Frequently
Asked Questions

Entering the URL is just step one — you have to tap "Set Video Wallpaper" to activate it. The button is at the bottom of the Live Video / Stream Wallpaper section in Settings → Appearance.

After setting it, navigate away from the screen and come back. The wallpaper loads on entry.

For the best experience with interactive web page wallpapers — especially on the desktop and inside folders — keep the app in locked mode (Edit Mode OFF). In locked mode, touches pass directly through to the web page underneath so scrolling, tapping, and interacting all work naturally.

Some websites block embedding — they detect that they're running inside an app and refuse to display. This is a policy decision by that website, not a READYWARE limitation. YouTube, Google Maps, NASA Live, Ring, and most IP camera dashboards work great.

The workaround is even better: Open that site in your phone's browser like normal, then enable the READYWARE overlay. Your buttons float right on top of the browser. You get the full website experience AND your controls — without the site ever knowing READYWARE is there.

Yes — via a free proxy called go2rtc. Run it on any home server, NAS, or Raspberry Pi. It converts your RTSP camera stream to HLS which READYWARE plays natively.

• Install go2rtc on your server: docker run -p 1984:1984 alexxit/go2rtc
• Add your camera to go2rtc config
• Use the HLS URL in READYWARE: http://server:1984/api/stream.m3u8?src=camera_name

Yes. Every remote, every folder, and the desktop each have their own independent wallpaper. Open the remote or folder in Edit Mode and set the video stream or image there — it only affects that canvas.

The best way to get full screen YouTube — better than anything built into the app — is to use the System Overlay. Here's why this is actually the superior experience:

• Open YouTube in your phone's browser or the YouTube app and go full screen normally. YouTube fills the entire screen exactly as it was designed to.
• Enable the READYWARE overlay — Settings → System Overlay → Enable. Your buttons and controls float right on top of YouTube. Volume, playback, smart home — everything is right there.
• Set your Overlay Timeout and transparency — your buttons appear when you need them and fade out when you don't. Adjust transparency so they sit lightly over the video.

This is the real power of the overlay. YouTube never knows READYWARE is there. You get the full native YouTube experience — full screen, full quality, full app — with your entire control system floating on top. App on top of app.

READYWARE renders your design across every screen — from a phone in your hand to a 4K or 8K TV across the room — with the same wallpaper and the same buttons in the same places. Three quick rules:

• Use a standard wallpaper size. 1170×2532 / 2532×1170 (iPhone), 1080×2400 / 2400×1080 (Android phone), 1620×2160 / 2160×1620 (iPad), 1600×2560 / 2560×1600 (Android tablet), or 1920×1080 / 3840×2160 / 7680×4320 (HD/4K/8K TV). Match the orientation to your remote.
• Stay inside the green safe zone. In the editor, tap 👁 Safe Zones. Buttons inside the green box are visible on every device — phones, tablets, TVs. Decorative wallpaper detail outside is fine; it just gets gracefully cropped on smaller screens.
• Pick your wallpaper FIRST, then place buttons on top. The buttons lock to the wallpaper. As long as you don't swap the wallpaper later, everything stays put on every screen size.

Pro tip for sharing: if you're contributing to the community library or sending your remote to a friend, design at 3840×2160 (4K). It downscales beautifully to phones and tablets but stays crisp on big screens. One profile, every device.

READYWARE is built around local network control — everything happens on your WiFi, not in someone else's cloud. The permissions it asks for are directly tied to that. Here's every permission and exactly why it's needed:

• Local Network — Required to find and talk to IR/RF hardware, IP cameras, Home Assistant, Philips Hue, Kasa, and any device on your WiFi. Without this, IR and smart home control cannot work. This is the most important permission.
• Display Over Other Apps (Android) — Required for the System Overlay. Lets READYWARE float above Netflix, YouTube, or any app. You grant this manually in your device settings — READYWARE walks you through it.
• Notifications — Used by the Web Remote feature. When someone taps a button on the web remote from anywhere in the world, a push notification wakes READYWARE instantly to fire the IR command. Sub-second response. Without this, web remote button response is slower.
• Camera (optional) — Only used if you tap the QR code scanner. Never used for anything else. Safe to deny if you don't plan to scan QR codes.
• Microphone (optional) — Requested by the video playback library, not actively used by READYWARE today. Safe to allow or deny.

That's iOS asking permission for READYWARE to communicate with devices on your WiFi network. You must tap Allow or READYWARE cannot find or control your IR hardware, IP cameras, or any smart home devices.

This popup only appears once. If you accidentally tapped Don't Allow, here's how to fix it:

• Open iPhone Settings
• Scroll down and tap READYWARE
• Enable Local Network

Permission is on but READYWARE still can't find your BroadLink, manual add times out, or scan hangs forever? See the next question.

This is the most common iOS-only gotcha. Local Network is enabled, both devices are on the same WiFi, and it still won't connect. Symptoms: scan never finishes, manual add says "added" but then "UDP response timeout 6000ms" when you try to use it.

