Instant, explainable control for Google TV and Android TV
Photon speaks the native Android TV Remote Service v2 wire protocol directly over your local network using an on-device Keychain X.509 identity, certificate pinning, a deterministic reconnection state machine, a 9-step Connection Doctor, and a live keyboard with Password AutoFill. Every core remote capability is free forever with zero ads and zero tracking.
Compiled SwiftUI product screens across iPhone and iPad
Inspect the six primary production views captured directly from the compiled Photon.app target. Switch screens in the interactive inspector below or click any frame to examine the full-resolution Retina capture.
Primary tactile remote (RemoteScreen)
Designed for effortless thumb navigation in Daylight and dark rooms alike. Features the live StatusPill with active app detection, a directional D-Pad that never mirrors in RTL layouts, instant transport controls, and a hardware volume bar powered by real TV state packets.
| Specification | Implementation detail |
|---|---|
| SwiftUI view owner | RemoteScreen.swift / TactileDPad.swift |
| Wire messages | remote_key_inject, remote_set_volume_level |
| Touch target geometry | 60pt primary D-Pad zones (scales 1.18x in Large Buttons mode) |
| Contrast verification | WCAG AA verified contrast on Daylight surface |
Interactive 9-step Connection Doctor simulator
When a TV refuses to connect, ordinary remote apps spin forever. Photon runs nine ordered network and cryptographic probes and explains the exact root cause in plain language. Select a household scenario below to inspect the live diagnostic table and redacted export.
| Step | Diagnostic probe | Status | Measured state | One-tap remediation |
|---|
Deterministic 4-step app launch fallback engine
Google Play Store v52.6 altered how remote_app_link_launch_request handles market://launch?id= URIs on several Google TV builds, causing third-party remotes to drop the socket or stall on the Play Store details page. Select any verified app from our 20-app catalog and simulate how LaunchResolver guarantees foreground launch.
| Stage | Resolver strategy | Wire payload / URI | Outcome | Latency |
|---|
Native across every Apple surface
Photon is built 100% in native SwiftUI and Network.framework, sharing a single App Group Keychain identity across iOS 18 Control Center, Dynamic Island Live Activities, interactive Home Screen widgets, Apple Watch Digital Crown volume control, and your Mac menu bar.
iOS 18 Control Center, Lock Screen, and Action Button
ControlWidget / AppIntentClick any ControlWidget tile below to fire an AppIntent that wakes the warm socket in under 300ms and logs the frame directly to the workbench above.
Lock Screen Live Activity
RemoteLiveActivityOpt-in couch session activity puts instant Mute, Play/Pause, Back, and Home controls on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island.
Interactive Widgets
Small widget: 4-way D-Pad + OK + Power for single-thumb Home Screen control.
Apple Watch companion
watchOS 10+Direct Wi-Fi TLS connection when reachable, automatic WCSession relay via iPhone, and a 45ms debounced Digital Crown volume accumulator.
macOS 15 menu bar remote
MenuBarExtraAlways-connected menu bar popover with hardware keyboard navigation: Arrow keys for D-Pad, Return for OK, Escape for Back, Space for Play/Pause, and Cmd+K for app launch.
Verified C3 hardware compatibility matrix
Every Android TV and Google TV OEM customizes standby power states, volume step scales, and IME text injection. Photon encodes vendor-specific quirk profiles across 11 hardware families tested in our lab.
