How To Use
READYWARE

Go to Settings → Preferences → Edit Mode and toggle it on to unlock. Toggle it off to lock. You can also tap the lock icon in the top toolbar of any remote screen.

READYWARE has three layers, all running on the same canvas:

• The Desktop — your home base. One per profile, always there. Pin your most-used buttons here for one-tap access from anywhere.
• Folders — usually rooms (Living Room, Bedroom, Garage, Office). Group related remotes inside.
• Remotes — the individual devices (TV, AC, fireplace, gate, lights). Each one a fully-designed surface.

All three are canvases. They look the same in Edit Mode and follow the same rules — drag-and-drop, custom wallpapers, custom buttons, custom everything. Learn one, you know all three.

Picture it: your Desktop has folders for Living Room, Bedroom, and Garage. Living Room contains a TV remote, an A/V receiver, a Lights remote, and a Fireplace remote. Tap any of them to use it. Or pin commonly-used buttons (Volume, Power, All Off) directly to your Desktop or to the Living Room folder so they're available without opening any specific remote.

In Edit Mode, tap the + button or long-press on any canvas. Pick one of the starter layouts (TV, A/V receiver, cable box, streaming stick, light switch, gate, blinds, etc.) for a quick head start, or pick Blank if you want full creative control. Either way, the remote exists in seconds.

Same flow for adding a Folder. Tap +, give it a name, drop in your remotes. Most people organize by room, but you can use folders however you like — by activity (Movie Night, Bedtime, Workout), by zone (Upstairs, Downstairs, Outside), or anything else that fits your home.

Every visual element is editable. There's no template you're locked into.

• Wallpaper — solid color, photo, animated GIF, or live video stream (covered in the next section). If video isn't your thing, a clean color background works just as well.
• Buttons — drag anywhere on the canvas. Resize each one independently.
• Shape — rectangle, rounded corner, circle, oval, custom shapes.
• Color & icon — set icon color, text color, background color, border on/off. Pick from the built-in icon library or upload your own.
• Text — label size, weight, color, position above or below the icon.

Make a remote that looks like your actual A/V rack, not a generic grid of buttons.

Here's a hidden trick most users don't discover on their own: your wallpaper size controls how big the buttons and icons appear on screen — without changing the remote's layout at all.

• Smaller wallpaper image → bigger icons on screen
• Larger wallpaper image → smaller icons on screen

If you're using the default demo profile on a smaller tablet (like an 8") and the icons feel a bit small, resize the wallpaper down a step — same image, lower resolution — and the buttons get proportionally bigger. Going the other way works too: huge TV with chunky icons? Use a larger wallpaper.

Keep the same aspect ratio (16:10 stays 16:10, 16:9 stays 16:9) so you don't get black bars on the sides. Photopea, Paint.NET, GIMP, or any photo editor handles the resize in seconds.

→ Full size reference chart with ready-made sizes for tablets, TVs, and phones

Big buttons. High-contrast colors. Whatever-size-feels-right text. The "let me find my glasses" moment doesn't have to be a moment — you can size Power and Volume to be easy to hit without looking, and shrink the rarely-used ones to keep the layout clean. The canvas adapts to you, not the other way around.

This is the part most people miss: the Desktop and Folders can have buttons too. Pin All Lights Off, Doorbell Mute, or Goodnight to your top-level Desktop and those actions are always one tap away — no matter which remote you're using or which folder you're in.

Don't have the original remote? Tap any button, run the Smart IR Wizard, pick the brand and model from the 700,000+ signal database, and the codes are programmed. Covered in detail in Smart IR — Auto-Program Buttons below.

Layouts and signals save to the open .irc file format. Back up your entire home setup to a single file. Restore everything on a new phone or tablet in seconds. Switch from a BroadLink to a USB blaster — same buttons, same layouts, same database. You don't lose your work because you switched hardware or upgraded your phone.