Almost always one of the items below. Force-quit READYWARE between tries (swipe up, swipe the app card off the top) so the network state resets:

• Confirm Local Network is actually ON — Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network → READYWARE toggle must be green. If READYWARE isn't in the list at all, open the app and try a scan once to trigger the popup.
• Disable Limit IP Address Tracking for this WiFi — Settings → WiFi → tap the (i) next to your network name → toggle Limit IP Address Tracking OFF.
• Disable Private WiFi Address — same screen → toggle Private WiFi Address OFF, then tap Forget This Network at the bottom, then rejoin with the password. The forget-and-rejoin part matters.
• Turn off any VPN — Settings top level → check for VPN toggle; also Settings → General → VPN & Device Management. VPNs route all traffic away from your local network and silently break BroadLink.
• Turn off Low Power Mode — Settings → Battery. Low Power Mode aggressively kills background networking and can drop UDP responses.
• Airplane mode bounce — turn Airplane Mode ON for 15 seconds, OFF, wait for WiFi to reconnect, force-quit READYWARE, retry.
• Reset Network Settings — Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset Network Settings. This is the heavy hammer and it fixes the majority of stubborn cases. It clears cached network state that can silently block local UDP traffic on iOS even when everything looks correctly configured. You'll lose saved WiFi passwords (you'll have to rejoin networks) but no other data is affected.

Network-level things that aren't your phone:

• 2.4 GHz only — BroadLinks don't support 5 GHz. If your router has separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz SSIDs, your iPhone may have auto-joined the 5 GHz one. Manually join the 2.4 GHz network on the iPhone, or merge them in your router admin.
• AP / Client Isolation — many routers (especially mesh systems and "guest" networks) ship with this enabled. It prevents devices on the same WiFi from talking to each other. Check your router admin and turn it off.
• Different subnets — some routers put IoT devices on a separate subnet. If your iPhone is 192.168.1.x and your BroadLink is 192.168.4.x, broadcast won't reach. Both must be on the same subnet (same first three numbers).
• Close the BroadLink app — if the official BroadLink app is open on any device on your network, it can hold the connection and block READYWARE. Force-close it everywhere.

On iPhone and iPad, the fastest way to set up a BroadLink is to skip the scan and add it manually. It's a one-time setup that takes about 30 seconds and you're done forever.

• Find your BroadLink's IP address — check your router's connected devices list, or the BroadLink official app if you used it for initial WiFi setup.
• In READYWARE: Settings → Device Settings → Device Setup.
• Tap Manual Add (or the back arrow if scan is open).
• Enter the IP address. That's it — you don't need to name it or set a port number.
• Tap Accept, then Connect.
• Set it as your Active Device. Done — fire away.

Android handles this permission differently from normal app permissions — it opens a special system screen. Here's exactly what to do:

• In READYWARE Settings, tap Grant Permission inside the System Overlay section.
• Your phone opens a system screen called "Display over other apps" or "Apps that can appear on top."
• Find READYWARE in the list. It may not be at the top — scroll down if needed.
• Tap READYWARE and enable the toggle.
• Press the back button to return to READYWARE.
• Now tap Enable Overlay. The green ● LIVE badge confirms it's active.
• Tap Save in the top right. Press home — READYWARE floats over everything.

Easy to fix on both platforms:

iPhone / iPad:

• Open Settings → scroll down → tap READYWARE
• Enable whichever permission you need — Local Network, Notifications, Camera, or Microphone

Android:

• Open Settings → Apps → READYWARE → Permissions
• Enable the permission you need
• For Overlay: Settings → Apps → Special app access → Display over other apps → READYWARE

READYWARE is built local-first. Your remotes, IR signals, button layouts, and wallpapers are stored entirely on your device — not in any cloud, not on our servers.

The only things that touch our servers:

• Web Remote — your button layout is pushed to our server so the web page can display it. You control this manually with the Sync button. It only happens when you tap Sync.
• Smart IR database — when you search for a device brand, the app queries our signal database. No personal data is sent.
• Push notifications — a device token is registered so the Web Remote can wake your device when a button is tapped remotely.

That's it. Your IR signals, your remotes, your wallpapers, your layout — all local. All yours. Forever. Read our Privacy Policy →

This is almost always a device connection issue. Check these in order:

• Go to Settings → Device Settings → Device Setup. Is your IR hardware listed as Connected?
• Make sure your phone/tablet and the IR hardware are on the same WiFi network.
• If it shows Offline, try power-cycling the device and tapping Reconnect.
• If the button has no IR code assigned, you'll see "No Code Assigned" — go to Edit Mode and program it.

A few things to check:

• Close the BroadLink app — if the official BroadLink app is open on any device, it can block READYWARE from communicating with your hardware.
• Aim the remote at the hardware — not at the phone. Point it directly at the IR receiver on the device.
• Get closer — within 6 inches is ideal for learning.
• Press and hold the remote button for a full second during the learning window.

RF learning is a two-step process — different from IR:

• Step 1 — Frequency sweep: Hold your RF remote button continuously near the RM4 Pro until the app says "RF frequency detected." Keep holding — don't release.
• Step 2 — Signal capture: Release the button when prompted, then press it once more. The app captures the signal at the locked frequency.

