I lost my Philips TV remote and need a free iPhone app that actually works as a replacement. I tried a couple of remote apps from the App Store, but they either would not connect or wanted a paid subscription. I need help finding a free Philips TV remote app for iPhone that is reliable and easy to set up.
Philips TV remote gone? I hit the same mess last week, and my iPhone ended up being the fastest workaround.
I tried a bunch of remote apps from the App Store. A lot of them pull the same trick. They install for free, connect fine, then block basic stuff like volume, typing, or shortcuts unless you pay. Annoying fast.
After testing a few, these three were the only ones I’d keep on my phone.
1. TVRem – Universal TV Remote app
This one stuck.
Most Philips smart TVs I’ve seen run Android TV or Google TV under the hood, and this app paired with both without any weird setup. Mine showed up in under a minute. Once connected, it felt close enough to the physical remote tht I stopped looking.
The main reason I kept it was simple. No paywall popped up when I tried normal remote stuff.
What you get
- Volume control
- Navigation buttons
- Touchpad
- Built-in keyboard for search
- Voice search
- App shortcuts
- Automatic TV detection
What I liked
- Free to use for the stuff people care about
- Good fit for Android TV and Google TV Philips models
- Works with Philips, plus other brands too
- Setup is easy
What bugged me
- Nothing serious in my use
2. Universal Remote TV Smart
This one felt cleaner than most of the random remote apps floating around iOS. Pairing was easy, and the core buttons worked fine on Philips TVs. Still, some features sit behind premium access, so I dropped it pretty quick.
What you get
- Power button
- Volume controls
- Keyboard input
- Streaming app shortcuts
- Support for different TV brands
What I liked
- Better interface than a lot of copycat apps
- Broad TV support
What bugged me
- Not fully free
3. Google TV
If your Philips TV runs Google TV or Android TV, this one is the safe pick. It’s Google’s own app, so the remote part tends to work without much fuss. I had good luck with keyboard entry and voice input here too.
It’s more limited, though. Fine for basic control. Less so if you want one app for every screen in the house.
What you get
- Official remote support for Google TV and Android TV
- Keyboard typing
- Voice search
- Content suggestions inside the app
What I liked
- Official Google app
- Stable in day to day use
What bugged me
- Only useful on Google TV or Android TV sets
- Fewer remote features
Where I landed
All three worked. One felt easiest to live with.
If you want the closest thing to a full remote replacement on iPhone, TVRem is the best choice.
I kept coming back to it because it didn’t stop me mid-use and ask for money to do basic things. I typed searches, changed volume, opened apps, used voice input, all without hitting a locked screen.
Small bonus, it also works with other TV brands. If your place has a Philips in one room and an LG or Samsung somewhere else, keeping one app for all of them is way less of a headache.
So yeah, if you’re on iPhone and your Philips remote vanished into the couch void, this is the one I’d try first.
3 Likes
Yes, but it depends on which Philips TV you have.
Important part first. iPhone remote apps do not use IR on modern iPhones. They work over Wi-Fi. So your TV must be a smart Philips model, and your iPhone and TV need to be on the same network. If the TV is offline, most free apps will fail to connect, which is why a lot of people think the app is broken.
I partly disagree with @mikeappsreviewer on one thing. I would try the official route first, not third-party apps first.
Best free options:
- Google TV app, if your Philips runs Android TV or Google TV.
- Philips Smart TV app, if your specific model still supports an older Philips companion app in your region.
- Apple TV Remote in Control Center, only if you have an Apple TV box connected to the Philips, not for the TV itself.
Fast way to check:
- On the TV box or startup screen, look for Android TV, Google TV, Roku TV, Saphi, or Titan OS.
- If it is Android TV or Google TV, use Google TV on iPhone. Free. No sub nonsense.
- If it is Roku-based Philips, use the Roku app. Also free.
- If it is an older non-smart Philips, no iPhone app will replace the remote unless you add external hardware.
If your TV is already on but not connected:
- Plug in Ethernet if possible.
- Use a USB keyboard on the TV for some models.
- Try the power button or joystick under the TV to open network settings.
So yes, free exists. The trick is matching the app to your Philips OS. Most paid “universal remote” apps fail becuase they are generic first, Philips second.
Yep, there are free options, but I’d actually split this into two cases because “Philips TV” is annoyingly vague.
If your Philips is one of the newer Roku TV models, skip the generic remote apps entirely and use the official Roku app for iPhone. Totally free, no fake trial garbage, and it does the basics well. That’s one thing neither @mikeappsreviewer nor @sternenwanderer really leaned on enough. A lot of Philips sets in the US are Roku-based, not Google TV.
If it’s a Philips Android TV / Google TV, then yeah, the Google TV app is usually the least painful free option. I kinda disagree with using universal apps as the first move. They can work, sure, but a lot of them are hit-or-miss and then suddenly want money for stuff that should be basic.
One catch people forget: many TVs won’t accept a remote app unless the TV was already connected to Wi-Fi before you lost the remote. That’s the stupid little detail that makes apps seem “broken” when they aren’t.
Also, if your TV has HDMI-CEC enabled and you’ve got a PlayStation, Xbox, Fire Stick, Apple TV, or Roku plugged in, sometimes you can control enough through that device’s app or remote to get by. Not perfect, but it can save your bacon.
So short answer:
- Roku Philips = Roku app
- Google/Android Philips = Google TV app
- Old non-smart Philips = no iPhone app will really replace it
If you’re not sure which Philips OS you have, post the model number. That makes this way less guessy becuase Philips has like 14 different personalities depending on the year.
Small reality check: if your Philips was never on Wi Fi, no iPhone app is going to magically replace the lost remote. That part trips up a lot of people.
Where I slightly disagree with @sternenwanderer and @reveurdenuit is this: checking the TV OS is helpful, but in practice the fastest test is often simpler. Open Control Center on the TV itself if it has a joystick or hardware button, get it online first, then try one app that matches the platform. No need to install five.
What I’d add that nobody mentioned much is this:
- Some Philips TVs support wake-on-LAN poorly, so apps may connect only after the TV is already on
- Hotel mode or restricted mode can block app pairing
- Mesh Wi Fi can cause discovery issues if phone and TV land on different bands or access points
For the app itself, TVRem – Universal TV Remote app is worth a shot if you want one place to test Philips compatibility without instantly running into subscription nags.
Pros
- Free basic controls
- Easy pairing on many smart TVs
- Keyboard and touch controls are useful
- Good if you have mixed brands at home
Cons
- Still useless for old non-smart Philips sets
- Discovery can fail if your network setup is messy
So my take:
- Official app first if you know the TV platform
- TVRem – Universal TV Remote app if you do not know the platform and want a quick all-in-one test
- No app at all if it is an older IR-only Philips, unless you buy extra hardware
@mikeappsreviewer is right that a lot of App Store “free” remotes are bait for subscriptions. That part is absolutely real.