Settings → Preferences → Overlay Timeout controls how long before buttons fade out automatically — just like a TV volume bar. Set it to Always On to keep buttons visible permanently, or choose a timer from 3 seconds to 60 seconds. Tap anywhere on the canvas to wake buttons back up instantly.

An IR or RF transmitter — that's it. READYWARE works with WiFi blasters (BroadLink RM4 Mini for IR, RM4 Pro for IR + RF), USB-C IR dongles (Tiqiaa, ElkSmart, Ocrustar, ZaZaRemote, etc.), the built-in IR blaster on phones that have one, the iTach WiFi for Global Caché users, or Bluetooth IR bridges (experimental — see note below). One app, every transmitter.

For most people, the easiest path is a BroadLink RM4 Mini (IR only) or RM4 Pro (IR + RF) on the same WiFi as your phone — they're cheap, reliable, and learn new signals from any remote. Set up once in Settings → Device Setup. BroadLink makes the hardware, READYWARE makes it tick.

Note on USB IR blasters: The inexpensive USB-C IR dongles (Tiqiaa Tview, ZaZaRemote, Ocrustar EKX4S-T, ElkSmart units, and similar — starting around $7) work great for transmitting IR — point your phone at the TV and fire any signal. But they don't learn signals from your existing remotes. Use a BroadLink RM4 to learn, then play those learned codes through any blaster you like. Or skip learning entirely and use Smart IR with the 700,000+ code database.

Note on Bluetooth IR blasters: READYWARE includes a Bluetooth LE scanner that pairs cleanly with BLE IR dongles like the Tiqiaa IR2023 series (the same family that ships with ZaZa Remote on Android and Uni TV Remote on iOS). However, some manufacturers encrypt the IR transmission so only their official app can fire signals. We've documented the protocol layer fully — pairing works — but IR send through a third-party app like READYWARE is currently not supported on encrypted dongles. For reliable IR control, a WiFi blaster (BroadLink RM4) or a direct USB-C IR dongle is the proven path. If a future BLE blaster ships with an open protocol, READYWARE is ready for it.

🛠️ Build your own: Tired of locked-down dongles? You can build your own WiFi IR blaster for about $8 using an ESP32-C3 SuperMini, an IR LED, and a 3D-printed case. The firmware emulates the BroadLink protocol so READYWARE finds it automatically — zero app changes. Smaller than a BroadLink RM Mini, fully open source, no DRM, no vendor lock-in. Full build guide →

Tip when shopping: a few cheaper IR adapters use the phone's headphone jack rather than the USB-C port — those older audio-driven designs follow a different protocol and work best with whatever app the manufacturer ships. For READYWARE, look for a dongle that plugs into the USB-C port and you're set.

🍎 iPhone / iPad note: The first time you add a WiFi device (BroadLink, iTach, etc.), iOS pops up asking "Allow READYWARE to find devices on your local network?" — tap Allow. Most users see this dialog once, tap Allow, and never think about it again — discovery is instant and you're firing IR/RF in seconds. If you accidentally tapped Don't Allow, turn it back on in Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network → READYWARE. Rare iOS edge case: if discovery still doesn't work after granting permission, see iPhone troubleshooting in the FAQ.

There are two parts:

1. Add the device once — Settings → Device Setup → Smart Home tab → Add. Paste the URL + token (or whatever each integration needs), tap Test, Save. You're done with setup.
2. Assign to a button — long-press any button → Other tab → pick the action type that matches (HTTP GET/POST/PUT for Hue/HA/Kasa/Generic, MQTT for brokers, SwitchBot for SwitchBot). Fill in endpoint or command, save.

Credentials are stored locally on your phone or tablet only — never sent anywhere except directly to the device or API you configured.

Direct control of Hue lights, scenes, and rooms over your local network. No Hue cloud account needed once paired — fires instantly, works offline. Bulbs, light strips, Hue Play bars, motion sensors as triggers, dynamic scenes, color and brightness — all controllable from READYWARE buttons.

