Customer Ratings & Reviews

The Sevenhugs (interesting name) Smart Remote U is an incredible and ambitious smart remote. Combining the ability to control your entire smart home all from one slick looking, touch only device, no bigger than package of Twix candy. Like most other smart remotes of this nature you can control IR and WiFi devices - and in this case even Bluetooth. The product material claims support for over 650,000 devices. I hooked mine up to a Samsung TV, Hue bulbs, a Roku Ultra and even Spotify. The controls are intuitive and easy to use, no complaints there. I do wish the battery lasted a little bit longer – but you can get through a day or two without having to put it on the charger again. The unit also supports single touch automation scenes which are pretty handy to have when wanting to control multiple devices at once with a single button press. Although I was able to set the Smart Remote U up with most of the devices in my home, I was unable to get it to pair with a Roku Stick 3800X. I reached out support, which was pleasant and responsive. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to come up with a solution by the time of this posting.

The Sevenhugs Smart Remote U does an outstanding job at providing a universal remote control that is easy to use and will effortlessly replace your collection of old school IR remotes. It can even chain multiple commands together to create custom “scenes” that set up multiple devices just the way you want them. Add to this the ability to control smart home devices, and in theory you have a control which can turn on the TV, turn up the volume on your surround system, select ESPN, and dim the lights with the tap of a single option. That’s the theory. In practice, while the IR control and “scene” recording are very well executed, the relatively limited range of smart home devices that the control works with mean the for now this product is a brilliant universal remote but not an all-in-one smart home controller. That’s a shame too, because there is great potential here, from well made hardware to a smooth user interface that just begs to be made compatible with today’s full range of internet-controlled devices. Pros: - Nice hardware that is compact and feels good in the hand. - Included charging stand provides a logical place to store the remote when not being used. - Smooth and easy to use interface customizes the touch screen controls for each device in your arsenal. - Excellent battery life during normal use and very little loss during sleep. - Huge database of infrared controlled devices included (audio systems, TV’s, DVD players, game consoles, etc.). - The promise (and necessity) of continuous improvement. Cons: - Short list of smart home devices. - No support for Wemo light switches (just the outlets for some reason) or Samsung Smart Things. HUE is supported. - Some stability issues during setup (but usually not during use). Several operations during setup and programming had to be retried a few times before they took. - I’d be a little concerned about damaging the charge port if the remote were knocked off the charging stand. Once connected to Wifi and with initial software updates complete, I set up the system using the Android companion app. There were a few glitches and timeouts during the initial process, including a software update that initially reported the server was unavailable. After a couple of tries, however, everything ran correctly. In use, the device has been stable. Set up involves adding your various devices via the companion app. I added a Sony TV, XBOX One X, and Yamaha receiver. I have made extensive use of Wemo light switches, but these were not recognized. The Sevenhugs site says they’re working on this, but no target dates are given. I was able to set up a couple of smart outlets and our Nest thermostat. Note however that Nest is discontinuing support for this type of control, so by the time you read this it may no longer be possible to control Nest devices from this unit. Finally, I added our Spotify account as the remote can remote control Spotify playback (the only service currently supported). The remote shows an icon for each controlled device at the top of the screen and you can swipe these back and forth to switch which device you’re controlling. Tapping the icon itself turns the device on or off. It’s easy, intuitive, and works well. The graphics for the controls for each device are simple and clear. I also set up a couple of "scenes". I was able to set up a gaming scene which turned on the audio system, TV, and XBOX, and set the TV to the XBOX input in a single action. I was also able to set up one which turned on the TV and audio system and started to play a certain Spotify playlist via the system. The scene recording system works like you’re recording a macro – just start recording and then tap each item you need on the remote in sequence. You can also edit the scenes after creation, including fixing any particular item if, for example, something is toggling off rather than on. Overall, the system manages to be both powerful and reasonably simple, a real feat and something that was beyond the button festooned universal remotes of old. The hardware is great and I love the concept – I just wish it could reach it’s true potential by fully embracing control of IoT and smart home devices. Hopefully future updates will improve this situation. In the meantime, if you’re looking for a compact, quality, powerful universal remote that you’ll actually use, this is a good one to take a closer look at.

