This Universal Remote Is So Much Better Than the One That Came With My Apple TV

From Best Products

Problem: The Apple TV remote is a pain to use.

Solution: The One For All Streamer Remote controls everything I use to watch TV and it offers a better overall experience than the Apple TV remote.

The Apple TV remote has been described as a “nightmare,” “one of the worst designed items ever created,” and “so obviously wrong that it’s insulting.” More than 4,500 9to5Mac readers have called for its redesign, and people hate it so much they have spent upwards of $300 on eBay to buy an alternative remote that’s only sold in Switzerland.

Why so much disdain? It's too small, easy to lose, and is uncomfortable to hold. Because of the remote’s symmetrical design, you’ll frequently handle it upside down without even realizing and accidentally push the wrong buttons, causing you to commonly interrupt your show.

I’m not the biggest fan of the Apple TV remote either and was relieved to find an affordable alternative. It’s called the One For All Streamer Remote. It’s much thicker and feels nicer in my hands. Unlike the Apple TV Remote, this one has clicky rubber buttons that are completely backlit, which makes it easier to use in a dimly lit room.

This plastic remote is about an inch taller than Apple’s remote and it runs on four AAA batteries. What I love most about it is that it pairs to multiple devices — meaning I no longer have to juggle several remotes to control everything. I can use it to power on my LG TV, adjust the volume of my Sonos Soundbar, control playback on my Apple TV, and turn everything off when I’m done watching.

The remote is packed with all the buttons you need, without feeling too cluttered. My favorite feature is the mute button, which is lacking on Apple’s remote for some reason. There's a button for easily switching HDMI inputs, and it even has rewind and fast-forward buttons, so you’ll never accidentally zip backwards 20 minutes in a show because your thumb slid across your remote’s trackpad.

Rather than relying on a slippery trackpad, this one uses a standard directional pad and has a centrally-located OK button for selecting things on your screen.

Unfortunately, it lacks a microphone, so you’re not able to use voice search or ask Siri to play your favorite shows or films. The only time I miss this functionality is when I have to log in to my streaming apps. With the One For All remote, I have to individually select letters one by one rather than just dictating them with my voice.

The remote has four buttons at its bottom that you can program to easily access your favorite apps. I use mine to quickly open Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, and Netflix.

Even if you’re not an Apple TV user, the remote works with Roku's streaming boxes and the Xbox One. It’s worth mentioning that it is not compatible with Amazon Fire TV or Roku streaming sticks, but you can check out a full list of compatible products.

I’d say it took me around 10 minutes to get everything paired and ready to go. The time I spent getting it set up was well worth it — and now that I’ve ditched my Apple TV remote, I couldn’t be happier.

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