The easiest path is the official Hue developer page: developers.meethue.com/develop/get-started-2. Follow the "Get Started" guide — press the link button on your physical Hue Bridge, then make the API call to receive your application key. Save both the Bridge IP (e.g. 192.168.1.45) and the app key (a long random string).

Settings → Device Setup → Smart Home → Add → pick Philips Hue. Name it (e.g. "Living Room Hue"), paste http://192.168.1.45 as Base URL, paste the app key as the auth field. Tap Test — you should see a 200 response. Save.

Long-press a button → Other tab → HTTP PUT. URL: http://192.168.1.45/api/<app-key>/lights/1/state (replace 1 with your light ID). Body: {"on":true,"bri":100} for full brightness, or {"on":false} for off. The Hue API documentation lists every available endpoint for groups, scenes, and individual lights.

Full Home Assistant integration. If a device works in HA, it works in READYWARE — every domain HA supports (light, switch, climate, cover, media_player, fan, scene, automation, script, input_boolean, all of it). Bridge Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, and a hundred custom integrations through HA into READYWARE.

In Home Assistant: click your username (bottom-left) → scroll to Long-Lived Access Tokens at the bottom → Create Token. Name it "READYWARE", copy the token immediately (HA only shows it once). If you lose it, just create a new one.

Settings → Device Setup → Smart Home → Add → pick Home Assistant. Name it, paste your HA URL (e.g. http://homeassistant.local:8123 or http://192.168.1.50:8123), paste the long-lived token. Tap Test — should connect. Save.

Long-press a button → Other tab → HTTP POST. URL: http://homeassistant.local:8123/api/services/<domain>/<service>. Body: {"entity_id":"light.living_room"}. Example to turn on a light: URL .../api/services/light/turn_on, body {"entity_id":"light.kitchen","brightness":200}. For scenes: .../api/services/scene/turn_on, body {"entity_id":"scene.movie_time"}.

The auth token is added automatically as a Bearer header — you don't have to enter it again in the button.

Local LAN control of Kasa smart plugs, switches, and bulbs. Direct, fast, no cloud round-trip. Most Kasa devices respond in under 100 ms once on the same WiFi as your phone or tablet.

Set up your Kasa devices in the Kasa app first (only way to add them to WiFi). Note each device's IP from your router admin page (assign static IPs in DHCP if possible, so they don't change). In READYWARE: Settings → Device Setup → Smart Home → Add → pick Kasa / Tapo. Name it, paste http://192.168.1.x for that device's IP. Auth is usually not required for local Kasa control — leave blank.

Long-press a button → Other tab → HTTP POST. The Kasa local protocol is JSON over HTTP. For a smart plug on/off: URL http://<ip>/app, body {"system":{"set_relay_state":{"state":1}}} for on, {"state":0} for off. Search "Kasa local API" or "python-kasa commands" for the full command set — the same JSON payloads work in READYWARE.

For Tapo (newer devices), TP-Link uses an encrypted handshake which is harder to script directly. Recommended path: bridge Tapo through Home Assistant (HA has a Tapo integration), then control via the HA route above.

The flexible catch-all. Anything with an HTTP API — Shelly relays, ESP32 / ESPHome devices, Sonos via node-sonos-http-api, Pi-hole controls, routers, NAS systems, custom microservices, webhooks, IFTTT triggers, Zapier hooks — all work. If you can hit it with curl, READYWARE can hit it from a button.

Settings → Device Setup → Smart Home → Add → pick Generic HTTP. Name it, paste the base URL of the service, optionally add an API key / bearer token. Saved devices appear in the Smart Home list for easy reuse across many buttons.

Long-press a button → Other tab → pick HTTP GET, HTTP POST, or HTTP PUT depending on what the API expects. Paste the full URL, the body (for POST/PUT), and the auth token if needed. For webhooks like IFTTT or Zapier, HTTP GET with the webhook URL is usually all you need.

