I'll admit, it's been a while since I used the old dedicated Android TV remote app, but the memories I have from it weren't particularly positive. So, what's this new method like? In short: Pretty good for most people. In fact, Google recently de-listed and ended support the old app. Of course, Google's had a dedicated app with that functionality for a while, but it wasn't great. That's a fancy way of saying that you have a new way to use your phone to control your smart TV's Android-powered guts. Google just released a new software remote for Android TV and Google TV devices.