Sky has updated its Sky+ Android app to bring brand new remote control and program guide features to your smartphone and your HD Sky+ Box.
The new features have previously been available on iOS devices with the Sky+ app but now they have been brought to Android customers on operating system FroYo (2.2) and over. To use the service you will need to connect your Sky+ HD box and Android smartphone to the same Wi-Fi network, and from there the two will work together.
You will then be able to use your Android device’s screen as a remote, so you can swipe across to change channels, tap to pause and rewind live TV and even access your program guide to add, watch and delete saved TV shows.
The features were previously only available in the iOS version of the app but with the new update things are looking up for Android-using Sky customers. So now the app will allow you to access the Sky Planner Management feature that lets users view and manage their Planner, book recordings and reminders, and delete items.
The app will only work with the newer Sky+ HD boxes, so older Sky boxes will need to be upgraded to take advantage of the service, but the app itself is downloadable for free from the Google Play Store.
The app, which is available for free from the Google Play Store, also offers a TV guide and remote record functionality so you can record shows when you are away from home and view highlights if you don’t know what to watch.
Sky has also promised that the other iOS-only feature left – on-demand listings – will be coming to the Android app later this year as well.