I love how this controls really old tech right up to new tech. Programming the remote for that was super easy. I'm pretty techy so initial setup of the wasn't too bad. It's a bit confusing at times. Some of the terms they use could be explained. But that's what googles for. It would be nice if it controlled more brands of smart plugs. I have a couple wemos but mostly the tuya smart ones. So they can't be controlled. I'd also like it to be bigger in the hand. Then it could have a slightly bigger screen and last more than 2 days on a charge.

Sevenhugs must be a gutsy company to go up against tech giants like Logitech, and it seems like they did a pretty respectible job, although they missed a few things that would make this remote a true contender. Programming a smart remote is almost always a pain. Compared to my Logitech Harmony One (which requires me to do the setup on my computer, then a slow upload to the remote), the "U" is a breeze to program with the smartphone app. It's important for any programmable remote to have a pretty vast library of devices to start with, which this unit does. However, it was missing my Onkyo A/V receiver (less than two years old); some of the closest model's signals didn't work. My old Toshiba VCR (for the few titles still unavailable on disc) didn't respond to most signals, even though the exact model was available. Fortunately, it also has a learning mode, which allows it to learn pretty much anything. One of the coolest features is the nice display. It's super easy to read, and provides "haptic" feedback when you tap an on-screen control. This is also one of the unit's problems - there are no physical buttons, and the display is pretty small - we don't want to look at the remote every time we bump or mute the volume, get info, etc. It would be nice to have buttons we could feel. I was pleased that the "U" can be programmed to perform tasks (such as "Movie") where several devices are powered on and set up. Also, it integrates with lighting systems, so we don't have to manually change our lights to the same configuration we want every time.

First off, it takes a while to get setup with all your devices, but not unusually long. Otherwise it works really well. Being able to control a multitude of devices with one remote is awesome! You may want to have the charging base up out of the way, as it seems like it would snap right off due to it just sitting on a USB-C plug. I currently can control 7+ devices with this remote, and it seems like more will be added with updates.

I’ve had this remote for 5 months now. The idea about this remote is great, which is why I bought it. Impressive how much it does, including have a keyboard. However, I need to recharge it everyday, the touch screen is way too sensitive, and it is a bit too small. I wanted to control my Nest thermostat (there was a pic of the Nest Therm on the box), but it no longer supports Nest. Wish they would do find a workaround to this. Lastly, this should be able to charge wirelessly. I would not buy it again and would not recommend it. However, if they fixed these issues (or make a case that can charge it wirelessly and make it a bit bigger in the hand), I would definitely buy the case and recommend it. I wish I could like this remote, but I don’t think I do.

It is nice to finally have a remote for my entertainment system that allows me to control my Roku and TV and Philips Hue lights (mood lighting for movies and Netflix and chill) all in one fell swoop without having to play the pre-entertainment game of diving in between the couch cushions to find all of the remotes needed to control said devices. As tech gets more complicated and finicky, it is nice that there are companies like Seven Hugs with this smart remote that are working hard to simplify it all. I would definitely recommend it!