RF learning works with the standard sub-1GHz ISM bands used by garage doors, blinds, RF outlets, ceiling fans, doorbells, and cheap wireless remotes:

• 315 MHz — US garage doors, car key fobs, some ceiling fans, older X10-compatible devices.
• 433.92 MHz — The most common band. RF outlets, LED strip controllers, wireless doorbells, ceiling fans, blinds, gates.
• 868 MHz — European Z-Wave, Somfy blinds.

What's not supported and why:

• 2.4 GHz — WiFi, Bluetooth, most wireless keyboards, many "smart" remotes. This is a different radio technology entirely, not learnable by IR/RF blasters.
• Bluetooth remotes — Fire TV, Roku Stick, Apple TV, most voice remotes. These use encrypted paired communication that can't be captured and replayed.
• Zigbee / Z-Wave (US 908 MHz) — These require a dedicated hub. Bridge them to READYWARE using Home Assistant, SmartThings, or Hubitat via HTTP actions.
• Proprietary narrow bands — Some Dish Network UHF remotes (369–395 MHz) and similar are outside standard learning bands.

Yes — use Smart IR. In Edit Mode, tap the gear icon → Add Button → Easy Setup Wizard. Select your device type (TV, AC, cable box, etc.) and brand. READYWARE pulls signals from a database of 700,000+ IR codes and programs your buttons automatically. No original remote needed.

Edit Mode must be ON to move or edit buttons. Go to Settings → Preferences → Edit Mode → ON. Once unlocked, drag buttons to reposition them, or long-press a button to get the edit/delete menu.

The Overlay Timeout hides buttons after a period of inactivity. Tap anywhere on the canvas to wake them back up instantly.

If buttons are permanently gone, check that you're looking at the right remote — tap the back arrow and open the remote again. If the remote was deleted by accident, go to Settings → Advanced → Load Profile to restore a saved backup.

Each button can be assigned to a specific transmitter. In Edit Mode, tap a button → Edit → Events tab → Transmitter. Select the specific device you want that button to use. This prevents crossfire when you have multiple IR devices in different rooms.

Yes — that's what Macros are for. In Edit Mode, tap a button → Edit → Macro tab. Add steps: fire an IR command, wait a delay, fire another IR command, change the wallpaper, launch an app. Chain as many steps as you want. One tap runs the whole sequence.

Example: a "Watch TV" button that turns on the TV, switches to HDMI 2, and dims the lights — all in one tap.

A Macro turns one button tap into an entire sequence of actions. Fire IR commands, wait, fire more, change wallpapers, launch apps — chained together in any order, with any timing. One tap. Everything happens.

Here's a real example — a "Watch TV" button:

• Fire IR → TV Power On
• Wait 1.5 seconds
• Fire IR → Switch to HDMI 2
• Wait 500ms
• Fire IR → Soundbar Power On
• Change wallpaper → living room night photo

Six things. One button. Every device in the room responds in the right order, with the right timing. This is what a $500 Harmony Hub does — READYWARE does it on every button, for free.

Yes — and this is one of the most striking things READYWARE can do. Wallpaper changes are a macro step like any other. Here's a real-world example:

You have a living room remote. The room is dim. You tap "Lights On":

• Fire smart home command → Philips Hue lights ON
• Change wallpaper → photo of the living room with lights on

You tap "Lights Off":

• Fire smart home command → Philips Hue lights OFF
• Change wallpaper → photo of the living room in the dark

The canvas reflects the real state of the room. The wallpaper becomes a visual indicator. You always know what's on and what's off — just by looking at the screen.

Yes — the Launch App action opens any app installed on your device with a single tap. No fumbling through the home screen. You tap a button on your READYWARE canvas and you're in the app instantly.

Some examples of what people use this for:

• Tap "SmartThings" → Samsung SmartThings opens directly
• Tap "Google Home" → opens home.google.com in the browser
• Tap "Cameras" → opens your security camera app
• Tap "Music" → opens Spotify or YouTube Music
• Tap "Netflix" → launches Netflix directly

You can also open any URL directly — so a button can open home.google.com, your router admin page, your Home Assistant dashboard, a Ring camera view, or any web address.

Absolutely. READYWARE talks directly to smart home devices over your local network — no hub subscription, no cloud required. Philips Hue, Home Assistant, Kasa, and any device with a REST API all work as macro steps.

So a single "Movie Mode" button can:

• Turn the TV on via IR
• Switch input to the streaming box
• Dim the Hue lights to 20%
• Turn the ceiling fan off via RF
• Change the wallpaper to your theater photo
• Launch Netflix

Everything in the room, in one tap. IR, RF, WiFi smart home, wallpaper, and app launch — all in the same macro. This is what Electronic Personification means.

Yes — macros have a loop setting. Set a repeat count and the entire sequence runs that many times. Useful for devices that need multiple presses to reach a setting, volume stepping, or any repeated command.

You can also control the delay between each step — critical for devices that need time to process a command before receiving the next one. Too fast and they miss steps. READYWARE lets you dial in the exact timing for every device.

