The Google Home app’s new TV remote adds volume and play controls

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An update to the Google Home app finally allows your phone to easily control more features on compatible TVs.

The updated Google Home app can now be used as a digital remote for Works with Google partner TVs and other compatible streaming devices.

 Image: Google

The Google Home app for Android and iOS has been updated with an improved mobile-based remote for compatible smart TVs and “connected streaming or media devices.” In a tweet announcing the update last week, Google said that Home App users can now “easily control playback, switch inputs, adjust the volume, and more.”

The new remote feature isn’t for controlling Chromecast devices or Android TVs — both of which are already supported by the Google Home app. Instead, it links up to Works with Google-compatible devices, which includes connected TV platforms like Roku, Samsung, or LG.

To connect a compatible TV or streaming device, head into the Google Home app and select “Works with Google.” From there, you can find the relevant device maker and complete the setup by following the in-app instructions. The updated Google Home app can then be used to turn a compatible TV on and off, change channels, play or pause media, skip forward or back, adjust or mute volume, and toggle source inputs.

The feature was first spotted at the end of last year by some members of the Home Preview Program (as noticed by 9to5Google), where they reported seeing full touch controls for non-Chromecast TVs and smart speakers, similar to those already offered on Google Nest Hub devices. Google confirmed to The Verge that this update has been slowly rolling out over the last few weeks and should now be available on all devices.