OpenTV-Remote

Your phone.
Your remote.

A free, open-source remote for your TV. Find your TV, connect, and make the controls your own. No subscription, ads or account required.

Development build · v0.9.1 · 2026-10-27

Android phone

Android 9+ · 16.8 MiB

Install on your phone and connect to your TV. This is a development build.

Download Android APK
Verify file · SHA-256dbade14ec184eac6f485d67f57c66525f6fea5982b465cccf361c36348e8b808 Download checksum

Big controls, familiar buttons, and a look you can make your own. Swipe through the remotes on your phone, or open any image at full size.

Android remote with lime accents, number keys, D-pad and playback controls
A complete remoteAndroid · Numbers, navigation and playback.
Android full remote with a blue accent and channel and volume controls on opposite sides
Make it yoursChange colors and arrange your controls.
iPhone remote with app shortcuts, D-pad, distinct volume and channel rockers, and playback
At home on iPhoneNative controls with the same familiar layout.

Actual development-app captures using local test devices. Example layouts and available controls vary by TV and connection.

Connect in a few steps

  1. Install on your Android phone

    Download the APK and open it. If Android asks, allow your browser to install this app.

  2. Find your TV

    Keep your phone and TV on the same local network, open OpenTV-Remote, and choose the discovered TV. If discovery cannot find it, use Connect by IP with the TV’s local address.

  3. Approve the connection

    Follow the pairing or approval instructions for your TV. Available controls adapt to the connection’s capabilities.

Change the interface language in OpenTV-Remote through the remote menu → Language, or the globe button on the Devices screen. Choose System, English or Русский.

Install on your iPhone

The iPhone app is available as source. You need a Mac with Xcode, an iPhone running iOS 17 or later, and your Apple Account. There is no App Store, TestFlight or signed IPA download yet. The Android APK cannot install on an iPhone.

Download project source for Xcode

Open the step-by-step iPhone guide
  1. Get the project on your Mac

    Download and unzip the source, or clone the GitHub repository. Install Xcode from the Mac App Store, open it once, and finish its component installation.

  2. Connect and trust your iPhone

    Connect it to your Mac with a USB cable, unlock it, and tap Trust if “Trust This Computer?” appears. Keep the phone unlocked during the initial setup.

  3. Open the iOS project

    Open ios/OpenTVRemote.xcodeproj in Xcode. Choose the OpenTVRemote scheme and your connected iPhone as the run destination. The project and scheme are named OpenTVRemote; the installed app is named OpenTV-Remote.

  4. Select your own signing team

    In Xcode Settings → Accounts, sign in with your Apple Account. Select the OpenTVRemote target → Signing & Capabilities, enable Automatically manage signing, and select your own team. A free account appears as a Personal Team. Your Apple password and signing keys do not belong in this repository or on this website.

  5. Enable Developer Mode

    After Xcode pairs the phone, open iPhone Settings → Privacy & Security → Developer Mode. Turn it on, restart when prompted, then unlock and confirm. If the option is missing, open Xcode’s Device Hub (or Devices and Simulators on older Xcode versions), select the connected phone, and complete pairing first.

  6. Build and run

    Select your iPhone in Xcode and press Run ▶. Let Xcode finish installing. If the phone asks you to trust your developer identity, follow the prompt; see troubleshooting below. You can then open OpenTV-Remote from its Home Screen icon.

  7. Connect to your TV

    Put the iPhone and TV on the same local network. Allow Local Network access, select a discovered TV, and follow its pairing/approval prompt. If discovery misses your TV, try Connect by IP. Choose English or Russian from the remote menu → Language.

Installation troubleshooting

“Untrusted Developer” or “Developer App”

Open iPhone Settings → General → VPN & Device Management. If your own Apple Account appears under Developer App, select it and follow the trust/verify prompt. Then reopen the app. If that entry is absent, return to Xcode and read its device/signing message. Use your own development identity; no third-party enterprise profile is required. Apple’s Personal Team setup example.

Developer Mode is missing

The switch appears after development pairing is initiated. Unlock the phone, trust the Mac, and select it in Xcode’s Device Hub. Then check Privacy & Security again. Apple’s Developer Mode guide.

Xcode says the bundle identifier is unavailable

For a new personal copy, choose a unique Bundle Identifier in Signing & Capabilities, such as one under your own name. Changing an existing installation’s identifier creates a separate app; its old pairing/layout data will not move automatically. Keep an existing identifier/team when renewing a working installation.

The app stopped opening after a week

A free development profile may have expired. Reconnect the phone, open the same Xcode project with the same team/identifier, and Run again. Do not delete the app as the first step.

No TV appears, or the network permission was denied

Make sure both devices are on the same local network. Enable Local Network access for OpenTV-Remote in iPhone Settings and retry. Android TV discovery and manual IP are available; automatic Samsung/LG SSDP discovery on physical iPhones needs Apple’s restricted multicast entitlement, so use Connect by IP when necessary. No TV Companion app or casting setup is required.