Use iPhone to check if a remote is working

Aug 04, '08 07:30:00AM

Contributed by: BrentT

You can use your iPhone to check if a household remote control is working. Start the Camera application, then point the remote in question toward the camera. Be sure the end of the remote with the dark plastic filter is facing the back of the iPhone. If the remote's batteries work, and the remote are functional, you will see a light glow in the picture of the remote in the iPhone's viewfinder window.

This can help narrow down a balky remote as to being broken or just having bad batteries.

This trick isn't unique to iPhones, but takes advantage of the camera's sensitivity to infrared light, and the fact that you never go anywhere without your iPhone!

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