Galaxy S6 and S7 phones have a neat feature called Peel Smart Remote. Many people never bother to open the app – but it’s one of the most useful apps on the phone.
Peel Smart Remote lets you use the infrared pinger on the top of your phone to send signals to your TV. You can turn on your TV, change channels, and change input – all from your phone without ever touching your remote.
That becomes even more useful when you’re somewhere like a gym and need to change the channel on a common TV. At the very least you can use it to troll your coworkers by changing their TV screens without the remote.
Ready to start using this helpful app? Here are some tips to get started.
How to Get Started
The Peel Smart Remote setup process is surprisingly easy and straightforward. You open the app, select your TV model, and immediately press a button to turn your TV on or off.
Then, you’ll continue setting it up by adding your satellite provider (the app looks at your geographic location or you can enter your zip code).
Once you’ve done that, the app knows which programs are on which channels. You can browse through the best movies on TV or let the app recommend shows for you. You can tap on any show to change the channel to that show. At the basic level, you can change the volume, channel, input, and other info.
Find the Best Shows On Now or Later
The front page of the Peel app displays the Top Picks for TV shows or movies that are currently on your television. You can view picks for right now or tap the top of the app to choose a later date or time.
If you want to see which good movies are on TV at 7pm tonight, for example, then you can do that with a couple taps.
Scroll through a selection of shows to find one that you like. The interface is similar to Netflix and displays thumbnails for shows you might like.
Tap any thumbnail to immediately switch to that channel.
Personalize your Recommendations
If you’re big into privacy, then you won’t like this next step. However, Peel can recommend shows you might like based on your age and interests. Peel will ask your gender, your age, and other demographic information to build recommendations based on what it thinks you might like.
Use it To Control your Entire House
Most people use Peel Smart Remote to control their televisions. However, a growing number of people are using it to control their entire homes.
Last year, Peel introduced something called Intelligent Home Control that lets you adjust smart appliances – including thermostats, lights, plugs, and air conditioners.
Access it From your Lock Screen
After you setup Peel for the first time, the app will add a convenient icon to your lockscreen. You can tap that icon at any time to open up a minimalistic remote control interface. Without unlocking your phone, you can perform basic functions like changing channels, volume, or input.
You can also add or remove this button using the Peel settings menu.
Don’t Have Cable? No Problem
Peel works best when you pay for a cable plan. However, it’s certainly still useful for those who don’t have cable. You can setup the app to work with any TV so you can adjust input and volume, for example, which is useful if you find yourself constantly switching between your Xbox, PlayStation, Chromecast, and whatever.
Install Another Remote Control App
Peel is just one of many remote control apps on the market. You can find dozens of others on the Play Store that offer similar functionality without the Netflix-like interface. These apps can be used to change channels and volume buttons just like your normal remote – which can be useful if you don’t have a cable plan but still use your TV for different games or cable boxes.
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