Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. How tos

How to use the Google TV Streamer remote finder

Add as a preferred source on Google
The Google TV Streamer remote control in a very good-looking hand.
Google TV Streamer has added a Find My Remote feature. Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends

One of the more simple — if important — new features of the Google TV Streamer is the addition of a tiny speaker in the new microphone that enables it to chirp if it becomes lost. Google is hardly the first to do this, but it's a welcome addition.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • The Google TV Streamer

  • A finger or your voice

There are a few ways to trigger the remote control to start emitting a sound, as we noted in our Google TV Streamer review, and we'll walk through them. But you really only need the last one.

Use your voice to trigger Find My Remote

If you have a device that's connected to the same network as your Google TV Streamer — a phone, a tablet, or one of Google's smart displays — that also has access to Google Assistant, then you should be good to go. It's this simple:

Say "Hey, Google — find my remote control." If everything's working fine, that should do the trick, and the remote control will start chirping. The device you speak to doesn't even have to be in the same room.

The key here is that they need to all be on the same network. If for some reason it doesn't work, it could be because you have a dual- (or tri-) band network and it's getting confused. Try toggling your Wi-FI off and on and then giving it another go.

Navigate the menus

This isn't the way I'd go about this, but it can still be done. You can use the Google TV's settings menu to tell the remote control to start making noise.

How can you do that if you don't have the remote control in the first place? You could use the remote control app on your phone. Or maybe your TV remote serves as a universal remote. Either way, here you go:

Step 1: Open the Settings menu.

The remote control settings on Google TV Streamer.
Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends

Step 2: Scroll down to Remotes & Accessories.

Step 3: Scroll down to Find my remote and select it.

Step 4: Scroll down to Play sound and select it. Assuming the remote still has power, you should now be able to hear it chip.

Note that there's also an option here to disable the Find My Remote feature. That could be handy if you have kids who can't help themselves from making the remote chirp.

The remote control finder settings on Google TV Streamer.
Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends

Just press the button

This is the easiest way to go about things. It's what I'd use because it's the quickest.

Step 1: Locate the button on the rear of the Google TV Streamer. It's on the left.

The remote/reset button on the back of the Google TV Streamer.
Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends

Step 2: Press the button. (Do not hold it down — that does something else.) Your remote will start to chirp.

And that's it. A simple — but important — feature, easily executed. And basically in the exact same way as the Google TV Streamer's closest alternative. Good luck finding your remote control.

Phil Nickinson
Former Section Editor, Audio/Video
Phil spent the 2000s making newspapers with the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, the 2010s with Android Central and then the…
DJI Osmo Pocket 4 takes aim at low-light video and fast action
The new model combines a 1-inch sensor, 4K slow motion, and updated controls in a compact body
Camera, Electronics, Video Camera

DJI has unveiled the Osmo Pocket 4 with a familiar goal, better video from a camera small enough to carry anywhere. The standout upgrade is a 1-inch CMOS sensor, which should help it hold onto more detail in dim scenes while also giving fast-moving footage a cleaner look.

DJI also says the Osmo Pocket 4 can shoot 4K video at up to 240fps, while adding 14 stops of dynamic range and 10-bit D-Log support. That gives solo shooters a stronger mix of slow motion, highlight control, and grading headroom without moving up to a much larger setup.

Read more
Amazon reveals slimmest Fire TV Stick HD that no longer needs a wall adapter
Amazon made its best budget streaming stick even better at $35.
amazon-fire-tv-stick-hd

Amazon just refreshed one of its most popular streaming devices. The new Fire TV Stick HD is officially here, and it is the slimmest Fire TV device Amazon has ever made. At $34.99, it is available for preorder right now and ships April 29.

What's new with the Fire TV Stick HD and how is it different?

Read more
These camera-equipped earbuds offer a wild glimpse at the future of AirPods
These experimental earbuds show how AirPods could get a lot smarter
A team of researchers at Washington University built VueBuds TWS with a built-in camera

Wireless earbuds have already become the default wearable for a lot of people. This is why this new research feels more interesting than yet another smart glasses demo. Researchers at the University of Washington have developed VueBuds, a prototype system that adds tiny cameras to off-the-shelf wireless earbuds so users can ask an AI model about whatever is in front of them.

How does this work?

Read more