Many settings — including Appearance, Device Settings, Overlay, and Advanced — only appear when Edit Mode is ON. Go to Settings → Preferences → Edit Mode → ON. All hidden sections will appear immediately.

It's actually the opposite — live wallpapers perform best in Run Mode. In Edit Mode the canvas is busy with drag handles and edit overlays which can affect performance.

If your wallpaper isn't showing in Run Mode, make sure you tapped "Set Video Wallpaper" and saved before locking. The URL alone doesn't activate it.

READYWARE is hardware agnostic — not locked to any one device, brand, or company. Pick whatever fits your setup. Your remotes and .irc files work forever regardless of what hardware you use today or upgrade to tomorrow.

📶 WiFi IR Blaster — Most popular. Sits on the shelf. Works from anywhere.

A small plug-in device on your home WiFi. READYWARE talks to it over the network and it blasts IR or RF to your devices. No wires to your phone. Works from another room or across the world via the Web Remote.

Current BroadLink lineup (recommended for new setups):

• BroadLink RM4 Mini — IR only. TVs, cable boxes, AC, stereos. ~$20. Best starting point for most homes.
• BroadLink RM4C Mini — Compact variant of the RM4 Mini. Same protocol, same performance. Sometimes cheaper. ~$20.
• BroadLink RM4 Pro — IR + RF (433 MHz). Everything the Mini does plus ceiling fans, motorized blinds, gates, garage doors. ~$30. Get this if you have any RF devices.
• BroadLink RM4C Pro — Smaller form factor of the RM4 Pro. Same IR + RF capability. ~$30.
• BroadLink RM4 TV mate — Smaller niche variant designed for TV control. Works with READYWARE.
• BroadLink RM5 / RM5 Plus — Newer-generation IR hub. IR only. Works with READYWARE through the BroadLink protocol.

Older BroadLink models (still fully supported):

If you already own one of these from years past — don't throw it out. They use the same BroadLink protocol family and READYWARE talks to all of them. Found one secondhand for $5–10? Grab it.

• BroadLink RM Mini 3 / "Black Bean" — IR only. The most widely sold BroadLink ever made. Tons in circulation. ~$15 new, often $5–10 used. Same IR performance as the RM4 Mini for everyday TV / AC / stereo control.
• BroadLink RM Pro — IR + RF. Older sibling of the RM4 Pro. Works perfectly with READYWARE.
• BroadLink RM Pro+ — IR + RF, with dual LED indicators that some users prefer for pairing. End-of-life from BroadLink, but plenty available used. Fully supported.
• BroadLink RM Plus — IR. Older but compatible.
• BroadLink RM Mini (original) — IR. The first generation. Still works.
• BroadLink RM2 / RM2 Pro — IR or IR + RF depending on model. Older protocol revision. Compatible.

BroadLink-compatible alternatives:

• LinknLink eRemote / eRemote Mini — BroadLink-protocol compatible. Works natively with READYWARE.
• GlobalCache iTach / GC-100 / Flex — Commercial grade. Multiple addressable IR zones. For hotels, AV installs, boardrooms. ~$80–$200.
• Tuya / MOES / SmartLife WiFi blasters — Good news: the IR signals these devices learn are fully compatible with READYWARE. Export or copy the code from the SmartLife app, paste it into the READYWARE Signal Editor, and it's auto-detected and converted instantly. Save it as an .irc file — a hardware-agnostic open standard that never dies, works on any device, forever. The cloud-based hardware stays cloud-based. Your signal comes home. Read more about the .irc standard →

📱 Built-in Phone IR Blaster — Free. Already in your phone.

Many Android phones have a built-in IR blaster — Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, LG, HTC and others. If yours does, READYWARE uses it directly. No extra hardware at all. Check Settings → search "IR" to find out.

Limitation: Must point phone at the device. No Web Remote or cross-room control. Great for getting started instantly.

🔌 USB IR Blaster — Plugs into your phone via USB-C or OTG.

Works on phones and tablets without a built-in blaster. Compact and portable. READYWARE supports a wide range of USB IR blasters across five chipset families — including the new wave of inexpensive USB-C dongles starting around $7:

• FLIRC USB — Appears as Generic HID. The most reliable budget option. ~$22 on Amazon. Recommended starting point.
• Irdroid v3 — CH340/CH341 chipset. Excellent range, open-source. ~$35.
• USB UIRT — Professional-grade HID. ~$50.
• Generic HID IR dongles — Many $10–$15 Amazon options work if they use standard HID.
• SiLabs CP210x-based blasters — Serial-style blasters using the CP210x chip.
• Tiqiaa-class USB-C blasters — Tiqiaa Tview, ZaZaRemote (USB-C version), Eachlink, generic USB-C IR dongles widely sold on AliExpress and Amazon. Auto-detected by VID 0x10C4 / 0x045E + PID 0x8468. RLE-encoded protocol, 56-byte chunked frames. Starting around $7.
• ElkSmart-class USB-C blasters — Ocrustar (EKX4S-T, EKX5S), ELKsmart-branded units, and the small Microsoft-VID dongles you'll see called "Smart IR Blaster" on Amazon and AliExpress. Auto-detected by VID 0x045C across multiple PIDs (0x0131, 0x0132, 0x014A, 0x0184, 0x0195, 0x02AA). Identifies its protocol subtype during plug-in handshake — D552 (raw pulse compression) or D226 (Huffman-coded pulse compression) — and READYWARE handles either automatically. Starting around $7.

