I’ve been in the same boat. I gave up on my old Samsung remote months ago because the buttons were starting to fail, and since I always have my phone nearby, it just made sense. One thing I really recommend looking for is auto-connect over Wi-Fi. You don’t want to re-pair every time you open the app. Another is a clean and intuitive UI — if it takes more than two taps to do something basic like adjusting volume or switching apps, it’s not worth your time.

Also, the app should ideally support multiple brands — mine connects not only to my TV but also my Apple TV and sound system. I’ve been using this one recently that really nailed all those points: iPhone Universal Remote — no ads, minimal lag, and I didn’t have to go through a weird setup ritual. Plus, it even has a trackpad mode, which is great for navigating smart TV menus. Bonus: it doesn’t drain the battery like crazy, which I didn’t realize was a thing with some of these apps. Worth checking out!