Hi all, can anyone suggest an app that can enable me to control my Air Conditioning unit away from home, using an old smart phone which has an IR blaster and WiFi, but by "remotely controlling" my old smart phone with my new smart phone? I.E - an app that I install on my new smart phone which can talk to the app on my old smart phone over the internet, and execute commands that will be blasted through my old phone's IR blaster?
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Turn old smart phone into a remote control that can be remotely controlled
- Thread starter chopper1
- Start date
Is there already an app that can control your HVAC through ir remote commands? And, have you already tested that your old phone can do this?
Here's how I'd do it ...
Setup your old phone to control your HVAC from home and find a place to mount it so the camera can see the thermostat (assuming your thermostat also displays the current temperature.) Then I'd find an app that allows remote connections something like RemoDroid. I am not recommending this app as I have never use it or anything else like that so I can't vouch for any of them. Once I had the remote connection enabled and tested, then I'd setup a Dynamic DNS between your old phone and your service provider so that no matter where you are, you can connect to the remote app.
Mind you depending on how the remote app works, you might need to configure some port settings on your router.
The way the commercial wifi thermostats work is they have direct connections to a central server where you require an account and then their app passes commands to the server which in turn polls/instructs the thermostat.
Here's how I'd do it ...
Setup your old phone to control your HVAC from home and find a place to mount it so the camera can see the thermostat (assuming your thermostat also displays the current temperature.) Then I'd find an app that allows remote connections something like RemoDroid. I am not recommending this app as I have never use it or anything else like that so I can't vouch for any of them. Once I had the remote connection enabled and tested, then I'd setup a Dynamic DNS between your old phone and your service provider so that no matter where you are, you can connect to the remote app.
Mind you depending on how the remote app works, you might need to configure some port settings on your router.
The way the commercial wifi thermostats work is they have direct connections to a central server where you require an account and then their app passes commands to the server which in turn polls/instructs the thermostat.
RazzMaTazz
Android Expert
It should be easy if you can find an app that remote-controls your particular air-conditioner model. There are many remote control apps. You may want to try Sure Universal Remote. (I tried it once and I remember that it had several air-conditioner remote codes.)
I recommend that you install TeamViewer full version (free) on your new phone and create a TeamViewer account (with a password). Then install TeamViewer Host (free) on your old phone and assign it to your Teamviewer account. Then you'll be able to control your old phone from your new phone. (TeamViewer is password-protected so only people with your TeamViewer account credentials can control your old phone.) You can also install TeamViewer on a PC, Mac, or tablet and control your old phone.
For years I've been using TeamViewer so that I can remote control my senior-citizen parents' phones. Works great.
I recommend that you install TeamViewer full version (free) on your new phone and create a TeamViewer account (with a password). Then install TeamViewer Host (free) on your old phone and assign it to your Teamviewer account. Then you'll be able to control your old phone from your new phone. (TeamViewer is password-protected so only people with your TeamViewer account credentials can control your old phone.) You can also install TeamViewer on a PC, Mac, or tablet and control your old phone.
For years I've been using TeamViewer so that I can remote control my senior-citizen parents' phones. Works great.
Cheers for the help guys. I may look at the Teamviewer option; I guess the most ideal solution would be an app for my new phone where I would press one button that automatically communicates back to my old phone to switch the AC on rather than remotely connecting to my old phone to then fire up a universal remote app on that phone. It's an extra step or 2 but does allow the remote control of a remote control on my old phone.