A new Google TV feature will allow users to use their Android mobile devices as remotes for those moments when your streaming box’s wand disappears without a trace.
Android mobile remote support for Google TV arrives today after the company initially announced the feature during Google I/O back in May. (A spokesperson told The Verge the tool will only be available for Android at this time and did not have anything further to share about future iOS support.)
Support for a mobile remote should be a tremendous help to those of us constantly losing our wands beneath mountains of blankets and pillows, but it should also streamline processes for things like entering long or complicated passwords, search terms, and titles to films and series. Google said that beyond just Google TV, support would extend to other Android TV OS devices as well.
The remote tool can be accessed two ways: either by adding the remote tile to quick settings from an Android device or through the Google TV app (which Google said will be launching in 14 new countries in the coming weeks).
