Last week’s Google I/O is here and gone and one of the biggest take away is the fact that we’ll be getting the next Android 12 OS b fall at least if everything go well considering the fact that consumers can in fact update to the current public beta.

And with the new update comes a number of update most of which have to do with the user interface of the operating system as well as some interesting features to spice thing up to the max.

Considering the popularity of the Android OS which according to reports is about 72% globally, there is need for Apple to continuously improve the design aesthetics of the operating system in every ways possible.

Numerous privacy and security settings and a redesigned notification center are just some of the many new arrivals and improvements made on the new Android 12 OS.

But one other thing which we’ve not been able to talk about is the fact that Google is also going to let you control your Android TV using your Android smartphone.

Is it fair to just assume that Google too is trying to lock its users away in its ecosystem bubble like Apple? Maybe or maybe not but this is a great move from the company considering how powerful smartphones have become lately, being able to utilize your smartphone as a remote control will save the stress of hauling multiple remotes everywhere and that’s in fact more advantageous.

Based on records, there are over 80 million Android TV OS devices out there worldwide even though that number is just a tiny fragment compared to how many smartphones run Android OS, the integration is a good move by the search giant.

How to get the new Android TV remote feature?

The new feature will be released for smartphones running the current Android 11 OS and up and the feature was also revealed with the public beta of the Android 12 update.

Upon the announcement made by Google, the Android TV remote will function similarly like the Apple TV remote mobile application on the iPhone and iPad.

Based on the UI design, there will be a blank top space which will be used as gesture pad – this is where you can swipe and tap whatever you want on the Android TV.

Move between apps, select a show or go back to the home screen with the onscreen controls. It looks like buttons to control volume and power are also included in the app. 

Another sweet thing you’ll be getting with this inclusion is the fact that you are able to type with your smartphone’s keyboard which is obviously more comfortable and better than ever.

Android phones compatibility? 

Just because Android 12 is coming to most devices doesn’t mean your device will be able to run the Android TV remote feature coming with it.

But one thing for sure is that most Google Pixel smartphones from Pixel 3 upward should be able to run this smoothly. The same can be said about premium devices like the Galaxy S series or the Xiaomi Mi series and the OnePlus line.

• Devices running Android 11 and above will have the app built in once it’s launched. 
• Almost all Android TV OS devices will have support for the remote tool built in. 

But basically, if your smartphone runs the TV remote app and you have an Android TV OS running on your smart TV, then you’re fine.

There is also the need to install a system service called “aTVRemoteService” on your Android TV OS for things to run smoothly.

Some older Android TV OS devices (it’s unclear which) won’t have access to the required service. We’ll have to wait until the feature launches for more information, but from my understanding, nearly all Android TV OS devices will work with this feature.