Code Google TV app for Android points to the arrival of remote control function

The code of the new version of the Google TV app for Android indicates that users can connect their phone to their TV and use the app as a remote control. That function is not yet available.

Screenshots of the feature. Source: XDA

Users can pair the phone and the TV by copying a code that can be seen on the screen of a TV with Google TV or Android TV, reports XDA-Developers. The TV knows to display a code because the app shows nearby TVs and then sends a signal when the user selects a TV.

The site has gotten the feature up and running, despite it’s not yet live in the current version of the app. The interface of the remote control is still minimal and only shows a large d-pad and some buttons. It seems that the search giant wants to make it possible to control the TV from the app. It is unknown if and when the feature will be available in the Google TV app.

Google isn’t the first or the only one to make it possible to control a TV from a smartphone app. Market leader Samsung has the SmartThings app, which can be used to operate TVs from the brand in recent years.