The promise of a truly universal remote has been something consumers have been wanting for many years. Unfortunately for this sevenhugs smart remote, they're a little too late to the party. What's in the box Sevenhugs smart remote charging stand AC cable documentation The Good The remote has a nice build quality. Slim and comfortable in the hand, bright screen, fairly responsive touch screen though it won't win any awards, and I like the fact that it supports bluetooth, wifi, and IR devices. It really does work with a large variety of devices. Sadly that concludes the "good" portion of this review The Bad Setup Setup is not smooth. Upon plugging the device in for the first time (I plugged directly into a usb C cable because why would I mess with that bulky stand and ac plug) you're prompted to connect to Wi-Fi. Connects smoothly but then immediately begins an update. The update failed twice before it finally went through. Ready to go but no! You have to install a companion app on your smartphone and run setup through there ... but only part of the setup. Already this has become needlessly complicated. The remote has a touchscreen, why do I need a separate app to complete setup? Doesn't make sense. Adding devices Adding devices to the remote is accomplished by clicking on IR devices, bluetooth devices, or spotify. I don't use spotify, but under the other two options are listed different types of devices so you can find what you're looking for. Tv setup works like this. You click IR devices, click TV, then search for your manufacturer. Only a handful of manufacturers are visible by default so you'll more than likely have to use the search function. Once you find your manufacturer the app sends this information to the remote, which then prompts you to press the power button. If you're devices powers on you hit next, which then asks you to press the volume up button. If this works you press yes ... and so on until setup is complete. This is how programming works for blu-ray players, set top boxes (cable/satellite boxes), and basically all traditional IR devices. It's not the worst situation in the world, but it is slow and tedious. There is an option to enter the model number so you can program that way (much faster) however the app failed to find my Sony UBP-x700 blu-ray player. I don't know how up to date their databases are, but this was very annoying. Adding bluetooth devices I added an appletv 4k to the remote which was fairly straightforward. Tap bluetooth devices, select apple tv 4k. On your appletv you have to go to settings > bluetooth > other devices > select the sevenhugs remote. Once selected the ATV will display a code you have to enter on the remote. Then you're good to go. A roku device works in practically the same way Other Devices I also added all a bunch of smart lights and smart plugs. Having access to these on a remote is actually quite nice as I no longer have to use an alexa, google home, or smartphone to turn them on or off. Performance So here's where things go from bad to worse. Setup was bad, but performance is far worse. The smart remote works ... mostly, but it's those times when it doesn't work that you're going to go crazy. What good is a smart remote if I have to get up and go grab the original remote in order to do something basic like turn the device off. This is what happens with the appletv 4k. I can power it on with this remote but I can't power it off. The ATV 4k remote requires you to press and hold the home button for a few seconds, the select "turn off" in order to power the device off. The sevenhugs smart remote doesn't seem to support holding down a button, and tapping the icon assigned to the ATV doesn't power down the device. So that's the ATV, what about everything else? Using the remote with my TV and bluray player works well enough, but here's the thing. You don't look at a remote. Maybe you do when you first get a new device, but you quickly remember where your most used buttons are. I never look at my remotes to navigate, press enter, press the back button, use volume up and down, and turn them on and off. These are quickly committed to muscle memory. That simply isn't possible with a touch screen. You'll constantly be looking at the screen to make sure you're pressing the right button and using the correct device. To make matters worse, you have to swipe left and right to access anything other than the most basic controls. If you want to hit menu to adjust your TV picture settings, that's a swipe followed by searching for the right buttons. Then another swipe to get to the "touch pad" which allows you to navigate. It's kind of a mess. Overall I think this is a really great idea, but it overlooks the human factor. Physical buttons don't move, and that's why a standard remote is always going to outperform the sevenhugs smart remote. I think if they added physical buttons for the most commonly used buttons (power, volume, navigation, play-pause-ffw-rwnd) and had a smaller touch screen to swap between devices, that would be a truly stellar product. I also think the need for an all-in-one remote has largely been erased thanks to the HDMI standard. Every remote I have controls my tv power and sound, so as long as I select the remote for the device I want to use I'm good to go. In the end it's a great idea, but really this could just be an app. You already have a phone with a larger screen and better specs than this smart remote. There's no way I can recommend spending 200 dollars on a remote that takes more effort to use than what you've already got sitting on your end table. honorable mention smart devices actually are a great use for this remote. If you're using this to control smart home devices that don't have remotes e.g. smart plugs, smart lights, smart speakers, smart locks, security cameras etc. ... this is actually pretty cool. I know it's not as large as a market to target as the one they're targeting now, but it's the right one In the end, this is a pass from me.

