Why this $23 remote control is a must-have for productive workouts (and more)

Let's face it, scrolling through our phones is like breathing in this day and age. Whether your preferred scrolling time is spent on TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, or a chatbot, it's begrudgingly become a daily habit for many of us (I'm looking at you, Millennials and Gen Z).

No, it's not the most useful way to spend our time, but have you noticed that time flies when you're scrolling? And have you noticed that time stands still when you're working out? So I wanted to see if I could find a way to scroll while doing my daily treadmill walk (12-3-30, anyone?) and actually found the perfect gadget.

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I first saw the TikTok Remote Control on — where else — TikTok and was intrigued to try it. It is a tiny remote that fits over your finger like a ring. While there are a lot of scroller products on Amazon, this one from Adzerd had the most ratings of 885 and a solid four out of five stars.

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TikTok Remote Control

A handy device that lets you scroll without lifting a finger.

The little device comes in a charging case resembling a tiny pair of AirPods. Right out of the box, it already comes charged, but it also comes with a USB-C cord for future charging. It pairs with your phone via Bluetooth 5.0 technology.

For the TikTok Remote Control to work, you must turn on your smartphone's accessibility settings. For the iPhone, that's Settings > Accessibility > Touch > turn AssistiveTouch to On. 

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Android users can go to Bluetooth > Paired Devices > click on the settings for the scroller (the device will show up as D01 Pro), then make sure the Call audio and Input device are both turned on.

How it works

Once you have it set up, it's time to scroll. The device comes with three buttons: One for scrolling up, one for scrolling down, and the middle button to pair the device and turn it on, as well as click on something.

I tested out the scroller with various apps. For example, on TikTok and Instagram, it works perfectly to scroll through the endless feed of videos. Specifically, I used the scroller while walking on the treadmill. Usually, walking on the treadmill can feel like an eternity, but we all know scrolling tends to make time fly, and it did make my treadmill workout go much faster!

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You can use the device to scroll anything — a long article you've been meaning to read, your Pinterest board, really anything that requires a scroll.

While I didn't use it for anything other than scrolling, the company said you could also use the device's buttons to take photos or videos if your phone is on a tripod, switch songs you're listening to, and answer a phone call remotely.

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Of course, this is a lazy device. Could I scroll with my own fingers? Yes. But I can see this little device working in situations like scrolling through videos on an airplane while your phone is propped up or working out on an exercise machine.

If you're looking for ways to make your cardio equipment workouts go by quicker, I think the TikTok Remote Control is a game-changer. And at just $23, it's a cheap gadget that will make your life a lot easier.