How to Control Netflix on Your PC From Your Phone

Disclosure: we make SofaDeck, which is one of the options below. Facts about other products were checked on 16 October 2026 and can change.

The laptop is plugged into the TV, the show is on, and the keyboard is out of reach. Here's how to pause, skip, go fullscreen and change the volume of Netflix on a Windows PC from your phone, and why the obvious approach (casting) doesn't work.

Why the Netflix app on your phone can't do it

The Netflix phone app has a cast button, but it only finds TVs, streaming sticks and consoles. A Windows PC playing Netflix in a browser isn't a cast target, so the phone app can't see it or control it. Instead, play Netflix on the PC and make the phone a remote for the PC itself.

The keys Netflix listens to

Everything a remote needs is already a keyboard key in Netflix on the web:

Key	Does
Space or Enter	Play / pause
F / Esc	Fullscreen on / off
Left / Right arrow	Back / forward 10 seconds
Up / Down arrow	Netflix volume up / down
M	Mute
S	Skip intro (when the button shows)

The Windows media Play/Pause key usually works too, because Chrome and Edge send media keys to the tab that's playing. So a remote only has to press these keys for you.

Set up your phone as a Netflix remote

Install SofaDeck on the PC and pair your phone with the QR code and PIN.
Open Netflix in Chrome or Edge on the PC and start the show.
Use the Play/Pause, Fullscreen and volume buttons on the phone deck, or say 'pause'.
Add buttons for the arrow keys if you want 10-second skips.

SofaDeck on a phone: a 3 by 4 grid of buttons (Play/Pause, Previous, Next, Vol −, Mute, Vol +, YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, Fullscreen, Enter, Lock PC) with a say-or-type bar and a microphone button — SofaDeck's default page already has Play/Pause, volume, mute, Netflix, Fullscreen and Enter.

SofaDeck's default page is close to a Netflix remote out of the box: a Netflix button that opens the site, Play/Pause, Vol −, Mute, Vol +, Fullscreen and Enter. Add single-key buttons for Left, Right, M and S in the free version. With Pro, one "Movie night" macro can open Netflix, wait for it to load, go fullscreen and set the volume, and you can say "movie night" to run it.

Direct installer .exe · 3.7 MB Store version signed by Microsoft No account Local network only Signed updates SofaDeck installs on your Windows PC. Your phone is the remote — it works in the phone’s browser. Or email me the link to open on my PCOne email from support@dixonappstudio.com. No list unless you tick the box. PrivacyOr on your PC, go to sofadeck.com/get

Other ways

Remote desktop apps show the whole PC screen on the phone. They work, but video through a remote desktop is choppy and tapping a tiny play button is slow.
An air mouse or media remote sends the same keys with physical buttons. See remote controls for a PC compared.
Watch on the TV's own Netflix app if the TV has one; then the TV remote and casting work as normal.

Same idea for other services: YouTube on a PC from your phone and Spotify on a PC from your phone.

Frequently asked questions

Can I cast Netflix from my phone to my PC?

No. The Netflix app casts to TVs, streaming sticks and game consoles, not to a Windows PC or a browser. To watch on the PC, play Netflix there and use your phone as the remote.

What are the Netflix keyboard shortcuts on a PC?

In a browser: Space or Enter plays and pauses, F toggles fullscreen, Esc leaves fullscreen, the Left and Right arrows jump back and forward 10 seconds, Up and Down change Netflix's volume, M mutes and S skips the intro when that button shows.

Can I pause Netflix on my PC by voice?

With SofaDeck, tap the mic on your phone and say 'pause' or 'play'. It sends the Windows media key, which the browser passes to the Netflix tab.