a connected Android TV/Google TV. The initial version of this remote is lacking a few main options like volume controls and mute but may come in the next update.
Virtual TV Remote in Google Home
If you’re having various smart devices set up in your home, Google Home can be the one-stop-shop for managing all of them easily. The smart hub offered handling of bulbs, fans, speakers, thermostats, etc, but no TVs!
But this is going to change now, as Google added a virtual TV remote to Google Home app version 2.46. This is similar to what we have on the Google TV app, but with fewer features since the initial version.
Installing the latest version and setting up is easy, as you just need to visit the device page and tap on “Open remote” in the bottom-left corner. This will open a pop-up asking you to enter the pairing code from your Android TV. To obtain this, navigate to your TV Settings and open the pairing section.
Enter the code shown on the screen to pair the two devices. Once connected, you will see the virtual remote having a large touchpad at the center, a Power button at the top left corner, Back, Home, and Google Assistant buttons in the bottom row.
While these are fair, the new virtual remote lacks several features that are available in the Google TV app. Some include volume and mute controls, which are essential. Also, the option to switch from a touchpad to a dial pad. May all these be coming in the next version of the Google Home app.