This remote has replaced my Harmony setup. It's small, versatile and doesn't force me to create mutli-unit schemes that I don't need (but there is the option to do so if I want). Simply put, I needed a remote that allowed me to control individual devices and do it all from the same place. The Smart Remote U delivers and does so in a way that's flexible and customizable. It can "learn" new buttons that aren't part of its default set, have multiple pages for any one device, and it's elegant to boot. Setting up the remote and assigning custom buttons (via my cell phone) was quick and simple. If I had any problem with the unit it's that there's no tactile feedback for the buttons you press. But this is a touch screen, so that's expected. The remote does, however, vibrate slightly when you press a button, so that helps. The battery has a good life on standby, but if you use the remote heavily, you'll need to recharge after a day or so. This remote is currently controlling my TV, blu-ray player, AppleTV, Roku and sound bar. This thing is a winner.

If you have a relatively simply home theater setup, then this may be the remote for you. I've had harmony remotes for years and really had high hopes that this little guy could be a contender. That said, my $40 harmony does far more than this little beauty. I need 4 devices for my home theater setup and it seems limited to 3. So I played with adding learning buttons and thought I had everything set. Nope. An hour later I decided to cut my losses. Back it goes. sigh.. another harmony I guess.

REALLY NICE AND SO GOOD WITH ALL SYSTEM Y ULOVE TO HAVE THE CONTROL IN EVERITHING IN YOUR HOUSE I WOULD RECOMENDED 200%

After only a night of having the remote I was able to do everything I was able to with my Logitech Harmony Ultimate One remote and more thanks to the webhooks update. This remote was a breeze to setup and configure and has the ability to do scenes and activities just like Harmony remotes with the added feature of using IFTTT to control everything else in my house. The app to configure everything is still a little clunky, although it still only took me a night to get everything perfected compared to the 2 weeks it took me with Logitech. Adding to the already high praise I'm giving to this device, the ease of use and sexy form factor make this my ultimate smart home remote.

I have spent about 6 hours trying to get this remote to work. It will connect to my WiFi, but that’s as far as it goes. Won’t download the newest software and also won’t connect from the app to the remote. Guess what, no tech support phone number. Just saying for a higher end universal remote there should be live talk available to the customer. I can’t comment on the functionality as it doesn’t work. Maybe I received a defective unit.

Works as well as Logitech remote I have used before. Easy setup, easy to reconfigure if needed. Small size makes it easy to lose charger station also challenging in terms of size

really cool. sometimes you need to glance down because accidentally switched to a different deceive and minimal haptic feedback but its there. seems to have a lot of potential if the developers would support more or make it open source. but its getting better. its nice if you have alot of devices. just get the U. its worth the $100 now. i believe they are exactly the same just without the contextual awareness. but you only have 3 sensors for 1 room. dont think you can get more for other rooms. and unless you have a lot of switches spread out around the room, it being a wifi remote, most things it doesnt matter where you point it.

This is my first smart remote, and I am really happy with it. I’m pretty well versed on technology seeing as I work in IT, so it was easy for me to set up. The app takes a bit of time to get a feel for how to customize, but as long as you give it some time it really works well. I have my Vizio TV, Vizio sound bar, Apple TV and a bunch of other gaming devices connected and it works great! It’s small and easy to handle and so far I have had no issues with the device.

After multiple attempts and resets, I Never could get past the Loading your experience on the remote after downloading the required software update. Basically the item is dead on arrival. Customer beware - support is by email only. Build quality of the charging base connection to recharge the remove is poor - very loose connection and reliable is a question. Great idea but product and software is not ready for primetime.

Please save your money! Remote is too small....tapping and sliding your finger does not work well at all. We had a very difficult time with the IR range. We would have to get up and walk toward the receiver and get within 5 feet before IR worked. Dealing with the customer support has been painstakingly slow. I’ve been waiting for a week to get a mailing form to return the device. Oh, and it has to be returned to France! Horrible experience all around. Replaced it with the Harmony Elite and experience is like night and day.

Excellent remote, great ergonomics. Easy to set up. Would like more support for the recharging base, like a dark translucent plastic backing for the remote to lean against.

Are you interested in being this company’s guinea pig? Plenty of features, some are deal breakers. If you have an Apple TV, the remote does not work with YouTube or Netflix apps out of the box. You have to force it into IR mode (and that only works if your Apple TV remote works). I returned this. Feels kind of like an old touch screen device.