Controlling phones remotely
One phone in your hand controls the scenes on the set phones – no internet needed.
The set phone lies in the shot or in the actor’s hand – nobody is supposed to touch it. With remote control, a second phone takes over: start a scene, trigger a call, reset for the next take. All from a few metres away.
There is nothing to set up and nothing to pair. All phones that are signed into the same project and on the same Wi-Fi find each other automatically.
What you need
- At least two phones with FilmApp installed → iPhone or Android. Remote control does not work in the browser or on a laptop.
- All phones are signed into the same project – with the same PIN, QR code or link → Project access.
- All phones are on the same Wi-Fi. Internet is not required; the network may be completely offline.
Opening remote control
- 1On the phone that should do the controlling, open FilmApp – the scene overview appears.
- 2Tap the gamepad icon in the search bar at the top.
- 3Remote control opens. After a few seconds, all other signed-in phones on the same Wi-Fi appear under “Devices”.
No code, no scanning, no approval: being signed into the project is enough. Sign in any phone that is not signed in yet – the project QR and PIN sit behind the QR icon in the scene overview.
How to control
Remote control has three sections, from top to bottom:
- Active scenes – one card for every phone that currently has a scene running. It shows the scene name, a Restart button and below it every possible next step (e.g. “Answer call”) with the scene it leads to. Tapping one triggers it on that phone – exactly as if someone had swiped on the device.
- Devices – all phones found, with their connection status and the scene they are running. A tap selects a phone; the selected one carries a check mark.
- Scenes – the project’s full scene list. A tap starts that scene or group on the selected phone.
The scene list at the bottom always applies to the selected phone only. That is why the device it currently applies to is shown above the list on the right.
Several phones at once
A project can hold any number of phones. Each gets its own card under “Active scenes” and can be advanced or restarted independently of the others – handy when two actors are on the phone at the same time.
No Wi-Fi at the location
- 1Turn on the personal hotspot on one of the phones (iPhone: Settings → Personal Hotspot; Android: Settings → Hotspot & tethering).
- 2Connect the other phones to that hotspot network.
- 3Done – the devices find each other just like on any other Wi-Fi.
It does not matter whether the hotspot itself has internet. If a phone does not show up despite being on the same Wi-Fi, the network probably keeps devices apart (typical for hotel and guest Wi-Fi). Use a hotspot or a small travel router instead.
If the connection drops
Each device shows “Connected”, “Reconnecting” or “Disconnected”. If the connection drops – out of range, Wi-Fi changed, app briefly in the background – remote control locks that device’s buttons and reconnects on its own as soon as it is reachable again. Nothing has to be set up anew.
The controlled phone has to stay awake with FilmApp in the foreground. A locked screen or switching to another app breaks the connection.
Back to normal playback
The arrow at the top left of remote control leads back to the scene overview. After that the phone is an ordinary set phone again and can be controlled remotely itself. Every phone can switch between the two roles at any time.
Remote control covers phone scenes. Desktop scenes for monitors run as usual → On the computer.