SPL Group

For me, one phone can run the whole stack if you prep it right. Put all devices on the same SSID, name them by room (“Living TV,” “LR Box,” “LR Bar”), and enable the TV’s HDMI-CEC plus ARC/eARC so input switching and volume pass through cleanly. Allow Local Network on iOS and keep Bluetooth on for faster discovery. In the middle of that workflow, Best TV Remote App for iPhone gives a good feature checklist—touchpad navigation, quick device list, keyboard entry, and private listening. I also pin a “Watch” shortcut: it selects the HDMI input, sets the soundbar to TV mode, and you’re done. Vendor apps stay installed only for rare deep settings.