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Check if the remote control batteries are dead using your smartphone

Remote Control Batteries Dead
You can use your smartphone to check the functionality of the remote control. Photo: Getty Images
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June 29, 2021, 9:39 am | Read time: 2 minutes

The TV isn’t responding, and the old remote might be to blame? With this tech hack, you can check if it’s still working–and it’s easy to do with your smartphone.

You press and press, but nothing happens on the TV. Most people have experienced this at some point. But what’s the cause? Is it the TV, or are the remote’s batteries dead, or is the remote broken? You can find out with the remote control trick. For this tech hack, all you need is a smartphone and the remote. The video shows how the trick works!

Remote Batteries Dead? The Trick in the Video

Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s how the trick works in detail. In just three steps, you can find out if your remote is broken or if the batteries are dead. You only need your smartphone and the remote.

  1. Open the camera app
  2. Hold the lens up to the infrared interface of the remote (usually on the front).
  3. When you press a button on the remote, the infrared light should be clearly visible. If not, your remote is most likely broken or the battery is dead.
  4. Then, you just need to check if it’s the batteries or if the remote is broken. Replace the batteries and repeat the test.

Also interesting: Easily use your smartphone as a remote for the TV

Important: This trick only works with smartphone cameras that don’t have an infrared filter. Generally, it works best with the front camera.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of TECHBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@techbook.de.

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