How to use your phone as a remote controller for YouTube
Not many people know this, but you can use your Android smartphone as a remote controller for YouTube, and not just on a smart TV, but also on your computer. Why would you want to do such a thing? Some want a bigger screen for their videos, but in my case, it's because I generally like listening to music while I clean or cook, and my PC's audio system offers far better sound quality than the speakers embedded in my phone. Since I'm busy wile listening to the music, I don't actually have the time to go to the PC every 3 or 4 minutes and change the song, so using my mobile phone is a lot more convenient. If you want to try this out for yourself, I'll show you how to do it, and the good news is that it's actually very easy.
The first thing that you need to do is to access the right platform. Remote control won't work on the standard YouTube website, but several years ago Google launched a different website dedicated to Smart TVs: YouTube.com/TV. The first time you visit the website, you will notice that everything is a lot larger, and there are also a lot of sound effects (which you can fortunately turn off by un-checking them in the Settings menu). Once you're on the TV version of YouTube, click on the home icon from the left sidebar and go to Settings. Now, press the Sign In button, and you will be given a code (don't close the window / tab). Go to the YouTube.com/activate website, choose the Google account that you want to use, enter the code that you've been given, confirm the permission requirements, and the TV platform will automatically log you in.
The final step is to pair up your PC and your smartphone. To do this, once again go to the Settings menu, but this time click on the second button, Pair Device, and you will be given a new code (once again, don't close the tab). Now, pick up your smartphone, launch the YouTube app, open the main menu (tap the three dots in the top-right corner), then go to Settings, select the Connect TVs option and press the Add a TV button. Enter the code that has been given to you in the Pair Device window, and your devices will be synced.
Additionally, if both your PC and your smartphone use the same wireless connection, you should see a Screen Cast icon on the top of your screen in the YouTube app. You can simply press that and avoid the whole pairing-up process. However, most people want to connect their mobile to a desktop computer, and those usually employ a wired connection, so they won't be able to use this shortcut.
Once your devices are paired up, simply choose the video that you want to watch on your smartphone, and it will be automatically mirrored on your PC's screen. Any action you perform on your smartphone (pausing the video, going to the next item in the playlist, changing the volume, etc.) will be mimicked on your computer. In case you need additional help, you can find a few images below that will provide a few more clues on the pairing process. What's great is that you can do the same thing with an iPhone, and the process is pretty much similar.
Now that you know how to use your smartphone as a remote control for YouTube, you might also want to find out how to make animated GIFs from YouTube videos, read about how to use YouTube to make money or take a closer look at the new YouTube Red subscription service.