Resilient connection: READYWARE looks up your USB blaster by VID/PID at the moment you fire a button — so saved transmitters keep working across unplug/replug, reboots, and screen-sleep cycles. No need to re-scan after the device wakes up.

One thing to look for when shopping: a few inexpensive IR adapters use the phone's headphone jack rather than the USB-C port — these older audio-driven designs don't follow the USB-data protocols above and are best used with whatever app the manufacturer ships. If you're buying for READYWARE, look for one that plugs into the USB-C port and you're set.

READYWARE auto-detects most popular dongles, so usually you don't need to know — just plug it in and tap Scan. If you're shopping or troubleshooting, here's the cheat sheet:

• FLIRC USB  →  HID chipset
• USB UIRT  →  HID chipset
• Irdroid v3  →  CH341 chipset
• Tiqiaa Tview  →  TIQIAA chipset (D format)
• ZaZaRemote (USB-C model)  →  TIQIAA chipset
• Eachlink  →  TIQIAA chipset
• Ocrustar EKX4S-T  →  ELKSMART chipset (auto-detects D552 or D226 subtype on plug-in)
• Ocrustar EKX5S  →  ELKSMART chipset
• ELKsmart-branded units  →  ELKSMART chipset
• Generic "Smart IR Blaster" USB-C from AliExpress / Amazon  →  usually ELKSMART or TIQIAA; READYWARE figures it out automatically

Brand-new model READYWARE doesn't recognize? Use Manual Add — type the VID/PID Android shows in the dialog, pick the chipset based on the manufacturer's marketing (TIQIAA for "Tiqiaa-compatible", ELKSMART for ELKsmart family, HID otherwise), tap Save. If the manufacturer doesn't say which family it belongs to, try ELKSMART first then TIQIAA — those two cover most $7–$15 USB-C dongles on the market today.

Short answer: no — and it's an Apple restriction, not a READYWARE limitation. The cheap USB-C IR dongles (FLIRC, Tiqiaa, ElkSmart, Ocrustar, ZaZaRemote, and similar) work great on Android with USB-C and on Windows or Mac through the Web Remote, but iPhone and iPad cannot talk to them.

Why: Apple requires USB accessories to be MFi (Made for iPhone) certified to communicate with iOS. The inexpensive IR dongles aren't MFi certified — iOS literally refuses to open a connection to them, regardless of what app you use. Apple's developer APIs don't expose raw USB access on iPhone, so there is no software workaround.

What does work on iPhone / iPad:

• Any BroadLink WiFi blaster — RM4 Mini / Pro / 4C, RM5, or older models like RM Mini 3 (Black Bean), RM Pro, RM Pro+. All connect over WiFi, no USB. ~$15–30 new, even cheaper used. The recommended path for iOS users.
• LinknLink eRemote — WiFi, BroadLink-protocol compatible.
• Tuya / SmartLife / MOES WiFi blasters — import their codes via the .irc editor. Read about .irc →
• Smart home devices over WiFi — Philips Hue, Home Assistant, Kasa, and anything with a REST API.

💡 The Web Remote workaround

If you already have a USB-C IR dongle and a Windows PC, Mac, or older Android device sitting around, you can still use it from your iPhone:

• Install READYWARE on the PC / Mac / Android device that has the USB IR dongle plugged in. (READYWARE runs as an app on Android and through the Web Remote system on Windows / Mac.)
• Enable the Web Remote in Settings on that device. Copy the link.
• Open the Web Remote link in Safari on your iPhone. Enter the PIN.
• Tap any button on your iPhone — the command goes over WiFi to the PC / Mac / Android device, which fires the IR signal through its USB dongle in real time.

Sub-second response. Your iPhone effectively gains USB IR support by borrowing it from another device on your network. More about the Web Remote →

• 2.4GHz only — WiFi IR devices require 2.4GHz. They do not support 5GHz or most mesh networks. Make sure both your phone and the device are on 2.4GHz.
• Same network — Phone and IR device must be on the same WiFi, not guest vs main.
• Power cycle — Unplug, wait 10 seconds, plug back in. Give it 30 seconds to reconnect.
• Close the BroadLink app — If the official BroadLink app is open anywhere, it can block READYWARE's connection to your hardware. Close it completely.
• Reconnect in READYWARE — Settings → Device Setup → tap the device → Reconnect.

Yes — for smart home devices. Philips Hue, Home Assistant, Kasa, and any device with a REST API work directly over WiFi with zero extra hardware. Control lights, switches, blinds, thermostats, and full automations from READYWARE with just your phone.

For IR and RF devices like TVs, cable boxes, AC units, and fans — you need one of the hardware options above. But if you're purely doing smart home control, READYWARE works right out of the box.

