An Android and iOS update for the Google Home app adds improved mobile-based remote for compatible smart TVs as well as connected streaming or media devices.
Announcing the update, Google explain Home app users can now easily control playback, switch inputs, adjust volume and more, features that are already supported for Chromecast devices through Google Home.
The new advance links to Works with Google-compatible devices, including TV platforms like Samsung, LG or Roku, and gets juiced up using indoor light sources to convert energy into electricity that charges the battery within the remote, like Samsung introduced in 2021.
It’s very easy to hook up. Simply head to “Works with Google” in the Google Home app, then select the necessary device maker and follow the instructions. You’ll then be able to turn a compatible television on and off, play and pause media, jump back or forward, adjust or mute sound, as well as toggle source inputs.
While this all saves the hassle of buying new batteries when your remote powers down, replacing disposable batteries that only end up as landfill with solar power is also a major plus for the environment.
Amazon are now believed to be integrating this tech into a new FireTV remote control.