How To Improve Apple's Remote App

The other day, I was casually browsing Reddit and came across an intriguing post on the Apple subreddit. What if Apple designed a Today View widget for its Remote app.  My personal experience with the Remote app has been mixed. When it comes to controlling an Apple TV, I've taught myself to unlock my device, and find the Remote app (which I keep in a folder). Of course that also means either using your fingerprint for Touch ID or typing a passcode just to get in. As for the Remote app's second functionality, controlling an iTunes library, it hasn't been that easy. Usually on an Apple TV, the only reason you'd put down your device or close the app is because you've started a TV show or a movie. This means you likely won't need the Remote app for at least 20 minutes. However, it's different when it comes to music. A song will last around 3 minutes on average. Unless iTunes plays a song you're willing to listen to, you're most likely going to hit skip. That's a lot of opening and closing for an app just to do a simple task.

So, we have two fundamental problems: 1) there needs to be an easier way to control music; and 2) there has to be an easier way to access the virtual Apple TV remote.

Controlling Your iTunes Library
I can't recall how many times I've left the Remote app, reached a song I didn't like, and instinctively pulled up Control Center only to be disappointed with music controls for the iPhone music app. I can't imagine a situation where you would have your iPhone controlling music coming from a Mac and playing a different song at the same time. It's more likely that the music being played from your iTunes library is what you're listening to, and what you'd like to control. So, the solution? Grant Remote access to Control Center while connected to an iTunes library. Also, Apple can allow third-party remote apps like Sonos or Spotify to take advantage of this feature.

Controlling an Apple TV

One of the best features Apple added with iOS 8 has been Continuity and Suggested Apps. Continuity allows for seamless transition from one device to another whereas Suggested Apps uses your location to display relevant apps on the lock screen. Now, imagine you're in your living room watching something on your Apple TV. Your iPhone is aware of the Apple TV even if the Remote app is closed. You reach for your iPhone, unlock it, and swipe up on the Remote app shortcut that iOS has conveniently displayed on the lock screen. And just like that, you're already controlling your Apple TV, without having to unlock your iPhone and finding the Remote app.

Going back to the original topic of the Reddit thread I linked to above. A Remote widget is convenient however, I don't think it's likely to come true. First of all, it's inconsistent with the theme of Continuity and Handoff. Since a Remote app shortcut fits the Continuity theme of transitioning from an Apple TV to your iPhone/iPad, it makes more sense to place the shortcut at the same location you'd expect rather than the Today View in Notification Center. Another, minor issue is iOS widgets are placed under the Today View because they're meant to provide a summary of your day. I don't think Apple intended Today View for utility widgets as well. But, I still consider this argument minor because it's still the first version of iOS to allow widgets. Things could change in future releases. Also, keep in mind that Apple placed a Calculator widget in OS X Yosemite's Today View.

My Favorite Apps

Soon, millions of people will get their hands on the latest iPhone, and it may be the first iPhone for many. Apple surely knows that. So I thought this was the perfect opportunity to write a list of my favorite apps, in no particular order. This isn't going to be an ultimate guide for the best apps on the App Store, and it's not intended to be.

*App prices may change, I don't plan on updating prices during sales. Some apps offer in-app purchases for unlocking more features.*

Reminders & Lists

I love Clear. It's such a simple and straightforward app — so simple that Reminders were only added a few months ago, but that's the beauty of it. When it comes to productivity, I can't accomplish anything in a cluttered environment and believe me, it doesn't get any more 'clutter free' than Clear. It also syncs with Clear for Mac ($9.99).

Taking Notes

I like Simplenote (free). It's free, looks great and syncs with my Mac. As the name suggests, its also simple, a common theme in this list so far. Some people prefer Evernote (free) for taking notes but I find it overwhelming, especially when all I want to do is jot down a quick note on my iPhone.

Twitter

I use the official Twitter (free) app, nothing fancy here. I'm not a big fan of using clients but if you're looking for the best Twitter experience, the consensus among iPhone users seems to be Tweetbot ($4.99). I just wish the Twitter app synced my timeline with the Twitter app on my Mac, which by the way, Tweetbot does.

News & RSS

When it comes to news nothing beats Flipboard (free). I don't know what it is about Flipboard but ever since I started using it, it has been virtually impossible to use another news app on my iPhone — no matter how hard I try. After many attempts I've given up and just accepted that there's no alternative.

As for RSS, I've stuck with Reeder 2 ($4.99). There are a few alternative RSS readers out there like Unread ($4.99) but I'm happy with Reeder, not much to complain about.

Every iPhone also needs a read-it-later app. I prefer Instapaper (free) but Pocket (free) is just as awesome; you really can't go wrong with either service.

Music

Local music files are almost never stored on my iPhone, so instead I like to stream music. There are many options to choose from like Spotify (free), Rdio (free) etc. I use Spotify but all it really boils down to is preference and whether the service is available in your country. Having a Mac app is also a big deal for me.

I also absolutely love SoundCloud (free). As a big music enthusiast, SoundCloud is an incredible tool for discovering new music and following the artists you already love. I urge you to give SoundCloud a shot, I'm glad I did.

Podcasts

I've been enjoying Overcast (free) lately, but there are many great apps for listening to podcasts. In fact, here are a few that Overcast recommends if you don't like the app: Instacast (free), Castro ($3.99), Downcast ($2.99), and more. I even don't mind the default Podcasts app that comes pre-installed with iOS 8. (Some will strongly disagree with that last statement.)

Documents

I primarily use Dropbox (free) for storing documents and other important files just because I like to have those files accessible on literally every device I own. But, if you're not a big fan of cloud storage, Documents (free) is another excellent option that does a bit more and is probably the closest you'll ever get to a file system on an iPhone.

Games

I don't play much games on my iPhone, as I find other dedicated devices for gaming offer a better experience. But some of my favorites that I think every iOS device owner should at least try are: Groove Coaster Zero (free), Letterpress (free), QuizUp (free), and Threes! ($1.99). After all, you're getting the best app store for games! (And the best app store in general.)

More Cool Apps

IFTTT (free) is a common "cool app" for setting up recipes like automatically downloading Facebook photos that you were tagged in. I don't currently use it but definitely give it a try, there's quite a bit of combinations that you can try out.

Another cool app, that I actually do use is TalkTo (free) which lets you send messages to stores asking anything from closing times to whether an item is in-stock or not. Very convenient and it works. From my experience, replies usually take around 5-10 minutes but I've hit the 20 minute mark before.

EDIT: The TalkTo app has been discontinued, however the TalkTo service has moved to become part of Path Talk (free).

Wolfram|Alpha ($2.99). Wolfram|Alpha completes Google (that's how good it is), so if you don't already know what Wolfram|Alpha is please try it — the website is entirely free to use. You can technically bookmark the website and have access to everything but I just love Wolfram|Alpha so much that I justified paying for an app.


If there's a category that I didn't include then I either didn't consider it essential or I currently use a default app to get the job done (examples: for calendars I use Calendar and for web-browsing I use Safari). 

It's always funny to write posts like this and realize how many of my favorite apps are free, considering the sum of money I've spent on the App Store.