Yes. Add each device in Settings → Device Setup. Name them clearly — "Living Room", "Bedroom", "Office". Once added, any button on any remote can be assigned to a specific device.

Assigning a button to a specific device

Long-press any button → Edit → IR/RF Code tab. The IR Device section lists all your saved devices. Select one. That button now fires through that specific blaster. Every other button on the remote is untouched.

Default device

Buttons with no specific assignment use the Active Device — whichever is set in Device Setup. If you only have one blaster, nothing changes and you never need to touch any of this.

If your BroadLink device shows as Offline and reconnecting doesn't help, or if it was previously set up on a different network, a factory reset clears everything and lets you start fresh.

Step 1 — Factory reset

Use a pin or paperclip in the small reset hole on the side or bottom of the device.

• Hold for 5–10 seconds.
• Release when the LED starts fast blinking — the device is now in setup mode.
• If fast blinking doesn't happen, try holding longer (10+ seconds), then power cycle and try again.

LED modes: Fast blinking = Smart Config setup mode. Slow/intermittent blinking = AP hotspot mode. Either works for the next step.

Step 2 — Connect to WiFi without cloud-locking it

This is where most people go wrong. Completing the full BroadLink app setup registers the device to BroadLink's cloud — and that cloud lock is exactly what prevents local control. The trick is to use the app just long enough to get it onto your WiFi, then stop before it finishes registration.

• Open the BroadLink app and start the device setup.
• Let it connect to your WiFi — watch for it to appear on your network.
• As soon as it joins your WiFi — force close the BroadLink app immediately. Do not let the setup complete.
• Open READYWARE → Settings → Device Setup → Add Device. READYWARE discovers it and connects directly.

Keep the BroadLink app closed

Even after a successful unlock, the BroadLink app running in the background on any device on your network can interfere with READYWARE's connection. Force-close it and leave it closed.

Still not connecting?

• 2.4GHz only — BroadLink devices do not support 5GHz or most mesh networks. Both your phone and the device must be on 2.4GHz.
• Same network — phone and blaster must be on the same WiFi. Guest networks and VLANs block discovery.
• AP isolation — some routers have "client isolation" on 2.4GHz which prevents devices from seeing each other. Disable it in your router settings.
• Static IP (advanced) — assign a static IP in your router's DHCP reservations using the device's MAC address so its address never changes on reboot.
• iPhone / iPad only — if Android works fine on the same network but iOS doesn't, it's almost always cached iOS network state. Try Settings → WiFi → (i) → toggle off Limit IP Address Tracking and Private WiFi Address, forget the network and rejoin. If that doesn't help: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset Network Settings. This fixes the majority of stubborn iOS-only cases. Full iOS troubleshooter →

READYWARE supports an extensive range of video, streaming, and web formats as live wallpaper. Your buttons float on top of all of them.

📺 Adaptive Streaming

• HLS — HTTP Live Streaming (.m3u8) — Apple's adaptive protocol. Used by IP cameras, Wowza, AWS MediaLive, Nimble, OBS, go2rtc, and most modern streaming infrastructure. Native iOS support.
• MPEG-DASH (.mpd) — Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP. Used by YouTube, Netflix, and major CDNs at the delivery layer.
• CMAF — Common Media Application Format. Low-latency adaptive streaming. Works via HLS or DASH containers.

🎬 Video Files

• MP4 / H.264 — The universal standard. Plays on every device. Local files or HTTP URLs.
• MP4 / H.265 (HEVC) — Higher efficiency H.264. Supported on modern Android and iOS hardware.
• WebM / VP8 / VP9 — Google's open format. Widely used for web video.
• MKV / Matroska — Container format supporting H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1 and more.
• MOV — Apple QuickTime container. Common from iOS recordings and Mac exports.
• AVI — Legacy container. Broadly supported.
• TS / MPEG-2 Transport Stream — Broadcast and IP camera format. Used in HLS segments.
• FLV — Flash video container. Supported via HTTP on capable devices.

📷 IP Camera & CCTV Protocols

• HLS over HTTP/HTTPS — RTSP cameras converted via go2rtc, Frigate, Blue Iris, iSpy, Shinobi, or any NVR with HLS output. Plays natively.
• RTSP → HLS proxy — Use go2rtc, MediaMTX, or similar to transcode RTSP to HLS. One setup, works forever. Best latency for live cameras.
• MJPEG streams — Motion JPEG over HTTP. Common on older IP cameras and some Hikvision/Dahua models.
• HTTP JPEG snapshots — Any camera that serves a JPEG on an HTTP endpoint.
• IP Webcam app streams — Android IP Webcam app URL played directly.
• OBS Studio streams — Output as HLS or HTTP video from OBS. Plays live.

🌐 Web & WebView Sources

• Any HTTP / HTTPS website — Full browser rendering. Interactive. Scroll, tap, zoom.
• YouTube — Full YouTube mobile site. Browse, search, play.
• Google Maps / Street View — Live map behind your buttons.
• Google Home — home.google.com dashboard.
• Ring / Nest / Arlo dashboards — Camera and security dashboards.
• Home Assistant — Full HA dashboard as wallpaper.
• Windy.com / weather cams — Live weather visualizations and webcams.
• NASA Live — nasa.gov/nasalive stream.
• Any embeddable web app — Router admin, NVR web interface, custom dashboards.

