A phone next to your keyboard, or in your hand across the room, can switch OBS scenes, mute your mic and start a recording. There are two ways to do it, and which one you want depends on whether you need to see what OBS is doing or just need big buttons that always work. This guide explains both, then sets up the hotkey route with SofaDeck on Windows and Mac.
Two ways to remote-control OBS
1. OBS WebSocket remotes
OBS Studio has included a WebSocket server since version 28 (Tools → WebSocket Server Settings). Remote apps and web pages that connect to it can read your scene list, show which scene is live, display audio levels and sometimes a preview. They need the server turned on, a password, and a connection from the phone to the PC's address. They are the right choice if you need feedback on the phone, for example when you're away from the streaming PC's screen.
2. A hotkey deck
The simpler route: give each OBS action a keyboard shortcut, then press those shortcuts from a phone deck. Nothing in OBS needs to be turned on beyond the hotkeys, the same buttons work for Streamlabs Desktop, and one page can mix OBS with everything else, such as opening your chat pop-out, muting Discord or starting music. The trade-off is that the deck doesn't know which scene is live. SofaDeck works this way.
Set up an OBS remote with SofaDeck
Step 1: assign hotkeys in OBS
Open Settings → Hotkeys in OBS. For each action you want on the phone, click the box and press a combination you'll never press by accident, such as Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F1. The actions most people want:
- Switch to each scene (Starting soon, Game, Camera, BRB, Ending)
- Mute and unmute the microphone (OBS has separate Mute and Unmute hotkeys, or use push-to-mute)
- Start and stop streaming; start and stop recording
- Save replay buffer, if you use it for clips
- Show and hide a source, such as a webcam or an alert overlay
Step 2: make the buttons
In SofaDeck, add a hotkey button for each and type the same combination. Hotkey combos are a Pro feature ($9.99 once); the free version covers single keys, launches and media. A free-version trick: map OBS actions to F13 to F24, keys no keyboard has, so they never clash. Make a single-key button for F13, click the hotkey box in OBS, then tap the button on your phone and OBS records the key (this works on Windows). Label buttons the way you say them: a button called "BRB" runs when you say "BRB".
Step 3: add a Go Live macro (Pro)
One button can run a sequence: switch to the Starting soon scene, start streaming, wait, then open your chat pop-out. Build an "End stream" macro in reverse. Short waits between steps give OBS time to switch. For a full streaming layout and phone-mounting tips, see use your phone as a Stream Deck for streaming.
Test before you go live. Press every button with OBS minimised and a game in front. If one only works when OBS is the active window, the hotkey is wrong or, on a Mac, OBS is missing the keyboard permission.
On a Mac
SofaDeck for Mac (macOS 11 Big Sur or later) sends the same hotkeys from the menu bar. Allow SofaDeck under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility so it can press keys, and allow Local Network so your phone can reach the Mac. In your hotkeys, Windows/Cmd means Command and Alt means Option. OBS on macOS asks for its own permissions at first launch; its hotkeys only fire while you're in another app once macOS has granted the keyboard permission OBS asks for.
What a hotkey remote can't do
- Show a preview, audio meters or the live scene. For that, use a WebSocket remote, or glance at OBS.
- Work outside your home network. SofaDeck is local only, with no cloud relay.
- Change OBS settings. It presses shortcuts; it doesn't edit scenes or sources.
Comparing tools? Our Stream Deck alternatives guide covers other phone decks and what they cost.
Frequently asked questions
Can I control OBS from my phone?
Yes. The plugin-free way is to give OBS actions hotkeys in Settings → Hotkeys and put those hotkeys on buttons in a phone deck such as SofaDeck. Remote apps that connect to OBS's built-in WebSocket server are the other option; they can show your scene list and audio levels.
Does SofaDeck connect to OBS WebSocket?
No. SofaDeck sends keyboard shortcuts, so it works with OBS Studio, Streamlabs Desktop and any app that has hotkeys, but it can't show a preview, audio meters or which scene is live.
Do OBS hotkeys work when OBS isn't the active window?
On Windows, yes: OBS hotkeys are global, so a deck button works while you're in a game. On a Mac, OBS needs macOS's permission for keyboard shortcuts, which it asks for at first launch; if a button only works when OBS is in front, check System Settings → Privacy & Security.