Custom headers: the auth field defaults to sending as Authorization: Bearer <token>. If your API needs a different header (like X-Api-Key or hass-token), you can set the Custom Header Key field.

Publish to an MQTT broker on your local network. Used widely with Home Assistant + Mosquitto, ESPHome devices, Zigbee2MQTT, Tasmota firmware on Sonoff devices, and many custom DIY automation setups. Lets one button trigger anything subscribed to a topic — multiple devices and automations can react to the same message.

You'll need an MQTT broker on your local network. The most common combo is Mosquitto (open-source broker) running on a Raspberry Pi or alongside Home Assistant. Once your broker is running, MQTT in READYWARE has no separate "device" entry to add — just use it directly on a button.

Long-press a button → Other tab → MQTT Publish. Three fields:

• Broker: mqtt://192.168.1.100:1883
• Topic: home/living_room/tv/power (anything you've configured a device or HA automation to listen on)
• Payload: {"state": "ON"} or just ON — whatever the listener expects

Best paired with Home Assistant — you can publish from READYWARE and have HA's MQTT integration trigger any automation in response.

SwitchBot's API can only fire commands that already exist in your SwitchBot app. It cannot learn new IR codes. So you must set up your remotes in the SwitchBot app first, then assign them to READYWARE buttons.

Use SwitchBot's "Smart Matching" or "Select Manually" mode whenever possible — these give you a full virtual remote with preset commands (Power On, Volume +, Channel +, etc.) that READYWARE can pick from a dropdown. The "Others" / DIY mode works too, but you'll have to type the exact button names manually.

Open the SwitchBot app, pair your Hub, and add one or more IR remotes (TVs, ACs, fans, lights, etc.). Test that each remote works from inside the SwitchBot app first. If a button doesn't work in SwitchBot, it won't work in READYWARE either — fix it in the SwitchBot app first.

In the SwitchBot app: Profile → Preferences → tap "App Version" 10 times → Developer Options → Get Token. Copy both the Open Token and the Secret.

In READYWARE: Settings → Device Setup → Smart Home tab → Add → SwitchBot. Paste the Open Token and Secret, give the account a name (e.g. "My SwitchBot"), tap Test. If it connects, tap Save Device.

Once saved, tap the refresh icon next to your SwitchBot account in the device list. READYWARE pulls in all your virtual remotes and scenes and caches them locally — no further API hits until you refresh again.

In Edit Mode, long-press any button → Other tab → pick SwitchBot from the action list. Choose:

• Account — which SwitchBot account this button uses
• Target — Virtual Remote or Scene
• Remote / Scene — which one from your SwitchBot setup
• Command — pick from the preset list (Power, Volume +, etc.) OR tap "+ Custom Name" and type a button name from your SwitchBot app exactly as it appears (case-sensitive)

Tap Test Now before saving — it fires the command immediately so you can verify before committing.

If you used SwitchBot's "Others" / DIY mode to learn IR codes, the API requires the button name exactly as labeled in the SwitchBot app, case-sensitive. SwitchBot does not expose these names through their API, so you must type them yourself. Common defaults are Power, Volume Up, On, Off. If unsure, switch to Smart Matching or Select Manually mode — those give clean preset commands.

SwitchBot integration is for firing commands SwitchBot already knows. READYWARE cannot teach the SwitchBot hub new IR codes through the API — that has to be done in the SwitchBot app. For free-form IR learning, use READYWARE's own learning workflow with BroadLink, USB IR, onboard IR, or iTach.

The real power of READYWARE smart home isn't any single integration — it's combining them. A single "Movie Night" macro button can:

1. Turn the TV on (BroadLink IR)
2. Switch HDMI input (also IR)
3. Dim Hue lights to 15% (Hue HTTP PUT)
4. Turn off the bedroom AC (SwitchBot)
5. Trigger a "movie mode" automation (Home Assistant POST or MQTT publish)
6. Switch the live wallpaper to your theater photo
7. Launch Netflix

All in one tap. That's the point — Electronic Personification. Build macros in Edit Mode → long-press a button → Macro tab → add steps in any order, with any delay between them.