🔐 Authentication & Access

• HTTP Basic Auth — Username/password in the stream URL or settings.
• Bearer Token / API Key — Custom header injection. Home Assistant long-lived tokens, API keys.
• Query parameter tokens — Token appended to URL for camera systems that require it.
• HTTP / HTTPS mixed content — Local network HTTP cameras work alongside HTTPS streams.

READYWARE's Signal Editor and Format Converter handle every major IR format. Paste any format in — it's auto-detected and converted instantly. Export to any format you need.

• BroadLink Base64 — READYWARE's native format. Learned directly from hardware. Compact, lossless.
• Pronto Hex / CCF — Universal IR standard. Used by JP1, RemoteMaster, Pronto, and professional AV gear.
• LIRC / .lircd.conf — Linux IR standard. space_enc, raw, and named signal formats.
• Flipper Zero .ir — Flipper's native IR file format. Import directly.
• Global Caché / iTach sendir — TCP sendir protocol format used by GC100, iTach, Flex.
• Raw µs pulse timings — Raw microsecond on/off pulse arrays. The base format everything converts to.
• GIRR / IrScrutinizer XML — Global IR Remote Repository format.
• Arduino IR formats — sendNEC(), sendSony(), sendSamsung() style hex codes.
• IRdb / IrTrans — Common IR database export formats.
• Protocol-encoded signals — NEC, RC5, RC6, Sony SIRC, Samsung, Panasonic, JVC, Sharp, Denon, Mitsubishi. Encode from address/command values directly.

Most remote apps give you a fixed grid of buttons that look like a plastic TV remote on your phone screen. READYWARE is a completely different concept.

• The best free IR/RF signal editor on the internet — live waveform, 8-format converter, file import, canvas remote builder. At readyware.net/signal-editor. Free. No account. Anyone can use it — even if they don't own the app yet.
• Infinite canvas, not a grid — drag buttons anywhere. Any size, any shape, any color, any icon. Your remote looks like whatever you want it to look like.
• Live video wallpaper — your porch camera plays live behind the buttons. Your controls float on top. No other remote app on earth does this.
• System overlay — READYWARE floats over Netflix, YouTube, anything. You never leave your content to control your home. It's always there.
• Macros that do everything — one button fires IR, changes wallpapers, controls smart home, launches apps. All in one tap.
• Web Remote — share a link. Anyone, anywhere, controls your setup from any browser. Real wallpapers, real icons, real buttons. Sub-second response.
• Any device with a browser is now a remote control. Windows PC, Mac, Chromebook, smart TV, wall-mounted touchscreen, a friend's laptop across the internet — open the Web Remote link and it fires real IR and RF signals across the room. No app. No install. No Android emulator. No driver. A Windows PC becomes an IR and RF blaster. A smart TV becomes a controller. Anything with a browser becomes part of your home control system.
• 700,000+ IR signals — the largest downloadable IR database on the internet. Pick your device type and brand — every button programs itself in seconds.
• Open standard — your remotes are .irc files. Public domain. Hardware agnostic. They work today, next year, and with every device you add in the future.
• Buy it once. Use it everywhere. $9.99. One purchase. Install on every device you own — phone, tablet, old spare phone, cheap burner tablet. Your whole family, every room, the entire house. No subscription. No per-device fees. No ads. No cloud lock-in. True automation people buy a stack of matching cheap tablets just to dedicate one to each room. One price. The whole network.

It's the idea that your remote control system should feel alive — responsive, visual, ambient, always present. Not a plastic rectangle with rubber buttons. A graphical interface that sees your room, reflects your environment, and controls everything in it.

Your porch camera plays live on the screen. Your room photos change when you flip the lights. Your buttons float over the content you're watching. You cast it to the 65" TV and point-and-click from the couch with an air mouse.

The TV volume bar appears when you press volume. It floats over everything. Then disappears. READYWARE is that bar — but for your entire home. Every device. Every room. Every source. One screen. Always on. Always yours.

It brings everything together — without even trying.

Because READYWARE runs on any Android or iOS device — phone, tablet, old spare phone, cheap burner, wall-mounted tablet — everything that device can do is now part of your remote. Not because we built it. Because it's already there.

• 🔦 Your remote has a flashlight. And you can never lose it.Ever lose a TV remote down the couch cushions? Just say "Hey Google, find my device" — your READYWARE remote lights up, rings, and tells you exactly where it is. Plus the flashlight. How many remotes have a flashlight?
• 🗣️ Can your remote find itself? "Hey Google." "Hey Siri."Simply say "Hey Google" or "Hey Siri" and your READYWARE remote lights up and answers you. Voice control of everything on the same device — not integrated by us, just there. Always. Every voice command, every assistant feature, every shortcut your device supports comes standard with your remote.
• 📞 Does your remote have a phone in it? Can you make a call with your remote?If it's running READYWARE on a phone — yes. Yes you can. Check caller ID, voicemail, call log. One button. Right there on your remote. 😄
• 📣 Room-to-room intercom.Put a device running READYWARE in every room — a tablet, an old phone, a cheap burner, anything. One app, one price, the whole house. Add an announcement app and one button broadcasts "Dinner's ready" or "You have a call on line 1" to every room simultaneously. Automation people are already buying matching cheap tablets just for this. Looks like READYWARE built it. READYWARE just launched it.
• 🌐 Any app. Any service. Any button.A button can open SmartThings, Alexa, Google Home, a camera feed, a calendar — anything installed on the device. One tap. There.
• 🌍 Your remote has a web browser.How many remotes have a web browser? Yours does. One button. The whole internet. On your remote.