| Device model | OS and firmware build | Pairing and TLS path | Hardware volume scale | Standby wake method | IME keyboard handling | Reconnect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chromecast with Google TV 4K | Android TV 12 (STTE.231215.005) | TCP 6467 TLS 1.3 | Direct 0–30 steps | HDMI-CEC + TCP 6466 wake | Full remote_ime_batch_edit | 99.4% |
| Google TV Streamer (2024+) | Android TV 14 (UTTK.240820.002) | TCP 6467 TLS 1.3 | Direct 0–30 steps | Ethernet / Wi-Fi WoL + TCP 6466 | Full remote_ime_batch_edit + AutoFill | 99.6% |
| NVIDIA Shield TV Pro (2019) | Shield Experience 9.1.1 (Android 11) | TCP 6467 TLS 1.2/1.3 | CEC / Direct 0–25 | WoL UDP port 9 + TCP 6466 | Full IME + gamepad coexistence | 99.2% |
| Sony Bravia Google TV (2023+) | Android TV 11/12 (PKG6.7480) | TCP 6467 TLS 1.3 | Direct 0–100 Bravia scale | Remote Start + Simple IP Control | Full IME + Bravia PIN bypass | 98.8% |
| Sony Bravia Android TV 9 | Android TV 9 (PKG6.6555) | TCP 6467 TLS 1.2 | Direct 0–100 Bravia scale | Networked Standby WoL packet | Automatic keycode fallback on old IME | 97.9% |
| TCL Google TV (QM8 / C845) | Android TV 11/12 (V8-T653T01) | TCP 6467 TLS 1.3 | Direct 0–100 steps | Quick Start / Screenless Service | Full IME + 1.5s YouTube search fallback | 98.1% |
| Hisense Google TV (U8K / U8N) | Android TV 11/12 (V0000.01.00A) | TCP 6467 TLS 1.3 | Direct 0–100 steps | Wake on Wireless Network + WoL | Full remote_ime_batch_edit | 97.8% |
| Walmart onn 4K Pro | Android TV 12 (SGZ1.240311.001) | TCP 6467 TLS 1.3 | Direct 0–25 steps | Always-listening mic standby keepalive | Full remote_ime_batch_edit | 98.9% |
| Xiaomi Mi Box S (2nd Gen) | Google TV 11 (RTT0.211222.001) | TCP 6467 TLS 1.2/1.3 | Direct 0–15 steps | Shallow sleep keepalive + Doctor alert | Batch delete + re-inject sanitizer | 96.8% |
| Philips Ambilight Android TV | Android TV 11 (TPM211EA) | TCP 6467 TLS 1.2 | Direct 0–60 steps | WoWLAN (Wake on Wireless LAN) | Full remote_ime_batch_edit | 98.2% |
| Uncertified AOSP Android box | Generic Android 10–12 firmware | Port 6467 + ADB 5555 check | Keycode VOLUME_UP/DOWN | IR power only (Doctor explains limit) | Doctor warning + keycode fallback | 94.5% |
Honest pricing with zero subscriptions and zero ads
Every button on your physical TV remote is free forever in Photon, with no ad banners, no tracking SDKs, and no artificial press limits. Photon Pro is a single one-time lifetime unlock with Family Sharing included.
Photon Free
Free foreverIncludes discovery, pairing, tactile D-Pad, gesture swipe pad, hardware volume readout, Wake-on-LAN, live keyboard with Password AutoFill, voice search, 8 pinned streaming apps, and the full 9-step Connection Doctor.
Photon Pro Lifetime
photon.pro.lifetimeUnlocks unlimited multi-room TVs and app pins, interactive Home Screen widgets, iOS 18 Control Center and Action Button controls, Dynamic Island Live Activity, Siri Shortcuts, Apple Watch companion, and the macOS menu bar remote.
| Capability | Photon Free ($0) | Photon Pro Lifetime ($9.99) |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery, TLS 1.3 pairing, tactile D-Pad, gesture pad, and hardware volume readout | Included free | Included |
| Live IME keyboard, clipboard paste, Password AutoFill, and 8 kHz PCM voice search | Included free | Included |
| 9-step Connection Doctor, VoiceOver, Large Buttons mode, and iPad two-pane landscape | Included free | Included |
| Verified streaming app launcher with 4-step LaunchResolver | 8 pinned favorite apps | Unlimited app pins + custom packages |
| Interactive Home Screen widgets and iOS 18 Control Center / Lock Screen controls | Optional Pro upgrade | Unlocked with Family Sharing |
| Dynamic Island Live Activity, Siri Shortcuts, Apple Watch, and macOS menu bar remote | Optional Pro upgrade | Unlocked with Family Sharing |
