Apple's Remote: turns your iPhone into a WiFi remote control

There it is, the new freebie from Apple which turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a remote control. It works with Apple TV and iTunes over the WiFi network to play, pause, skip and shuffle your songs stored in your iTunes library. You get access to playlists, album art (displayed in the Remote app), control over AirTunes speakers, and the ability to search your entire library. No video support apparently but free is free and 1.0 is 1.0.

Update: Looks like Apple has updated Apple TV to 2.1 with support for the new remote app, along with support for MobileMe. Get it via your Apple TV's Update Software feature.

Update 2: You can control playback of iTunes videos on your PC or Mac well -- a sceenshot of the video appears on the iPhone.

Gallery: Apple TV 2.1 Update

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Read [warning: iTunes URL]

[Spy Alelo @ Jul 10th 2008 5:55AM]

Finally I can put my iPhone to good use!

[Jamie M @ Jul 10th 2008 5:55AM]

Not an apple fan....but that's REALLY cool.

[CraigJ @ Jul 10th 2008 1:33PM]

It is. I've been using is this morning and it works really well.

[ChiWax @ Jul 10th 2008 4:32PM]

I have no Mac, no iPhone, no iPod, no Apple TV, and I don't buy anything from iTunes. I have to admit this is a really cool way to use two things that were bought separately. More tech needs to to be made to be used together and this is a great way to do it....Q

[Jagster @ Jul 10th 2008 6:45PM]

Sounds like a copy of Microsofts Sideshow gadget available for all WinMo 5 & 6 phones.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/03/microsoft-announces-windows-sideshow-for-windows-mobile-developm/

[info @ Jul 10th 2008 10:22PM]

This is really cool. The blog is incorrect, though. I am using mine to control video right now. You just have to put your videos into a mixed music+movie library and it works great.

[skhera @ Jul 10th 2008 5:57AM]

Awesome ... Any idea if this can be used/hacked to remotely control a complete mac system .. or does it only work with iTunes ? Would be sweet if we could control the whole computer with it, a 'la vnc for iphone.

[Luis @ Jul 10th 2008 6:00AM]

well if you want that type of function, I'm sure that Salling Clicker will have something in the works for the iPhone. I purchased the program for my Sony ericcson phone back in the day and I could open programs, control iTunes, even move the mouse on the screen with my phone joystick.

Its cool of apple to release this software for free, but I'm anticipating what Clicker will be able to do.

[holycow @ Jul 10th 2008 6:47AM]

The remote app comes built-in in Sony Ericssons.. you could control various media players (WMP built-in others available on the net) through it... the desktop and powerpoint presentations

[chrillo.at @ Jul 10th 2008 7:14AM]

there is an app for a jailbroken iphone/ipod touch that is called touchpad pro - www.touchpadpro.com - which can be used to control the entire system. it uses the screensharing technology built into leopard. if you want to use it with windows you have to install a free vnc server as well. one of the sweetes apps on my ipod touch!

[ryangohabs @ Jul 10th 2008 5:56AM]

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/330/29245206do1.jpg

[albi @ Jul 10th 2008 3:39PM]

I cant use it because the itunes 7.7 didnt find any 2.0 firmware for touch

[Anto @ Jul 10th 2008 6:00AM]

Does this mean that I can BOTH control iTunes from my Touch AND listen to remote music on the iPod????

[jack112006 @ Jul 10th 2008 10:46PM]

Congrats, Apple, you have just got my first app download

[Shunnabunich @ Jul 10th 2008 6:01AM]

That image isn't from Apple; wouldn't they have something of their own on the website or whatnot? (If there were a mention of it on their website, that is...)

[Shunnabunich @ Jul 10th 2008 6:04AM]

Derp, I haven't checked the App Store for it, so the above is likely wrong. They use Myriad, not Arial or whatever that is, just sayin'.

[Shunnabunich @ Jul 10th 2008 6:06AM]

Derp, I posted before I read earlier articles or checked out the App Store. Bad self, bad! Still, they use Myriad, not Arial or whatever that is, just sayin'.

[Shunnabunich @ Jul 10th 2008 6:10AM]

In closing, please fix/speed up/etc. your damn comment system. I already look like enough of an ass as it is.

[TheSpleen @ Sep 22nd 2009 2:27PM]

The image is from the iTunes store. Pretty sure that's from Apple :)

[John @ Jul 10th 2008 7:11AM]

*dramatic gasp!*

You did NOT just call Helvetica ARIAL! OH, the pain!

[Ad @ Jul 10th 2008 6:04AM]

I have Remote Buddy web app (that installs on your Mac) which does that same thing - really useful and great to show off when streaming to AirTunes.

[matt @ Jul 10th 2008 6:17AM]

I used to use a similar app called Bemused that worked with winamp and my nokia 6600. Welcome to 4 years ago apple fans!

