# Rowmote — Verstaile Remote for Mac

> Wireless remote control for Mac applications from an iOS device. (iPhone/iPad app by Evan Schoenberg.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rowmote/id300265786 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Evan Schoenberg](https://appshunter.io/developer/289039917)
- Category: Utilities, Productivity
- Price: $0.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 3.00/5 from 87 App Store ratings · 897 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.2 · 37 MB
- Languages: Danish, Russian, German (Germany), Italian, Japanese, French (France), Swedish, Chinese (Simplified, China), Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan), American English and 3 more
- Released: 2009-01-30
- Data updated: 2026-08-29
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rowmote/id300265786/reviews.md

## What is Rowmote?

Rowmote lets you seamlessly control audio, video, and presentation applications on your Mac from your iOS device.

You love the remote control which came with your Mac - so simple yet elegant, with easy control of Front Row, iTunes, Quicktime, DVD Player, Keynote, and more.

Or, your Mac didn’t come with a remote control or doesn’t even have an infrared port. Buying a remote control, from Apple or a third party, would carry a significant cost!

You carry your iPhone or iPod Touch wherever you go... so why should you carry a second device just to control your computer?  Furthermore, why should you need line-of-sight to do so?

Enter Rowmote!  Rowmote is like your Mac’s remote control, but over the wireless network and even better! By tapping the Apps button, you get bonus abilities, switching between controlled programs, toggling the iTunes Visualizer, and more. Rowmote will even wake sleeping Macs.

FEATURES

 - Control your Mac over a wireless network. No line of sight necessary.

 - Functions just like the hardware Apple Remote Control in:
• Adobe Lightroom
• Airfoil Video
• Amarra
• Aperture
• BBC iPlayer
• Beamer
• Boxee
• Decibel
• DVD Player
• Ecoute
• eyeTV 3.x
• Firefox
• Front Row
• Hulu Desktop
• iPhoto
• iTunes
• Keynote ‘08 & later
• kJams Pro
• Kodi
• Last.fm
• Logic
• Microsoft Powerpoint ‘04 & later
• mPlayer
• Movist
• OpenOffice Impress
• Preview
• PandoraBoy
• PandoraJam
• PandoraOne Desktop
• Photos
• Plex, Plex Home Theater, & Plex Media Player
• Quicktime
• Rdio
• Safari
• Skim
• Songbird
• Spotify
• Squire
• The Tube
• VLC
• xbmc (Xbox Media Center)

- SWITCH: Access your Mac’s Dock, launching & switch between all controllable applications on the Mac, toggle the iTunes visualizer, and more. Order & display customizable.

 - Click-and-hold works just like on the physical remote in applications; for example, holding the right button fast-forwards, while a single click is ‘next’. This is a feature no other iPhone remote control I know of does properly!

- Sleep on demand; wake the Mac automatically
- Pause the music or video automatically when you answer a call on your iPhone
- Proximity sensor support to automatically turn the screen off if the device is face-down
- Secure authentication
- Optional dark interface
- Connect via WiFi or Bluetooth (Bluetooth requires Personal Hotspot Bluetooth tethering)

REQUIREMENTS

 • Mac OS X 10.4.0 or later.
 • Mac: The free Rowmote Helper program must be running on the Mac to be controlled. Download at www.rowmote.com. Some features require later versions of Mac OS X.

Rowmote is a steal! Couple it with Apple’s free Remote app to turn your iPhone or iPod Touch into the ultimate controller for home stereo, mobile presentation, or casual video viewing.

The artwork of Rowmote was designed by Rik Schennink.

## Key features

- Wireless Mac control
- App switching and launching
- Media playback control
- Wake sleeping Macs
- Secure authentication
- Proximity sensor support

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $0.99.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rowmote Pro Upgrade | $3.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Rowmote?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Convenient remote control
- 🚀 Responsive
- 👍 Great for media control
- 👍 Useful for presentations
- 👍 Seamless integration with Mac

**Cons**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Compatibility problems
- 🔒 Requires additional software
- 🔒 Doesn't work with Apple TV

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Frequent disconnections
- Crashes on startup
- Unresponsive controls
- Incompatibility with newer OS versions

**Most requested features**

- Keyboard support
- Improved mouse/trackpad functionality
- Sleep/power controls
- Support for more apps and devices

## Recent user reviews (10 of 897)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rowmote/id300265786/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Nice

*2023-04-26, version 5.0.1*

Setup in a minute.
Don't forget to install the app from their web on your Mac as well. 
Dear developer, it's spelled 'versatile' ;)

### 5/5 — Keeps crashing after update

*2022-12-29, version 5.0*

Version 5 keeps crashing under ipadOs 16.1.
However, developer quickly released fix and version 5.0.1 is coming soon.
It was a pleasure to speak with him and he provided me a redeem code for pro version.

Recommended app.

### 1/5 — Keeps crashing

*2022-12-06, version 5.0*

Just purchased and can’t get it to open on my iPad

### 1/5 — Romote not opening

*2022-11-30, version 5.0*

Rowmote not opening after update, reinstall did not fix it ….

### 1/5 — Utilisé pendant des années mais ne fonctionne plus !!!

*2022-11-16*

Le mode sombre a disparu.
Se déconnecte du reseau constamment... devenu inutilisable. désarmant.

