How about switching off your PC without being anywhere near it? Or waking it up? Or changing the track currently playing on your iTunes?
Or better: how about controlling your PC or Mac from your friend’s house? Enabling a download, changing the screens, closing apps… there’s quite a lot you can get done remotely just by using your iPhone as a remote control for PC and Mac (and even Linux).
View the apps using your Apple ID To see a list of the apps that you're currently using with Sign in with Apple and manage your preferences for each one, go to Apple ID settings on your device or sign in to your Apple ID account page. Learn more about Sign in with Apple. On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Apple controls the way you use the software you download from its App Store quite tightly, and it's very difficult to run your iPad and iPhone apps on another platform, such as your desktop Mac. Sync Apps to iPhone on Mac with iTunes. It is very lucky to find an iPhone app you like on the Internet, and it is also easy for you to find it in App Store. App Store provides millions of apps for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. If the users want to locate a certain app, they can use the search function of App.
We’ve been taking a look at how powerful the iPhone can be, as a remote control, letting you control your PC, Mac, iTunes, Apple TV and more and it turns out – not quite surprisingly – that there are truckloads of apps that can get things done for you.
What follows is a roundup of some of the best iPhone apps that will let you remotely control your PC, Mac or Linux machine with your iPhone. Here we go:
Apps to Use iPhone As a Remote Control for PC or Mac
1. Remote for Mac
When your body and mind are in the strong grip of lethargy, you don’t even like to move from your couch. Probably, for this reason, remote controls were invented. And for the same reason, Evgeny Cherpak has come up with remote control for Mac. Unlike other controllers, this one is actually an app you can download on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, and then control your Mac sitting in your chair or couch.
You can control your Mac by moving and tapping your fingers on the delicate touchscreen of Apple devices. There are five main tabs on the app: Media, Input, Apps, Menu, and System. This app is appreciated by designers, musicians, writers, and almost everyone who uses their Mac all day long.
Price: $9.99
Download
2. Remote Mouse
If you want to have more customization options, you should keep “Remote Mouse” under your radar. Based on what suits your workflow, you can perfectly customize the interface to let you get on top of everything that matters to you.
Make the best use of quick gestures and volume buttons to deal with your files more efficiently. It becomes a pretty useful keyboard and mouse to offer you more flexibility.
Like using the trackpad? Well, it also provides you with a tiny trackpad that just works in getting your work done.
Price: Free
Download
3. iTunes Remote
Apple’s propriety Remote app lets you control iTunes on your PC/Mac with your iPhone. Setting up Remote is easy and quick and once done, your entire iTunes library shows up on your iPhone.
Interestingly, you can also create Genius Playlists, edit the library and do all sorts of modifications to it through your iPhone. Being a free app, Remote works awesomely.
Price: Free
Download
4. Chrome Remote Desktop
When you talk about the top remote apps, “Chrome Remote Desktop” is the one you should never give a miss. Well, I say it because I have used this app and found it damn good. It works efficiently in letting you access your Mac or PC from another computer or mobile device.
Once you have connected both your iPhone and the computer, you will be able to access files and apps on your computer over the Internet with the Chrome Remote Desktop. What I really adore about this app is the ability to let you control your computer using super handy gestures like swipe with two fingers to scroll up or down, pinch and stretch with two fingers to zoom and more.
Price: Free
Download
5. Remote File Manager
I see this app as a smart tool that can let you take the desired control over your important files remotely. With the support for multiple cloud services including Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Box, you will be able to manage all of your files with ease.
Another notable feature of this app is the compatibility with various file formats such as plain text, RTF(Rich Text Format), HTML, MS Office and more.
The app also lets you stream movies as well as music. As it works with many video and music formats, your entertainment time will hardly come to a halt.
Price: $4.99
Download
6. Off Remote
Ever forgot to turn off your computer before leaving? With Macs and PCs that “sleep” it’s easy to forget that you haven’t really shut down your computer. But worry not. Apps like Off Remote can get that covered for you.
This app lets you check if all computers are shut down, lets you switch them on or put them to hibernate and brings a good level of password protection too which makes sure only you can switch off the computers. Connects fast and easy, with auto-discovery and more.
Price: Free
Download
7. TeamViewer
Nothing beats TeamViewer when it comes to a fantastic VNC client that gives complete access to your computer even when you are on the couch with your iPhone. TeamViewer comes with a server-side application that you download to your PC/Mac and then the app for iPhone which you install on your iDevice.
Once done, you just link up the computer with the iPhone and done – you will now be in complete control of your PC. Get the iPhone in landscape mode and that about completes it.
Unlike many other VNC apps that turn your iPhone into a remote control for PC and Mac, TeamViewer is built for quick setup and easy usability for almost everyone.
Price: Free (for lite)
Download
8. MochaVNC
MochaVNC is more or less TeamViewer on steroids. If you’ve got MochaVNC on your PC or Mac and on the iPhone, you’ll most probably reduce the usage of your Mac or PC drastically.
Crisp interface, a cool way to incorporate the keyboard into the app’s keypad and a really thorough and tested set of features make MochaVNC a powerful remote control app.