This is Electronic Personification. Your remote control system doesn't just control devices anymore — it is a device. The most capable device in the room. And it floats over everything, always ready, always on.

"Point and click graphical audio and video components right on top of live video." — That's Electronic Personification.

Yes. A macro button can fire every command in your home in a single tap. Here's "Movie Night" on one button:

• TV on via IR
• Switch to HDMI 2
• Soundbar on via IR
• Hue lights dim to 20% via WiFi
• Ceiling fan off via RF
• Motorized blinds close via RF
• Wallpaper changes to your theater photo
• Netflix launches

IR, RF, smart home, wallpaper, app launch — all in sequence, with precise timing between each step. One tap. The whole room transforms.

Cast it to the TV, add a pointer device, and you're doing all of this from across the room by pointing at a button floating over live video. One device replaces every remote you own.

Yes — and this is where READYWARE becomes something no other remote app can touch.

Cast your tablet to the TV via Chromecast or screen mirror. Your live camera feed plays on the big screen. Your buttons float on top. Add a pointer control device — an air mouse, a presentation clicker, or your phone's gyroscope as a wireless pointer — and now you can point and click graphical buttons on a 65" screen from across the room.

One device. One button press. Everything in the room responds. TV, lights, ceiling fan, AC, blinds, gate — whatever you've set up. You're clicking graphical components floating over live video on the largest screen in the room, without looking away from the content.

Pointer options: phone gyroscope (free, built into Android), presentation clicker (~$15 USB-C dongle), air mouse remote (~$20). All work as standard Android input devices — plug in and point.

Go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Save Profile. This saves your entire setup — every remote, folder, button, IR signal, and wallpaper — as a single .ircprofile file. Store it anywhere: Google Drive, email, local storage.

To restore, tap Load Profile and select the file. Your entire setup is back in seconds on any device.

Yes — save a profile and send the .ircprofile file to anyone. They load it in their READYWARE and get your exact layout. All buttons, signals, and organization come with it.

Individual remotes can also be exported as .irc files and shared independently.

The Web Remote gives anyone a browser-based version of your remote — real wallpapers, real icons, real buttons — on any phone, tablet, or computer, anywhere in the world. Here's the complete setup:

• Enable it — Settings → Remote Web Viewer → toggle ON. Wait for the green ● ON badge. READYWARE registers your device with the server on first enable.
• Copy your link — Your unique URL appears in the panel. Tap Copy Link or tap QR to get a shareable QR code.
• Share link + PIN — Tap PIN to see your 4-digit PIN. Send both the link and the PIN to whoever you want to have access. Anyone opening the link is asked for the PIN first.
• Sync wallpapers & icons (Premium) — Tap ⬆ Sync Web Remote to push your real wallpapers and custom icons to the server. Without syncing, the web remote shows your button layout but not your visual customizations. After syncing, anyone opening the link sees your exact setup.
• Done — They open the URL, enter the PIN, and your remote appears. Tap any button — IR fires on your device at home in under a second. No app needed on their end.

Yes — and this is one of the most underrated things READYWARE does.

The Web Remote turns any device with a browser into a fully working remote control. That means:

• Windows PC or laptop — open the Web Remote link in any browser. Your buttons appear. Click Volume Up — IR fires across the room. Your Windows PC just became an IR blaster. No Android emulator. No app install. No driver. Just a browser tab.
• Mac — same thing. Safari, Chrome, Firefox — any of them.
• Smart TV with a browser — open the link on the TV's built-in browser. Use the TV remote's pointer to click READYWARE buttons. Your TV is now controlling your other devices.
• Chromebook — full web remote, no install needed.
• Wall-mounted touchscreen kiosk — any screen running a browser becomes a dedicated control panel for any room.
• Anyone, anywhere — share the link with family. They open it on their phone, tablet, or laptop and control your home — from across the house or across the world.

The IR and RF signals still fire through the hardware on your home network — READYWARE on your phone or tablet bridges the browser command to the blaster in real time. Sub-second response.

No subscription. Ever. READYWARE is a one-time purchase — $9.99. Install it on every device you own. Phone, tablet, old spare device, cheap dedicated tablet for each room. Your whole family. The whole house. One price. Unlimited devices.

Your remotes, signals, and .irc files are stored locally on your device — not in any cloud. The app works whether we exist or not.

The IR database, Web Remote, and cloud features require an internet connection, but your core remote control functionality works entirely offline.