There are three approaches to finding a TV remote using the Tile App. One uses an App on your phone. The second uses a “Voice Assistant” to interact with the Tile App. And the third uses a “button” to interact with the Tile App via Google assistant.
My preferred solution to finding a “lost” TV remote involves an app and a small “locator tag”. The specific product (app and tags) is called Tile.
The Longevity Explorers have found other uses for the Tile Tag and App too. You can see more about Tile in our listings of useful products and resources here.
Three Solutions Variants
There are three approaches to finding a TV remote using the Tile App.
One uses an App on your phone.
The second uses a “Voice Assistant” to interact with the Tile App.
And the third uses a “button” to interact with the Tile App via Google assistant.
Here is how I think about these three solutions.
1. If they can locate their smartphone, they could click an on-screen icon to find the TV Remote.
2. They could say, “Hey Google, ask Tile to find remote” or “Alexa, ask Tile to find remote” if they are able to remember that command and properly say it to a voice assistant.
3. The ideal approach would be to attach a button to the TV itself so that they can just push that button and have the TV remote indicate its presence by making a loud noise. (This works only if you have an Android smartphone).
These three approaches are in order of complexity to set them up.
Here is a YouTube video showing my “Find your TV Remote” in action.
Click on the on-screen Flic button, NOT the physical button
Click on the “Click”
Click “Phone Control”
Enter the “OK Google” and Tempo as shown
Be sure to include the “,” for a delay
Select English US
Click “Save Action”
Now, push the Flic button. If you are fortunate, Goggle Assistant will recognize what the phone is saying through Flic Text to Speech
If not, you will need to “train” Google Assistant to recognize Flic’s Voice.
Open Google Assistant
Click on this symbol in the lower left
Click on the “head” in the upper right
Click on “Assistant”
Click on Voice Match
Click “Teach your Voice Assistant your voice again”
Google Assistant will wait for you to speak four complex commands to do a voice match
BUT- we don’t want to match your voice… we want to match Flic’s voice
You have to leave this screen open and return to Flic’s command to create these spoken messages one at a time
This is not fun, but it does work
Assuming you have been able to do that, you now need to replace the “training” texts you have entered, with the actual command you want the Flic button to speak.
“OK Google, ask Tile to find remote”
Push the Flic button, and you should hear the TV remote Tile make a noise
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Retired Intel Engineer wanting to share DIY technology tips for the children of parents wanting to remain living independently. I like posting ideas and answering technical questions. If a product or software has an issue making it hard for seniors to use, I try to offer workarounds and also try to contact the manufacturer for solutions. I write a column for this website in the Innovation- Homebrew Solutions & Ideas section
