TVGO App Review: What It Does, Which TVs It Supports and Its Limits

Step 1: TVGO scanning for TVs on Wi-FiTVGO remote screen ready to control the TVTVGO casting a photo to the TV

An honest look at TVGO, the universal TV remote app for iPhone and Android: what it does, which TVs it works with, how it connects, and where it falls short.

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TL;DR

TVGO is a free iPhone and Android app that turns your phone into a Wi-Fi remote for 50+ TV brands, adds a live TV guide with reminders, and controls several TVs from one app. Its main limits are needing stable Wi-Fi and a one-time on-screen approval on Samsung and LG TVs.

TVGO is a universal TV remote app for iPhone and Android. It turns your phone into a full remote for your smart TV over your home Wi-Fi, with no infrared blaster, Bluetooth pairing or hardware dongle involved. This review covers what the app does, which TVs it works with, how it connects, who it suits, and the limitations worth knowing before you download it. TVGO is made by CarpeDiem Creations, the studio behind this blog, so we have kept the limitations section as plain as the rest.

A plastic TV remote crossed out in red, with an arrow pointing to the TVGO remote on a phone, captioned No batteries needed, your phone is the remote

What TVGO Does

At its core, TVGO replaces your physical remote. You get power, volume, channels, a D-pad for menus, playback controls and input switching, all on your phone screen. On top of the buttons, it adds things a plastic remote cannot do:

  • Typing and voice search. Use your phone's keyboard, or say what you want to watch, and TVGO types it into the app open on your TV.
  • One-tap app launch. Open Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Prime Video and other streaming apps on the TV directly.
  • A live TV guide. See what is airing now and what is coming up, save titles, and get reminded before they air.
  • Multiple TVs. Add every TV in the house and switch between them with a tap.
  • Family Sharing. Everyone at home can control the TV from their own phone.
  • Siri and Shortcuts. On iPhone, TVGO works with Siri, Shortcuts, Spotlight and the Action Button.

Which TVs Does TVGO Support?

TVGO works with 50+ TV brands. The most common ones are:

  • Samsung
  • LG
  • Sony
  • TCL
  • Hisense
  • Roku
  • Vizio
  • Amazon Fire TV
  • Philips
  • Sharp
  • Panasonic
  • Android TV and Google TV devices

If your brand is not listed, it may still work: run the scan in the app with the TV switched on and connected to Wi-Fi. If the TV never appears after you have checked the network, that particular model may not be supported yet.

How TVGO Connects to Your TV

TVGO talks to your TV over your home network. Once your phone and TV are on the same Wi-Fi, the app finds the TV in a scan and pairs with it after a short confirmation on the TV screen, either a code or an approval prompt depending on the brand. Pairing is one-time per TV; after that, opening the app is enough.

Because it uses Wi-Fi rather than infrared, TVGO works on any recent iPhone or Android phone, does not need you to point the phone at the TV, and keeps working from another room. It also means TVGO can control streaming boxes that have no infrared receiver. For the full walkthrough, see how to use your phone as a TV remote.

Who TVGO Is For

TVGO is a good fit if you:

  • have lost or broken your TV remote, or keep running out of batteries
  • want to control the TV without getting up or hunting for the remote
  • have several TVs and want one app for all of them
  • type a lot of searches into streaming apps and hate the on-screen keyboard
  • want to know what is on tonight and get reminded before a premiere

It is less useful if your TV has no network connection at all, since TVGO has no way to reach it.

Limitations Worth Knowing

It needs stable Wi-Fi. Like every Wi-Fi remote, TVGO depends on your network. A weak signal can cause the app to drop the connection; reconnecting is one tap, but a very patchy network will be frustrating.

VPNs and mismatched networks block it. A VPN on your phone makes it look like it is on a different network, so TVGO cannot find the TV. On some routers, devices on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands also cannot see each other. Our connection troubleshooting guide covers both.

Samsung and LG need a one-time approval. These TVs ask you to accept new remote apps on screen, which is awkward if the original remote is already lost. A USB mouse or keyboard plugged into the TV gets you past it, and LG also offers a PIN option. This is how Samsung's and LG's TV software works, and it affects every third-party remote app.

The Bottom Line

TVGO does the job a remote app should do, controlling a wide range of TVs over Wi-Fi from either phone platform, and adds a live guide, reminders and multi-TV control that set it apart from button-only remote apps. It is free to download. If your TV is on your home network, it is worth the five minutes it takes to set up.

FAQ

Is TVGO safe to connect to my TV?

Yes. Each new connection has to be confirmed on the TV itself, with a code or an on-screen prompt, so only someone in the room with the TV can pair a phone with it.

Can more than one person in my home use TVGO?

Yes. TVGO supports Family Sharing, so everyone in the household can control the TVs from their own phone.

Does TVGO work without the original TV remote?

Yes, once it is paired. On Samsung and LG TVs the first pairing needs an on-screen approval, which you can give with a USB mouse or keyboard, or on LG with the PIN option.

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