In Edit Mode, tap the + button on the desktop → Folder. Name it, pick an icon and color. Drag remotes into it by long-pressing them and selecting Move to Folder.

Each folder supports its own live wallpaper, independent of the desktop wallpaper. Open the folder in Edit Mode and set a video stream or image. When you open that folder, its wallpaper loads automatically.

Folders support buttons too — not just remotes. Add a macro button to a folder that sets the room's lights, fires IR commands, and changes the wallpaper all in one tap.

READYWARE is built to feel right on every screen size, including the largest one in the room. There are three ways to get it on your TV, and you can use any of them — or all of them — depending on your setup.

📺 Install the app directly. READYWARE runs natively on Android TV and Google TV (Chromecast with Google TV, Sony Bravia, Hisense, Sharp, Philips), Amazon Fire TV / Fire Stick (via the Amazon Appstore), and NVIDIA Shield. Same app, same layouts, same Smart IR database — sized for the screen.

🌐 Use any browser. If your TV runs Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Roku, or you have an Apple TV with a Mac mini routed in, just open the Web Viewer in any browser. Same experience, no install. Pair the device's keyboard, mouse, or pointer for full point-and-click.

📱 Cast from your phone. Chromecast or screen-mirror your phone's READYWARE canvas to the TV. The fastest path if you'd rather not install anything new.

However it gets there, the experience is the same. Add a pointer device — an air mouse, a gyroscopic clicker, or your phone or tablet acting as a wireless pointer — and you're navigating graphical buttons floating over your live wallpaper from across the room. One pointer, one screen, every device in the room — instead of a pile of remotes on the coffee table.

A favorite setup: stream the video source itself as the wallpaper. Your security camera feed, the YouTube video you're watching, your Plex library, your Home Assistant dashboard — whatever's on screen is also what you're controlling. Watch the show, control the show, on the same screen, with the same pointer. No looking down. No second remote.

Many paths, one outcome. The TV experience never replaces your phone or tablet — it joins them. Use the phone in your hand. Use the tablet on the coffee table. Use the TV from across the room. Use all three at the same time, all controlling the same gear. There's always more than one way to do anything in READYWARE — pick whichever feels right at the moment, switch to another whenever you want.

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

This is bigger than it sounds. The Web Remote doesn't just work on phones. It works on everything with a browser — and it fires real IR and RF signals through the hardware on your home network in real time.

• 💻
  Windows PC or laptop — open the link in any browser. Click a button. IR fires across the room. No Android emulator. No driver. No install. Your Windows machine just became an IR and RF blaster.
• 🍎
  Mac — same. Safari, Chrome, Firefox, any of them.
• 📺
  Smart TV with a browser — open the link on your TV's built-in browser. Use the TV remote's pointer to click buttons. Your TV is now controlling your other devices.
• 🖥️
  Wall-mounted touchscreen — any screen with a browser becomes a dedicated room control panel. No app, no setup beyond the link.
• 🌍
  Anyone, anywhere — share the link with family. They open it on whatever device they have 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.

Add each device in Settings → Device Setup and give them clear names. Then assign any button to any device: long-press a button → Edit → IR/RF Code tab → IR Device. Pick the one you want. That button fires through that blaster. Everything else stays on the default device.

One button can fire multiple IR commands in sequence, change wallpapers, launch apps, and more. Edit any button → Macro tab. Add steps. Set delays between them. Perfect for "watch TV" sequences that turn on the TV, switch input, and dim the lights in one tap.

Settings → Advanced → Save Profile saves your entire setup as a .ircprofile file — every remote, every button, every signal, every wallpaper. Restore it on any device, share it with anyone. Your setup is yours forever.