The Phone remote lets guests control a BetterSTR TV from their own phone. The TV shows a small QR code; the guest scans it with their phone camera and gets a remote control in their browser with a d-pad, OK, Back, Home, volume, play/pause and shortcuts to Netflix, Live TV, the guidebook and the TV’s HDMI inputs. Nothing to install, and no app store.
How it works
- The guest scans the QR code on the TV.
- A page opens showing the property’s Wi-Fi details. The phone must be on the same Wi-Fi as the TV, so the guest joins it if they haven’t already.
- They tap Open remote (on Android phones the page finds the TV and opens the remote by itself) and the remote appears.
The phone talks to the TV directly over the property Wi-Fi. Nothing is routed through the internet, and the remote only works while the phone is on that network. Each stay gets its own link, so a previous guest’s phone can’t control the TV after checkout.
Turning it on
- Go to Android TV in your BetterSTR dashboard and open Edit on the TV.
- In the Display card, switch on Phone remote.
- Choose where the QR code shows:
- Home screen – a small card on the right of the welcome screen.
- Wi-Fi screen – next to the Wi-Fi QR code, so guests see it when they connect.
- Save. The TV picks the change up on its next check-in (usually within a few minutes).
It is set per TV, so you can enable it on the lounge TV only, or on every TV at the property.
What guests can do from the phone
- Navigate with the arrows and OK, plus Back and Home.
- Volume up, down and mute, with a level bar.
- Playback: rewind, play/pause and fast-forward.
- Shortcuts: Netflix, Live TV (when you have channels set up), the guidebook, and each HDMI input you’ve allowed.
- Type on the TV: when a text box is selected on the TV (a sign-in form, a search), a keyboard bar appears on the phone so the guest can type with their own keyboard instead of pecking at an on-screen one.
Apps that don’t use a normal remote
A few apps built for phones and tablets (for example the mobile version of Netflix, which some boxes need) ignore arrow keys. In those apps the phone remote switches to a selection box: a red frame on the TV jumps between the items on screen with the arrows, and OK selects the framed item. It happens automatically; there is also a selection-box button on the remote to force it on or off in any app.
Full arrow-key control inside third-party apps needs Android 13 or newer on the TV. On older TVs the arrows work inside the BetterSTR screens, and Home always brings the guest back.
Wi-Fi details and the captive Wi-Fi QR
The page the guest lands on shows your Wi-Fi name and password so they can join the network. If you use the captive Wi-Fi QR code, the password stays hidden there too and the guest is sent to your Wi-Fi form instead.
Seeing who uses it
With Guest activity switched on for the TV, each time a guest opens the phone remote it shows up in the TV’s activity feed and in your Stats as Phone remote, alongside app opens and Live TV.