The short answer
Many air conditioners can be controlled from a phone app over your home Wi-Fi, either built in or through an add-on adapter. An app lets you switch on, change settings and set schedules from anywhere, while the remote usually still works as normal.
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Smart control is convenient rather than essential: an air conditioner cools and heats just as well from its handheld remote. What an app adds is control when you're not in the room, or not at home, and an easier way to set up schedules than a small remote screen. How well it works depends as much on your Wi-Fi and the app as on the unit itself.
Ways to control a system
| Option | How it connects | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Infrared remote | Points at the indoor unit | Comes with almost every wall unit |
| Wired wall controller | Cable to the indoor unit | Available for some models |
| Built-in Wi-Fi | Home Wi-Fi and the manufacturer's app | Needs an account and a signal at the unit |
| Wi-Fi adapter | Module added to the indoor unit | Often fitted by the installer |
| Universal smart remote | Sends infrared signals like the remote | Can't always tell what the unit is doing |
A universal smart remote is a small device that sits in the room and copies the handheld remote's signals, and it's one way to add app control to a unit without Wi-Fi. Because infrared only goes one way, it can't confirm that a command arrived, and the app may show the wrong state if someone uses the original remote.
What an app lets you do
Apps vary between manufacturers, but most let you:
- switch the system on and off, and change the mode, temperature and fan speed
- set daily or weekly schedules, which are often easier to manage than on the remote
- see the current room temperature
- control several indoor units, in different rooms, from one screen
- share control with other people in your household
Some apps go further, with estimated electricity use, alerts when the unit reports a fault, or switching on and off as your phone leaves or approaches home. Energy figures in an app are usually estimates, so they won't match your electricity meter exactly.
Schedules are where an app earns its place for most people. Timers and schedules covers how to set them up, and if you're on a tariff where electricity costs different amounts at different times, time-of-use tariffs explains how to work with it.
Getting connected
A few practical points save frustration on the day:
- Check the signal where the unit will go. Indoor units are high on a wall, often at the far end of the house from the router, and thick walls weaken Wi-Fi.
- Check the band. Many air conditioner Wi-Fi modules only connect on the 2.4 GHz band. Routers that combine both bands under one network name can sometimes make setup harder.
- Have your Wi-Fi password ready. The installer may connect the unit during commissioning and handover, or show you how to do it.
- Keep the remote. If the internet, your router or the manufacturer's online service goes down, the remote still controls the unit directly.
If a manufacturer ever withdraws an app, the system itself carries on working from its remote.
Voice assistants and smart-home systems
Many manufacturers' apps link to popular voice assistants and smart-home platforms, so you can switch a unit on or change the temperature by voice or as part of a routine. What each link supports varies, and some only handle basic commands such as on, off and temperature.
Air conditioning usually runs separately from any smart thermostat that controls a boiler, and the two won't coordinate on their own. Set their schedules so they don't work against each other, such as radiators heating a room while the air conditioning cools it.
Security, privacy and moving house
A connected air conditioner is another device on your home network, so treat it like any other:
- use a strong, unique password for the app account
- accept app and firmware updates when they're offered
- check what data the app collects and what you've agreed to share
- remove access for anyone who no longer needs it
If you move, remove the units from your account and reset their Wi-Fi connection, then leave the remote and manuals for the next owner. Selling a home with air conditioning covers the rest of the handover.
Related guides
- Timers and schedulesMost systems have on and off timers that count down a set number of hours, and many controllers and apps add clock times and weekly schedules. Used well, they have a room comfortable when you need it and the system off when you don't.
- Features worth havingThe features that make the most day-to-day difference are an inverter, heating that copes with cold weather, a genuinely quiet lowest fan speed, good airflow control, useful timers and easy-to-clean filters. Many extras are pleasant rather than essential.
- Time-of-use tariffsTime-of-use tariffs charge different unit rates at different times of day. Whether one suits you depends on when your air conditioning and the rest of your home use electricity, and how those rates compare with what you pay now.
- Leave it on or switch it off?It depends on how long the room will be empty. For an hour or two the difference is small, so choose on comfort; for a day or longer, switching off or turning the setting back usually means less heat for the system to move.