Control vs H. I. S.
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Control
Easily manage media playback and system volume on your Mac from your iPhone or iPad. It supports popular apps like Spotify, VLC, and Apple Music without requiring subscriptions or companion app installations.
- System-level volume control
- Basic media playback controls
- Supports TV.app, Music.app, VLC, Spotify
- No subscription or companion app needed
- Connects via built-in permissions
- Requires same network connection
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The simplest and fastest way to control media playback, volume, and more on your Mac. Control connects directly over your local network, so you never have to install or run a companion app. 【NEW】Control any app, video, or website with Keyboard controls. Re-arrange your keypad and add the commands (and shortcuts!) that are useful to you. Additionally, Control always supports system-level volume controls and *direct* playback controls for the following apps: • TV.app • Music.app • QuickTime Player • VLC • IINA • mpv • Spotify • Safari (experimental) No subscriptions, no payments, no ads, no tracking. Control is privacy-first and doesn't collect any data. It connects directly across your local network, so your information never even touches the internet. Need more Control? Send a request anytime. I'd love to make the app as useful as possible. Note: Control’s connection to your Mac is managed via built-in macOS permissions. Once accepted, Control will work forever with no additional setup. It requires being on the same network and enabling Remote Access. Some VPN clients may interfere, depending on settings. Powered by AppleScript.
H. I. S.
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The official app for our parents, students, staff and alumni, Apple Wallet passes, event notifications, widgets, offline access and Face ID. Your school day at a glance Open to a home screen built for the phone: today's date, the current temperature and conditions where you are, the next dates from every school calendar, recent alumni stories, and one-tap shortcuts to the parts of the school you use most. Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets Place the shortcuts you choose on your Home Screen or Lock Screen. Pick which actions appear, resize the widget to any size, and it adapts, more room, more shortcuts. Light and dark, English and Arabic, in the school's own typefaces. Graduation ceremony passes in Apple Wallet Add your ceremony booking to Apple Wallet in one tap: the attending parents' names, your seat count, the date, time and venue, and a QR code for the gate. It updates when the ceremony details change, and lives on your Lock Screen on the day. Notifications for the dates that matter Follow the calendar of any department and choose how far ahead you'd like to know, a day, three days or a week. Reminders arrive as notifications, on time, with no need to open the app. Works without a signal Pages, images and translations are saved on your device, so calendars, admission requirements, staff lists and library catalogues stay readable on a weak connection or none at all. The app tells you when you're offline and quietly catches up when you're back. Sign in with Face ID or Touch ID Parents, alumni and staff can unlock their portals with biometrics. Credentials are held in the device's secure keychain, never in the app itself. Everything from the school, in one place • Academic calendars, National, British, American and Kindergarten • Admission process, requirements and fees • Academics: departments, facilities, partners and staff • Students' life: activities, students' union, library catalogue and the alumni community • Gallery: photos, videos and the 360° tour • Graduation ceremony booking, extras and confirmations • Vacancies, FAQs and school information • Staff portal for administrators Arabic and English Complete right-to-left support with the school's own Arabic and Latin typefaces. The app opens in your device's language the first time and remembers your choice after that. Private by design No account is needed to browse. All traffic is encrypted over HTTPS, sign-in details stay in the device keychain, and the weather on your home screen is shown without ever asking for your location. Download the Harvest International Schools app and keep the school year in your pocket
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Control at every 9 days against H. I. S.'s every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Control ships an update every 9 days, H. I. S. every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Control | H. I. S. |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ryan Whitney | Ayman Agamy |
In-app purchases
Control
No in-app purchases
H. I. S.
No in-app purchases









