For years, a well-known trick for using your phone as a YouTube remote on your computer was to open youtube.com/tv in the browser and pair your phone with a code. If you try it today, it will most likely send you straight to regular YouTube.
In this article we explain what youtube.com/tv was, why it no longer works on a PC, and what to use instead to keep controlling YouTube from your phone.
What youtube.com/tv was
youtube.com/tv (also known as Leanback mode) is the version of YouTube designed for big screens: huge text, arrow-key navigation and the option to link a phone with a TV code.
For a while that interface could be opened in any browser. That's why many people used it on a PC connected to the TV: open youtube.com/tv, pair the phone and use it as a remote.
Why it no longer works on a PC
YouTube gradually limited that interface to the devices it was built for: Smart TVs, game consoles and streaming devices. When you open it in a regular desktop browser, YouTube detects that it isn't a TV and redirects you to the standard site.
In practice, that means:
- There's no option to link with a TV code in browser YouTube.
- Your phone doesn't see the PC as a device it can send videos to.
- Old guides that recommend youtube.com/tv no longer work for computers.
The workarounds out there (and why they fall short)
Changing the user agent
Some extensions make the browser "pretend" to be a TV so YouTube shows the Leanback interface. It sometimes works, but:
- It's a hack: it can stop working whenever YouTube changes something.
- The interface is designed for a TV remote, not a mouse and keyboard.
- You lose the normal YouTube experience on your PC.
Casting to the TV with Chromecast
If you have a Chromecast or a Smart TV, you can send the video straight to the TV from your phone. It works well, but the video no longer plays on your PC: you need an extra device, and both have to be on the same Wi-Fi.
The alternative: RemoteTube
If what you want is to keep using YouTube on your PC and control it from your phone, the simplest option is an extension that adds that control to the YouTube you already use.
RemoteTube does exactly that:
- Install the free extension from the Chrome Web Store (it works in Chrome, Edge, Brave and Opera).
- Open YouTube on your PC and click the extension icon.
- Scan the QR code with your phone.
From your phone you can pause, skip, change the volume, search for videos and browse recommendations. No app, no account, and no need to be on the same Wi-Fi.
youtube.com/tv vs. RemoteTube
| youtube.com/tv with a hack | RemoteTube | |
|---|---|---|
| Works in a regular browser? | Only by pretending to be a TV | Yes |
| Interface on your PC | TV interface | Regular YouTube |
| Pairing | TV code | QR code or short code |
| Same Wi-Fi needed? | Usually yes | No |
| Reliability | Can break when YouTube changes | Extension built for this |
| Cost | Free | Free |
Conclusion
youtube.com/tv was a good trick while it lasted, but on a PC today it just takes you to regular YouTube. If you want to use your phone as a remote without fighting user agents, install RemoteTube and pair your phone with a QR code.
For the full walkthrough, see the guide on how to control YouTube on PC from your phone.