Price: $5.99 (lite version available)
Download
9. RealVNC (VNC Viewer)
What I like about “RealVNC” is a neat functionality. It’s designed to work with not just Mac and Windows PC but also Linux computers. You can use this handy remote app to view the desktop of your computer and even take control of the keyboard as well as mouse.
One notable feature of this app is the intuitive interface that makes it pretty simple to control the computer. Moreover, you can back up the connection and sync it across your devices for a seamless experience.
Price: Free
Download
10. Rowmote
Rowmote is one of the most simplistic apps you can ever see. It’s an app-ified version of the simple remote control that came with your Mac so it’s almost the same as using your remote. Only, you don’t have to worry about ‘lost’ remotes anymore.
Rowmote lets you open dock apps quickly and easily. It also features specific controls to Apple TV.
Price: $0.99
Download
That’s all!
What’s your favorite?
So, which one of the above remote apps is going to find a place on your iOS device? Let us know your feedback about it.
You would like to catch up with these post as well:
Wish to explore more such top iPhone app roundups?
The Find My app makes it easy to keep track of your Apple devices. Locate items you’ve attached AirTag to. And keep up with friends and family. It works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac — even if your missing devices are offline. And your privacy is protected every step of the way.
Find your Apple devices.
Use Ios App On Mac
You take your devices everywhere. Which means you might leave them anywhere. Whether they’re under a sofa pillow or in a conference room, chances are they won’t be lost for long. You can get help finding your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, Mac, AirPods, or AirTag right in the Find My app.
See all your devices on a map.
Is your iPad at home or back at the office? Use the map to get a full picture of where your devices are — and where a missing one might be. Some devices can also mark their location when the battery is critically low, to help you find them even if they run out of power.
Compatible with
Get Iphone Apps On Mac
- iPhone
- iPad
- iPod touch
- Apple Watch
- Mac
- AirPods
- AirTag
Compatible with
- iPhone
- iPad
- iPod touch
- Apple Watch
- Mac
- AirPods
- AirTag
Play a sound to
find your device.
When you can’t find something but think it’s nearby or around others who might hear it, you can play a sound to pinpoint its location. Your AirPods play a specifically designed sound that can project across a room — and even farther.
Compatible with
- iPhone
- iPad
- iPod touch
- Apple Watch
- Mac
- AirPods
- AirTag
Compatible with
- iPhone
- iPad
- iPod touch
- Apple Watch
- Mac
- AirPods
- AirTag
Display a message for someone who finds it.
If your device or AirTag goes missing, you can put it in Lost Mode. That starts tracking its location, sends you a notification when it pings the network, and sets your passcode to protect your data. You can also let people know how to reach you. They can simply view your message on your device’s Lock Screen, or tap your AirTag with their smartphone to get your contact number.1
Compatible with
- iPhone
- iPad
- iPod touch
- Apple Watch
- Mac
- AirTag
Compatible with
- iPhone
- iPad
- iPod touch
- Apple Watch
- Mac
- AirTag
Erase it with ease.
Worried that your device has fallen into the wrong hands? You may want to erase it remotely to delete your personal data and reset your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, or Mac. If you retrieve it, you can restore your data from your iCloud backup.
Compatible with
- iPhone
- iPad
- iPod touch
- Apple Watch
- Mac
Lock it down. Automatically.
Activation Lock is designed to prevent anyone else from using or selling your device.1 When you enable Find My on your device, Activation Lock is turned on automatically. Your Apple ID and password will then be required in order to erase or reactivate your device.
You can even find devices that are offline.
If your missing device can’t connect to the internet, the Find My app can still help you track it down using the Find My network — hundreds of millions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices around the world. Nearby devices securely send the location of your missing device to iCloud, then you can see where it is in the Find My app. It’s all anonymous and encrypted to protect everyone’s privacy.
AirTag can help you find just about anything.
Misplaced your keys? Forgot your purse? If they have AirTag attached, they won’t be lost for long. The Find My network can help you track down items on a map. You can play a sound on your AirTag to find something hiding nearby — you can even get the distance and direction to your AirTag with Precision Finding.2
Find your friends.
Invite friends and family members to share their locations. So you can keep in touch with one another, coordinate around an event, or know when a family member has arrived home safely.
See where everyone is on a map.
When you share your location with friends, it’s easier for you to find each other and stay connected. Share your location for an hour, a day, or indefinitely — it’s up to you.
Know when they leave. Know when they arrive.
If you like, you can get notifications when your child arrives at school or a family member leaves work. Notifications are easy to set up, and each person gets the choice to opt in. So everyone’s privacy is respected.
What else can Find My find?
Find My technology can now be built into all kinds of things — like bikes, headphones, and more. So anything that works with Find My can be added right next to all your Apple stuff in the Find My app.
Everyone’s location data stays private.
Just like every Apple product, Find My is designed to put you in control of your data. Location information is only sent to Apple when you actively locate your device, mark it as lost, or enable Send Last Location. Data is encrypted on Apple’s servers and kept for no more than 24 hours. And when the Find My network is used, everyone’s information is kept private — even from Apple.