What is infrared on mobile phones?

On a mobile phone, the infrared (IR) port enables data transfer to another IR equipped phone. The phones must have the IR ports aligned with a clear line of site to establish a connection.

IR data transfer uses a beam of infrared light to send data and operates only at a range of about a meter. Since most televisions and other home entertainment appliances use IR remote controls, some smartphones can be configured to control these devices using third party applications. There are universal remote apps available for IR enabled phones, such as Anymote or ZappIR. Many companies like Samsung and DirecTv offer brand specific apps as well.