Peel Technologies

Peel Smart Remote was launched in 2009 by current CEO Thiru Arunachalam and co-founder and chief product officer Bala Krishnan. Peel built an initial user base from agreements with major device manufacturers Samsung and HTC to include Peel as a pre-installed application on smartphones sold in India. In 2015, Peel claimed that it generated over 100 billion remote commands with over 120 million registered users.{{cite web |url=http://blog.peel.com/blog/peel-tops-100-billion-remote-commands/ |title=Peel Tops 100 Billion Remote Commands |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911012243/http://blog.peel.com/blog/peel-tops-100-billion-remote-commands/ |archive-date=2015-09-11 |website=Peel.com |access-date=September 11, 2015}}

Peel has raised more than 90 million dollars from investors.

Peel Smart Remote is a universal remote control application. Users can also use it to interact with friends and other TV viewers,{{cite web |last=Ha |first=Anthony |date=March 12, 2012 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/03/12/peel-american-idol/ |title=Social TV App Peel Adds Real-Time Cheering To American Idol |website=TechCrunch |access-date=April 8, 2014}} tune into shows, record programming, or get viewing reminders. Users can also share content with their contacts.{{cite web |last=Roettgers |first=Janko |date=May 22, 2014 |url=http://gigaom.com/2014/05/22/peels-new-ads-let-you-change-the-channel-on-your-tv/ |title=Peel’s new ads let you change the channel on your TV |website=GigaOm |access-date=July 1, 2014 |archive-date=June 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140624171031/http://gigaom.com/2014/05/22/peels-new-ads-let-you-change-the-channel-on-your-tv/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last=Flomenbaum |first=Adam |date=June 17, 2014 |url=http://lostremote.com/with-expansion-into-china-peels-300-million-device-goal-is-in-reach_b44616 |title=With its Expansion into China, Peel’s 300 Million Device Goal is in Reach |website=Lost Remote |access-date=July 1, 2014 |archive-date=June 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626205359/http://lostremote.com/with-expansion-into-china-peels-300-million-device-goal-is-in-reach_b44616 |url-status=dead }} It can use both built-in IR hardware and WiFi to discover and control devices.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/peel-smart-remote-for-android/2015/09/17/6e5a3a14-5b1a-11e5-9757-e49273f05f65_story.html|title=A quick look at the Peel Smart Remote for Android|newspaper=Washington Post|language=en|access-date=2018-09-26}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/peel-smart-remote/|title=How to Use the Peel Smart Remote App to Control Your Entertainment Equipment|work=MakeUseOf|access-date=2018-09-26|language=en-US|archive-date=2018-09-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926170742/https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/peel-smart-remote/|url-status=live}}

The application is available for iOS and Android devices. It is pre-installed on Samsung and HTC devices that have an infrared blaster,{{cite web |last=Truong |first=Alice |url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3027238/fast-feed/peel-the-app-that-turns-your-devices-into-remote-controls-hits-50-million-activati%20 |title=Peel the app that turns your devices into remote controls hits 50 million activations |publisher=Fast Company |access-date=April 8, 2014 |archive-date=June 4, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140604075827/http://www.fastcompany.com/3027238/fast-feed/peel-the-app-that-turns-your-devices-into-remote-controls-hits-50-million-activati |url-status=dead }} including Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9,{{Cite web |last=Sutrich |first=Nick |date=2015-03-02 |title=Peel Smart Remote Preloaded on HTC One M9, Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge |url=https://www.androidheadlines.com/2015/03/peel-smart-remote-preloaded-htc-one-m9-samsung-galaxy-s6-s6-edge.html |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=Android Headlines |language=en-US}} and it could not be uninstalled from some devices.{{Cite web |date=2019-04-03 |title=How to Uninstall or Disable Peel Remote App from Samsung Phones |url=https://www.ytechb.com/uninstall-disable-peel-remote-app/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Peel TV Remote app that is pre-installed behaves like adware {{!}} Blog |url=https://www.jamf.com/blog/previously-preinstalled-peel-tv-remote-app-is-behaving-like-adware/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=www.jamf.com |language=en |archive-date=2022-08-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815000638/https://www.jamf.com/blog/previously-preinstalled-peel-tv-remote-app-is-behaving-like-adware/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=What is the Peel Smart Remote application? |url=https://www.samsung.com/za/support/mobile-devices/what-is-the-peel-smart-remote-application/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608133607/https://www.samsung.com/za/support/mobile-devices/what-is-the-peel-smart-remote-application/ |archive-date=2023-06-08 |access-date=2025-04-05 |website= |publisher=Samsung |language=en-ZA |url-status=live }} In 2014, the application completed an average of 30 billion remote control actions per month,{{cite web |date=October 9, 2014 |url=http://www.moneynews.com/Companies/Alibaba-Invests-TV-Remote-App-Startup-Peel/2014/10/09/id/599670/ |title=Alibaba Invests $50 Million in TV-Remote App Startup Peel |website=MONEYNEWS.COM |access-date=October 13, 2014 |archive-date=October 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019173205/http://www.moneynews.com/Companies/Alibaba-Invests-TV-Remote-App-Startup-Peel/2014/10/09/id/599670/ |url-status=dead }} worked in over 200 countries and delivered program guides in 110 countries.{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=James |date=March 13, 2014 |url=http://pando.com/2014/03/13/50-million-users-strong-peels-smart-remote-looks-to-stay-ahead-of-the-tv-game/ |title=50 million users strong, Peel’s smart remote looks to stay ahead of the TV game |website=PandoDaily |access-date=July 1, 2014 |archive-date=March 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313232910/http://pando.com/2014/03/13/50-million-users-strong-peels-smart-remote-looks-to-stay-ahead-of-the-tv-game/ |url-status=dead }}

Since 2017, the Android application has received criticism for displaying advertisements on the lock screen,{{cite web| url=http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/03/29/peel-remote-app-upsets-users-ton-ads-lock-screen-overlays|title=Peel remote app upsets users with a ton of ads and lock screen overlays|last=Whitwam|first=Ryan|date=March 29, 2017|website=Android Police|access-date= Oct 30, 2019}} as well as for showing full-screen advertisements upon unlocking the device and continuously running in the background, which is what allows it to display those advertisements.{{Cite web |last=Gray |first=Robin |date=28 January 2019 |title=Previously preinstalled Peel TV Remote app is behaving like adware |url=https://www.jamf.com/blog/previously-preinstalled-peel-tv-remote-app-is-behaving-like-adware/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815000638/https://www.jamf.com/blog/previously-preinstalled-peel-tv-remote-app-is-behaving-like-adware/ |archive-date=15 August 2022 |access-date=29 December 2023 |website=Jamf Blog}}{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Charanjeet |date=3 January 2019 |title=Peel Remote: Everything About The Notorious Smart Remote App |url=https://fossbytes.com/peel-remote-use-remove-smart-remote/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002204648/https://fossbytes.com/peel-remote-use-remove-smart-remote/ |archive-date=2 October 2023 |access-date=29 December 2023 |website=FossBytes}}

In 2019, it was reported that the application sent users' pictures and other personal information to a server that was not owned by Peel. This behavior was then removed, without comments by the publisher. The application was subsequently removed from Google Play.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Google Play app Peel Smart Remote leaks users' pictures |url=https://blog.pradeo.com/google-play-app-peel-smart-remote-data-leakage |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=blog.pradeo.com |publisher=Pradeo |language=en-us}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|http://www.peel.com/}}

Category:American companies established in 2009

Category:Companies based in Mountain View, California

Category:Samsung smartphones

Category:HTC smartphones

Category:adware