Airflow Remote for iPhone

The good stuff

It actually does what it says: controls playback, playlists, and settings from your phone. The scrub bar with live preview is solid - I can jump to a scene and see what’s coming before I commit. And being able to switch between subtitle tracks on the fly? That’s saved me more than once when a file had messy captions. I also like how you can adjust audio delay and aspect ratio directly from the phone. No need to fiddle with the main player window. Plus, the ability to toggle playlist looping and move files between playlists is super useful during long binge sessions.

And yeah, it supports Chromecast volume control too - which isn’t always reliable in other apps. I’ve used BubbleUPnP before, but this one feels lighter and less bloated. If you’re already using Airflow, this is basically a free upgrade to your experience. The theme customization is nice too - I switched to dark mode and hid the bottom tabs so it doesn’t feel cramped on my small screen.

The not-so-good

It’s not perfect. The UI is pretty basic - no animations, no fancy transitions. Feels like it was built quickly and then shipped. Also, there’s zero feedback when you tap something. Sometimes I’m not sure if the command went through, especially on slower connections. And since the developer’s unknown, there’s no clear update history. You’re kind of trusting that it’ll keep working.

Also, don’t expect this to work with anything besides Airflow. If you’re using another media server, this won’t help. And it’s only for Android - despite the name suggesting iPhone compatibility, that’s just a red herring. The app is definitely niche, and if you’re not already invested in Airflow, this isn’t worth downloading.

Bottom line

If you’re using Airflow and want a simple way to control playback from your phone, this app does the job without hassle. It’s free, lightweight, and functional. But if you’re not already in the Airflow ecosystem, skip it. For the right user, it’s a solid little tool - no frills, just gets the job done. Worth the download if you’re couch-locked and hate standing up.