Google TV’s remote feature makes its way to the Google Home app

We know Google has been working on adding a virtual Android TV remote in the Google Home app for a while now. The company last month confirmed that it was going to add the remote in the Home app soon, and as promised, the feature is finally here.

The Google TV app already has a built-in remote for Android TV/Google TV and now Google is bringing the same functionality to the Google Home app. As spotted by 9to5Google, Google Home app version 2.46 has started rolling out on the Google Play Store, and it adds a virtual remote for controlling your Android TV devices. Considering how Google Home is a central hub to manage all your smart and connected devices, it’s only natural that it can now control your Android TV devices as well.

To set up the remote, open up the Google Home app, visit the device page and select the Open remote option in the bottom-left corner. You’ll need to enter a pairing code that will appear on your Android TV.

The remote has a large touchpad. There’s a power button in the top left corner, while the back, home, and Google Assistant buttons are located in the bottom row. However, Google Home’s Android TV remote lacks several features compared to the one found in the Google TV app. For example, the remote lacks volume and mute controls. Similarly, the option to switch from a touchpad to a D-Pad is also missing at the time being. We hope Google will add these features in a future update.

The built-in remote feature is rolling out with the Google Home app version 2.46. To try it out, update your Google Home app from the Google Play Store or sideload the APK from APKMirror.

The Google Home app has gained a lot of new tricks over the past few months, including a built-in speed test for Nest Wi-Fi router, the ability to turn off Duo and call alerts when you’re not at home, and so on.

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