Control a Chromecast From Your iPhone (No Remote Needed)
“Chromecast remote” means two completely different things depending on which device is behind the TV, so sort that first:
- Chromecast with Google TV (2020 onward, came with a remote, has a home screen): it’s an Android TV device. If the remote is lost, the Android TV guide applies — PIN on screen, one-minute fix.
- Cast-only Chromecast (the older dongles, no remote in the box): there was never a remote to lose. Your phone has always been the remote — but iPhones lack the system-level cast volume controls Android phones get, which is where a remote app earns its keep.
What an iPhone can control on a cast-only Chromecast
Connection is instant — cast devices accept local commands with no pairing whatsoever. From A Decent Remote you get:
- Volume and mute — the big one on iOS, where the hardware volume buttons don’t touch a Chromecast the way they do on Android.
- Play, pause and seek in whatever is currently casting, regardless of which app started it.
- Launching streaming apps on the device.
What no app can give a cast-only dongle: menu navigation. There’s no interface to navigate — content selection happens inside Netflix/YouTube/etc. on your phone, which then hands playback to the Chromecast. That’s the design, not a limitation of any particular remote app.
The practical everyday win
The scenario that sells this: something is casting, the phone that started it is in someone else’s pocket (or the kid cast YouTube and left), and you just want the volume down now. Any phone in the house with a remote app can grab the session — no pairing, remember — and adjust volume or pause playback immediately.
Other options, honestly
The Google Home app can adjust Chromecast volume, buried a few taps deep. If the household is pure-Google, that may be enough. A universal remote app makes more sense when the Chromecast shares a house with a Roku, a Samsung, or anything else — one app, every screen, including the lost-remote rescues documented across these guides.
Get A Decent Remote on the App Store One iPhone remote for Roku, Samsung, LG, Sony, Fire TV, Apple TV, Vizio, Hisense, Philips, Panasonic, Toshiba, Chromecast and Android/Google TVFrequently asked questions
Is there any pairing step for a Chromecast?
No. Cast devices accept local-network control instantly — a remote app connects the moment it finds the device, with no PIN and no approval prompt.
Which Chromecast do I have?
If it came with a physical remote and shows a home screen with apps, it's a Chromecast with Google TV — an Android TV device. If it just shows a photo backdrop until you cast something, it's a cast-only Chromecast.
Can a remote app navigate menus on a cast-only Chromecast?
There are no menus to navigate — cast-only devices have no home screen. Control means volume and mute, play/pause and seeking in whatever is casting, and launching streaming apps. Choosing content happens in the streaming app on your phone.
I lost the remote for my Chromecast with Google TV — now what?
That model is an Android TV, which pairs with any remote app via a PIN shown on screen — no original remote needed. See the Android TV guide.