I recently purchased a Google Home device and have been since been looking at ways of using it to automate more things around my house. I came across this reddit thread which suggested using the Broadlink RM Mini 3 (aka Blackbean) device as a universal remote (IR blaster). At $25NZ delivered (at the time of purchase) I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try it out.

I bought this one off AliExpress: http://s.aliexpress.com/bEZfaYJb

Took about a week to get to New Zealand. The reddit thread suggests a complicated way of setting up the device with about half a dozen different Android Apps in the mix. After much trial and error I found a simpler way.

I used (all free):

- If This Then That (https://ifttt.com/)

- Stringify (https://www.stringify.com/)

- RM Bridge (http://rm-bridge.fun2code.de/)

Interestingly, you may only need one of the first two (IFTTT/Stringify) depending on whether you are ok with prefixing your command to Google Home as “Ok Google, tell Stringify …” (then just use Stringify), or whether you are just performing a single action (IFTTT) or multiple (Stringify). You’ll definitely need the RM Bridge app though.