Does the Galaxy S8 have an IR Blaster?

Samsung Galaxy smartphones are among the most advanced smartphones. Each new generation comes with some unique and revolutionary features and technological improvements. The IR blaster feature became available with the Galaxy S4 mobile phone and was last used on the Galaxy S6.

The company stopped implementing the IR blaster on its latest products because few people used it. The feature has become deprecated, so you won't find it on your Galaxy S8. you can use to get the same results.

What is the infrared blaster?

IR Blaster is Samsung's infrared control sensor that lets you use your phone as a remote control for TVs, air conditioning, music players, etc. IR Blaster was introduced with the Galaxy S4, and it was a standard feature up to the Galaxy S6.

It turns out that many people with Galaxy S series phones didn't even know this feature existed. Only a handful of users actually used the IR Blaster, so Samsung decided to remove it completely. same users often opted to stick with their older Galaxy S6 phones because of the IR Blaster feature.

The feature is still very popular in Asia, that's why Samsung has come up with two apps that allow users to achieve the same results. You can install these apps on your Galaxy S8 and use it as a remote control.

Smart View

The SmartView app allows you to pair your smartphone with other Samsung devices and use it as a remote control. However, this feature will allow you to do so much more. You can also stream videos, music and pictures from other devices on your S8.

You can install the app on your PC and stream any content to your phone with just a few clicks. The only requirement is that the devices are connected to the same home network. It only takes a few minutes to set up and you'll be ready to go. your S8 smartphone to your home's smart network. Here's what you need to do:

Swipe down on your smartphone's home screen to open the "Quick Settings" menus.

From there, select the "Smart View" feature. It will show you a list of all available devices that you can connect with.

Connect to Samsung TV and your phone will turn into a remote control.

Since the app only works with Samsung devices, you won't be able to pair it with other brands' smart devices. However, Samsung has also created an app that lets you do just that. It's called SmartThings.

SmartThings

Smart homes were a dream just a few years ago, but with the rapid advancements in technology, they have become a reality.Samsung is one of the leading names in smart technology and their solution to connect your phone to smart devices of different brands is the application called SmartThings.

The app allows you to control lights, appliances, cameras, locks, power outlets, thermostats and other smart devices around the house. The only requirement is that they are all connected to the same Wi-Fi network .Here is what you need to do:

Download and install it

SmartThings

Open the app and select "Add device".

Find the device you want to control with your Galaxy S8 phone under the “Available Devices” section. The app will show you a list of devices connected to the network.

After pairing them with your phone, the app will ask you to enter your PIN code. This step is only necessary when pairing your phone with a TV. The code should appear on the TV screen.

If your TV is not connected to the Wi-Fi network, the application will ask you to do so first.

Accept the terms of use and press "Ok".

Enter your email address and register your TV to your Samsung account.

Select "Accept" and select your TV from the list. Press "Next".

Enter your postal code, press “Next” again.

After the setup is complete, the app will ask you if you want to add more apps to your TV. Select apps from the list.

Finally, tap on “Done” and you will be able to control the TV with your Galaxy S8.

The best thing about SmartThings app is that you can cast your TV screen directly to your phone and vice versa, so if you like to play mobile games then you can also enjoy them on your TV screen.

Wrisky Universal IR Remote

Now, if you don't have a smart home and if you don't have a Samsung TV, you need the Wrisky Universal Infrared Remote Control. It's really a small infrared transmitter that you can connect to the audio jack of your S8 .It emulates remote controls and lets you use your smartphone as one.It's not the perfect solution, but it does the job.Here's what you need to do:

Buy the Wrisky Universal IR Remote Accessory.

Download it

Remote-ZaZa App

from Google Play.

Open the app and tap "Settings".

Tap “IR Driver Settings” and uncheck the “Automatically recognize device” feature.

Return to the "Settings" page and select "Advanced Settings".

Enable “Audio Reversal” and set the “ZaZa Sensitivity” to the highest setting.

Return to the app home screen and select “3M TV” from the available options.

Plug in the Wrisky Universal IR Remote and your smartphone will turn into a remote.

When we want we can

Even though Samsung has decided to remove the IR Blaster function, the demand for remote controls is still there. Samsung has responded with two handy apps, SmartThings and SmartView, but they only work with smart devices. The Wrisky Universal IR Remote will let you to turn your S8 into a remote control for any TV in a few simple steps.

How did you turn your Samsung Galaxy S8 phone into a TV remote? Which app did you use? Share your experiences with us in the comments section below.