A remote control is a handheld device that lets you operate something from a distance without touching it directly. Most commonly, people use remote controls to change channels, adjust volume, or pause programs on their televisions. The word remote means “far away,” so a remote control gives you control from across the room.

Remote controls work by sending invisible signals, usually using infrared light (similar to the light used in night vision) or radio waves. When you press a button, the remote sends a coded signal to the device, telling it exactly what to do. The television or other device has a sensor that receives these signals and carries out your commands.

Beyond televisions, remote controls operate garage doors, drones, toy cars, air conditioners, and countless other devices. Before remote controls became common in the 1980s, people had to walk up to their television every time they wanted to change the channel. Some families even assigned this job to their kids, who served as “human remote controls.” Now the phrase remote control describes any system for operating something from a distance.