APPS

If you’re using your Mac as a media center, either powered by something like Plex or Kodi, you’ve probably got a keyboard or mouse hidden underneath your television or couch. With Remote Control for Mac, you can control your media center from your iOS device using the available trackpad and keyboard in the Input section.

Remote for Mac adds the convenience that we expect from our devices in the 21st century. It turns your iPhone or iPad into a fully loaded remote control for all kinds of functions on your Mac. It brings full trackpad and keyboard control to your phone, so you can use your Mac without leaving the couch.

The media tab is handy if you use a Mac as a media center. There are buttons for play/pause, skipping forward and back, volume up and down, and mute. There are also controls accessible from a toolbar at the top of the screen for system features like brightness, arrow key controls, and AirPlay, as well as specific media apps and sites like iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.

Not only does it let you control your Mac without seeing your Mac’s screen, it does so in very activity-centric ways. Watching Netflix or YouTube? Cool, you get controls specific for each service. Running Plex or VLC? No problem, the controls change to give you very app- and service-specific controls, tailored perfectly to give you only what you need.

Macs can make excellent home media centers, but it can be awkward setting up a mouse and keyboard to control it from the couch. It's even harder to pull that off if you're using Apple TV and AirPlay to mirror your Mac from elsewhere in the house. That's where apps like Remote Control for Mac come into play. With it, you can use your iPhone or iPad to type and move the cursor. A recent update even lets you get this all done with your Apple Watch! Let's dig in and see what else this app has to offer.

Whether for work or sheer indolence, Remote Control for Mac lets you fully control your Mac with iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. Developed by Evgeny Cherpak, the app converts an iOS device into a trackpad and keyboard for Mac. You can adjust the volume of your Playback, launch, or close any app, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The app has a host of features that can improve, simplify, and remote-fy Mac’s usage.