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How to remotely control YouTube with your Android phone

androidpit youtube remote
© nextpit

YouTube has expanded far beyond its original remit of short homemade videos clips. Nowadays you're just as likely to find professionally produced content that runs to half an hour or more in length. If you want to sit back, relax and really enjoy these videos, then you need some sort of YouTube remote control.

You can control YouTube with your smartphone by utilising a relatively old YouTube technology designed for connecting up smart TVs on the same Wi-Fi network as your phone, though it works for laptops and desktops too. It's been superseded by the Chromecasting technology, but it still works fine — with no HDMI dongle required.

Configuring YouTube TV

Here's how it's done: Go to the YouTube TV portal at www.youtube.com/tv to use the interface that's specially designed for sofa watching. Click Settings from the pop-out menu on the left, then select Pair Device. You'll be given a code, which is the key to getting your Android device connected up.

androidpit youtube app
Control playback and queue up more videos. / © NextPit

From the YouTube app menu on your phone or tablet, choose Settings and then Connected TVs. Tap on Add TV and enter the code you brought up earlier. You can now control playback on the big screen, add new videos to the queue, and browse for new content while you watch.

If you have a Chromecast attached to your Android device, this newly connected TV takes its place, but you can link up to it again via the Chromecast button. Enjoy controlling YouTube from your couch!

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David Nield

David Nield
Writer

David is a freelance technology journalist who has been writing about Android apps and gadgets since the earliest days of the platform. He spends most of his time experimenting with phones, tablets and most other types of tech, particularly if it's Google-related.

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  • 6
    Sunny Jul 19, 2019 Link to comment

    Also you can try the screen mirroring app -ApowerMirror.
    https://www.apowersoft.com/phone-mirror


  • Adnan Mokhtar 1
    Adnan Mokhtar Feb 12, 2018 Link to comment

    what is this technology called? is it websocket?


  • 1
    Dre ™ Aug 7, 2015 Link to comment

    .

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