Goodlifestudio/Getty Images We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. We're still far away from a time when there will be no need for remotes , and they can pile up if you have consoles, speaker systems, and other devices. This is where a good universal remote can be a huge help.  Connecting these remotes to your TV is straightforward. You can use either Direct Code Entry, where you input a code matching your TV's brand and model, or use Auto Code Search, where you press or hold certain buttons while pointing at the TV until the universal remote detects the TV code and connects. That being said, you'll need a reliable universal remote, which can be a hard choice to make given the multitude available on the market. Thankfully, both users and critics have tested some of the most popular universal remotes in 2026 to help you decide which ones are the best of the lot.…