I’m forever losing my Firestick Remote, it’s a pain because I really don’t like using my phone to control my TV and if I’m honest, for my Dumb TV I’d like to be able to turn it on and off + Control my Firestick without hassle.
When you’re like myself and have an Nvidia Shield, Firestick, Plex Server and more, you’re going to need a decent universal controller.
Universal remotes have existed for a long time, not really any which I’d seen which advertise to Smart Home enthusiasts who have multi-platform home cinemas.
The main device after researching which appeared to be geared towards an all-in-one scenario was the Harmony remote by Logitech.
This remote is pretty robust as you can control almost everything Smart Home related to it, it even has Alexa integration.
So, the Harmony remote is the one to go for? It controls your lights, Thermostat, Ceiling fan, Speakers, TV, Streaming services. What more could you want?
However, it is expensive. And there are plenty of other remotes out there that may meet your needs.
If you’re looking for a quick breakdown, these are the universal remotes that work with the Amazon Firestick we mention in this article:
Logitech Harmony Smart Control
It really is the Ultimate Smart Home Remote. If you think convenience is worth $120 to $250, definitely get this as your primary remote.
There are multiple models for the Logitech Harmony remote, however, they’re all very good.
Some have more compatibilty options, for example, the model 915-000194 works with the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod and Android Devices.
This remote is pretty much the go-to suggestion on forums and on reddit, for good reason.
It’s sleek and easy to use, the hub makes it a perfect place to put the remote back into for those of us who put the remote down and lose it too easily.
The Logitech Harmony Remote is perfect for those of us who love to control everything from one hub.
I hate having multiple phone apps for additional devices, but this TV remote is compatible with over 225,000 devices.
You can control your TV, DVD/BluRay player, Lights, Ceiling Fan, Amazon Firestick and more with it. In theory, it can be used as a Bluetooth device on your computer if you use that as a multimedia device as well.
There are multiple technologies built into it, this allows you to incorporate it across your entire home through the use of Infrared, WiFi and Bluetooth.
This device is somewhat pricey to its counterparts, but for good reason.
- Sonos
- Apple TV
- IFTTT
- SmartThings
- Sky
- Amazon Alexa
- Amazon FireTV
- Roku
- Philips Hue
- And more!
SofaBaton F2 Universal Remote Link
This remote simply just works, but not enough to keep it. It was one of those purchases I palmed off to a family member because it’s cool, but simply not enough for my place.
While this remote is near enough ‘plug and play’, the cheap plastic and flimsy design can put you off and it really does feel like this design should have been the standard Alexa remote to begin with.
Currently sitting at 4.1/5 on Amazon Reviews, it really does reflect the same thought process as ourselves.
If you can’t afford a more expensive remote but having a volume control on one remote is important to you, pick this up.
A common complaint is the tabs internally breaking which hold the remote, so you may end up needing to tape the remote in.
WeChip Mini Air Fly Mouse Remote
This remote is really a throwback to the Blackberry era when everyone had full QWERTY keyboards on their phones.
While I wasn’t a big fan of this, I am pleasantly surprised by how well it works on a TV remote.
On the back you have the keyboard and on the front it has the standard TV remote designs.
You will need to use an OTG Cable, this plugs directly into your Amazon FireStick and allows you to connect in with the bluetooth reciever from this remote.
The Air Mouse feature is surprisingly good as well, I can only imagine they took this technology from Nintendo with the Wii/Switch joycons, because it’s absolutely fantastic.
It has Volume & Power buttons, it works in your PC, on a standard Android box as well as your FireStick.
Set up takes around 5-10 minutes and it’s perfectly normal to look at, no weird style to it!
Sideclick Univeral Remote For Firestick
It should come as no surprise that this extension isn’t highly rated. The SofaBaton F2 offers a lot more in terms of selection, programmability and an easier to control layout.
This side remote is great at adding the much-needed buttons to an Amazon Firestick but that’s all it is.
I would highly suggest picking up the other remotes in this post.
There is one positive to this remote those, while it is universal it allows you to connect other remotes to it. For example, the Roku, Apple TV, Nvidia Shield, Google Nexus and Xiamoi MiBox all work with the Sideclick.
One For All Streamer Remote
This was a secret find, I haven’t seen many other places mention this remote.
It’s sleek, small, works fantastic and is another cheaper price point.
This device only works up to 3 services, for example, Apple TV, Roku and your Fire Stick.
The remote has some sleek backlighting on the buttons, not only this, but you can choose the backlight colours.
Universal Remote Smart Phone App
While Amazon does have their own Smart Phone App for controlling your Amazon Fire Stick, it doesn’t offer the same functionality as a universal remote.
Luckily, there is a multitude of apps that work for this exact requirement, the most common one on the market is CetusPlay Which is available on both iPhone and Android. Sorry Windows Phone users.
SURE Universal Smart TV Remote
Another alternative on the market is the SURE universal Smart TV remote app, while I don’t personally use this, a lot of people do rate it highly.
So it’s definitely one the keep an eye on as you can use it to control everything in your home.
How do I set up CetusPlay with the Amazon FireTV / Amazon Firestick?
You will need to prepare your Amazon Fire TV / Stick beforehand by turning on ADB. Follow these steps:
- Go to Settings on your Amazon Fire Stick / TV
- Select Settings
- Go to Developer Options
- Enable ADB Debugging, USB Debugging and Allow Apps from Unknown sources
- Now load up your CetusPlay App on your phone
- Select your streaming platform from the top left (Your phone and device should be on the same internet network)
- Select the model and this should then work
Where can I get the CetusPlay APK?
You will need to download this directly from their website here.
What devices are compatible with the CetusPlay App?
AKASO Box
Amazon Fire TV/Fire TV Stick
Andoer Box
Beelink Box
Blvk Box
Bros Unite M8S TV Box
COOLEAD M8S TV Box
DigiXstream Box
DigiXstream DX4
Docooler Box
DOLAMEE Box
Febite M8S TV Box
GeekBox
Globalsat GS500
Globmall Box
Google Nexus Player
Greatever Box
HiMedia Android TV box Q10 PRO/Q5 PRO/H8
Idroidnation Box
Inphic Box
Jetstream Box
JoinWe Box
KAT-TV “Elite”
Kii Pro DVB
Kudo TV KD1 Plus Android TV Box S812
LeEco Android TV
LeelBox
Mansy Box
Mansy Genuine KODI(XBMC) MX Pro
Matricom G-Box
MELE PCG03/PCG01
MEMOBOX
Mifanstech MXQ
MINIX NEO X7/X6/X8/Z64
Monba Box
Monba M8S Set Top TV Box
MX III TV Box
MXQ/MXQ PRO
New NEXBOX
NewBox
NEXBOX
Nvidia Shield TV
PHILIPS Smart TV Box HMP8100
PigflyTech Android TV Box
Pigflytech MX3+ plus
PROBOX2
RIKOMAGIC MK902 II
RQN Android TV Box MXQ
SHARP Android TV
SkyStream ONE Box
SkyStreamX Streaming Media Player
SONY Android TV
Telmu MXIII-G
The Dragon Box
Tictid Box
Tonbux SK-002
Transpeed Box
Tronsmart
Tronsmart Vega Box
UBox Gen.2
VENSMILE MXV Plus
VONTAR Box
Vontar Box
WELLWIN Nettech Box
XiaoMi Mi Box
YFeel Box
Zenoplige MXQ
ZIDOO X5/X9S/X6 PRO/X1/X9/X1
