This guide will show you how to use your iPhone or iPad as a remote to control the Plex media server.
The Plex app for iOS itself can actually act as a remote control for other instances of Plex (eg. Plex running on a computer, gaming console, Apple TV etc). The process isn’t as intuitive as perhaps it should be, so here’s a step by step guide that explains how to use the Plex for iOS app in “remote control mode”.
- If you haven’t already, download and install the Plex App for iOS. Note: if you already have the Plex app on your iPhone/iPad, skip down to step #5 below. Launch the app once has installation has completed.
- Tap the ‘3 dashes’ icon in the upper-left corner of the app (see screenshot below).
- Select Sign In
- Now sign into your Plex account.
- Locate the “Cast” button in the upper-right corner of the app and tap it.
- Select the instance of Plex you wish to control via your iPhone/iPad. In this example, I’ll be using my iPhone to control Chrome – Plex Web – which is a computer hooked up to a TV with Plex running inside of the Google Chrome web browser.
- Once your iPhone/iPad has connected to that other instance of Plex, the Cast button will appear orange in colour. There’s also a notification mid-screen that indicates your connection. The artwork for the media that you’re controlling will be displayed and the Play/Pause, Forward/Reverse etc buttons are located towards the bottom of the window.
- You can control the volume of Plex by using the Volume Up/Down buttons on your iPhone/iPad or by tapping the ‘up arrow’ icon at the bottom of the ‘remote control’ screen to access the Playback Modifiers section.
- From here you can use the Volume ‘slider’ to increase or decrease the volume.
- As long as the Cast icon is orange, the Plex app on your iPhone will be in ‘remote control’ mode. If you use the Plex app to navigate to a different movie/tv show/song and select it, that media will start playing on the Plex device you’re connected to, not your iPhone/iPad.
