Google I/O 2021: Android 12 will let you control your TV using your phone

This feature will be available for more than 80 million Android TV OS devices including Google TV later this year.

Android TV (Google)

Google, as of now lets you control your smart TV using Google Assistant. Now, it is going a step further by letting users control their TVs using their Android smartphones.

At its annual developers' conference, I/O 2021, Google announced that with Android 12, users will be able to use their Android smartphones for controlling their smart TVs. “We're making it easier to navigate your TV by building remote-control features directly into your Android phone, so you can watch your favorite show even if your actual remote is missing,” Google wrote in a blog post.

The company said that it is going further than the confines of a traditional remote. When released, this feature will not only enable users to control various functions of their TV using their phones but also type in movie titles and passwords using their phone's keyboard -- a feature that remains missing even in the remotes even today.

The built-in remote control on Android phones for work will be available for more than 80 million Android TV OS devices including Google TV later this year.

In addition to this, Google announced that soon, Phone Hub will provide access to recently taken photos from users' phones. “...so when you need to edit a picture or share on social media, you can access it instantly on your Chromebook without having to email it to yourself,” the company added.