### 1/5 — Keine Apple TV Unterstützung

*2022-10-16*

Angeblich soll die App den Apple TV Unterstützen, was es nicht macht. 1.19€ rausgeschmissen. In der App für 1.19€ erfährt man dann auch noch das man 4.49€ für die Pro Version blechen soll. Das ist Bauerfängerei. Also Aufpassen!!!!

### 1/5 — Kein VoiceOver für mich nicht bedienen Bar!

*2022-07-24*

Kein VoiceOver verfügbar

### 1/5 — Garbage

*2022-07-17, version 4.3*

Doesn't work.

### 5/5 — Pro version well worth it

*2022-07-10, version 4.3*

If you’re on your couch and don’t want to use keyboard and mouse, this baby’s the best. And who doesn’t have their phone on them?

### 1/5 — Not worth the purchase

*2022-03-18, version 4.3*

Can’t access anything without purchasing an additional helper which it doesn’t state until after you’ve made the purchase. Then you need to purchase the upgrade remote. Cheaper to buy new remote.

## Frequently asked questions about Rowmote

### What does Rowmote do?

Rowmote allows you to control various applications on your Mac, including audio, video, and presentation software, directly from your iPhone or iPod Touch. It functions as a wireless remote, eliminating the need for line-of-sight or physical remotes.

### What are the key features of Rowmote?

Key features include wireless control of your Mac, the ability to switch between and launch controllable applications, media playback management, waking sleeping Macs, and secure authentication. It also offers proximity sensor support for automatic screen-off.

### How much does Rowmote cost?

The application itself is free to download and use. Based on the provided information, it operates on a 'free with in-app purchases' model, suggesting that some advanced features or functionalities might require an in-app purchase.

### What are the requirements to use Rowmote?

To use Rowmote, you need a Mac running Mac OS X 10.4.0 or later. Additionally, the free Rowmote Helper program must be installed and running on your Mac. Some features may require later versions of Mac OS X.

### What are common use cases for Rowmote?

Common use cases include controlling music playback in iTunes or Spotify, managing video playback in Quicktime or VLC, and controlling presentations in Keynote or PowerPoint from a distance. It's ideal for home stereo control, mobile presentations, or casual video viewing.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 5.0.1 — 2022-12-29

• Updated interface for all iOS devices
• Redesigned, simplified iPadOS interface
• Added iOS copy & paste functionality for keyboard
• Extensive under-the-hood improvements for improved performance and to serve as a foundation for future work
• Fixed a bug in iPadOS which could lead to a crash on launch in some cases

### 5.0 — 2022-11-15

• Updated interface for all iOS devices
• Redesigned, simplified iPadOS interface
• Added iOS copy & paste functionality for keyboard
• Extensive under-the-hood improvements for improved performance and to serve as a foundation for future work

### 4.3 — 2016-01-14

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

• Added support for connecting over Bluetooth and Peer-to-Peer Wifi (Mac OS X 10.10+; requires Rowmote Helper 4.1.5 or later).
• Fixed a rare issue which could lead to an error when reconnecting to a Mac
• Improved support for controlling Kodi and Plex Media Player

### 4.2 — 2015-10-05

• Fixed iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S+ compatibility

### 4.1 — 2015-02-27

Version 4.1:
• Fixed layout on iPhone 6+ when Display Zoom is enabled

Version 4.0:
• Added iPhone 6 and iPhone 6+ resolution support
• Fixed rotating to landscape orientation on the iPad in iOS 8
• Fixed a few display issues in Dark Interface mode which would make the screen appear too bright
• Fixed display of the active application in the Applications menu for certain apps
• Aesthetic fixes in the Settings

[Rowmote Pro upgrade]
• Fixed appearance of the Function keyboard in landscape orientation in iOS 8
• A few other minor improvements

## Apps similar to Rowmote

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Rowmote Pro for Mac](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rowmote-pro-for-mac/id315316036) | 4.2 (107) | $4.99 | Utilities |
| [Remote: Mouse & Keyboard](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/remote-mouse-and-keyboard/id629019487) | 4.5 (14,207) | Free | Utilities |
| [Mobile Mouse](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mobile-mouse/id289616509) | 4.5 (2,509) | $9.99 | Utilities |
| [Remote Mouse Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/remote-mouse-pro/id380450781) | 4.7 (4,714) | $14.99 | Utilities |
| [Remote, Mouse & Keyboard Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/remote-mouse-and-keyboard-pro/id884153085) | 4.7 (5,410) | $39.99 | Utilities |
| [Remote Mouse](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/remote-mouse/id385894596) | 4.6 (18,559) | Free | Utilities |

## More apps by Evan Schoenberg

- [MediMath Medical Calculator](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medimath-medical-calculator/id289039914)
- [Perfect OB Wheel](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/perfect-ob-wheel/id293656711)
- [ATP3 Lipids Cholesterol Management](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/atp3-lipids-cholesterol-management/id299487991)
- [Optics Clinical Calculator](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/optics-clinical-calculator/id301059660)
- [MedAbbreviations](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medabbreviations/id303058840)

All apps by Evan Schoenberg: https://appshunter.io/developer/289039917

## Related topics

[rowmote](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/rowmote) · [rowmote pro for mac](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/rowmote-pro-for-mac) · [apprelay remote](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/apprelay-remote) · [rowmate](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/rowmate) · [itunes remote](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/itunes-remote)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*