[Marko @ Jul 10th 2008 6:38AM]

yes, and I am sure it was snappy and with a great interface.... like everything else on Symbian and 6600.... NOT!

[loo @ Jul 10th 2008 6:04AM]

i hope there will be an app to directly stream (lossless) music from your ipod touch or iphone to an airport express via wifi.... with no need of a running computer on the network. still great.

[GICarey @ Jul 10th 2008 7:19AM]

FireFly media server for via installer for any hacked iphone/ipod?

[Michael @ Jul 10th 2008 6:03AM]

I want to control my iPod from my MacBook, since my iPod lives in a home made docking station, and my Stereo doesn't have mute. OH THE DILEMA.

[Rich @ Jul 10th 2008 6:09AM]

Surely this is going to drain your battery super-fast? Why not do it over Bluetooth instead?

[Alex Moyler @ Jul 10th 2008 9:11AM]

Oh I don't know, maybe because it's for both the iPhone and the Touch? :P

[Peter @ Jul 10th 2008 6:10AM]

This is really nice! Away with my WM device with salling clicker... Long live the iPhone!

[Richy @ Jul 10th 2008 6:11AM]

Does this control your Apple TV directly, or do I still need to turn my MBP on? If the former, then this is fantastic (and exactly what I was looking for). I've tried Remote Buddy (and a couple of others) that do the same via the iPhone/Touch's Safari browser, but they're a bit intermittent, and require iTunes to be running on a Mac (or PC) somewhere...

This'll be great for listening to tunes from my ATV in the garden. Now, if it would just stop raining in London...

[Jaganath @ Jul 10th 2008 6:12AM]

Why not frontrow?

[Laron @ Jul 10th 2008 6:14AM]

For some reason, I get this random memory of those old school "wrist watch / TV remote control". Used to switch the classroom TV on when the teacher was talking...used to flip her out.

[r3loaded @ Jul 10th 2008 6:32AM]

I had a friend who kept changing the TV channel at a bar with his watch. When the other sports-mad patrons found out, he nearly got killed :P

[collegekid13 @ Jul 10th 2008 6:15AM]

thats great

if i had one

[toxicpiano @ Jul 10th 2008 6:19AM]

goldfrapp! woo!

[Christian @ Jul 10th 2008 6:22AM]

I don't care. They should fix the Front Row / AirTunes issue first. I don't understand why they removed it from Leopard in the first place. Sigh!

[Priest @ Jul 10th 2008 6:23AM]

Had this for a while now, free app from apple.com called Signal.

But good work for trying apple :)

[Richy @ Jul 10th 2008 7:08AM]

Tried Signal, found it a little flakey. And I couldn't control my ATV except via iTunes on my MBP.

Nice try Signal...

[Johan @ Jul 10th 2008 6:25AM]

goldfrapp is so poncey

[Macfly @ Jul 10th 2008 6:32AM]

seems you can't download this app if you're outside of the US.
I'm in Italy, and there's nothing on the italian app store, just a dull gray backdrop...

[alexignatiou @ Jul 10th 2008 6:27AM]

Well, when is software version 2.0 going to be available. I have the app, and a touch but how do I update my touch?

[Andrew Harrison @ Jul 10th 2008 6:36AM]

I was using a php web app [hosted locally on the mac] called zTunes to do this for a while when i first got my iPod touch.

The apple app looks a lot cleaner and much better.

[KilgoreTrout @ Jul 10th 2008 7:07AM]

This has just won the first pize for most expensive and less useful remote ever.

[PiperSon @ Jul 10th 2008 9:02AM]

Expensive but useful as Apple did away with the included remote after the last MBP update...

[Ben J-Strike @ Jul 10th 2008 7:07AM]

this isn't really relevant to this post but mobile me is up and running.

[Kurian @ Jul 10th 2008 7:09AM]

Longcat is long as well.

[Blanka @ Jul 10th 2008 7:19AM]

Why not make it the true long awaited user friendly universal infrared remote as well? I do not want to remote my mac, I want to remote my friggin difficult Onkyo Receiver, cumbersome DVB-T settop box and the TV. Go ask Woz for some nice code for that. Me might have some good ideas for it on a shelf.

[PeterVB @ Jul 10th 2008 8:11AM]

maybe because the iPhone doesn't have IR?

[Bob @ Jul 10th 2008 8:37AM]

Get a Harmony remote.

[DJ @ Jul 10th 2008 11:54AM]

@ bob
if the iphone could control more useful devices like a receiver or tv, then the douchebag from the NY iphone commercial can take another device out of his little baggie he carries around all the time and the pilot could remote control the airplane and screw the stupid air traffic controllers that obviously dont look at weather.com for their airport scheduling.

You all know what i'm talking about.