How to Use an iPhone as a Remote Control for Plex

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”.

1. 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.
2. Tap the ‘3 dashes’ icon in the upper-left corner of the app (see screenshot below).
3. Select Sign In
4. Now sign into your Plex account.
5. Locate the “Cast” button in the upper-right corner of the app and tap it.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. From here you can use the Volume ‘slider’ to increase or decrease the volume.
10. 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.