BlueMote vs Phone Controller
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BlueMote
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The BLE multitool for robot control. Your iPhone, iPad, or Mac becomes a gamepad for any robot that speaks Bluetooth Low Energy. You write two lines that map sticks to motors. Direct packets. No cloud. No lag. WHAT YOU GET • Universal controls — thumbsticks, buttons, D-pad, trims, and triggers • Use a real controller — plug in or pair a standard gamepad; sticks and buttons drive the same packet as the on-screen pad • Two-way communication — text or live video back from the robot while you drive • Direct BLE — tiny packets, no cloud in the middle TWO LINES. OR BLOCKS. BlueMote is not a robot-specific app. Complexity lives on the phone. On the robot you read stick values and drive motors. MicroPython: turn, speed = rcv.controller_state(L_STICK_HOR, L_STICK_VER) drive(speed, turn) A blocks editor works the same way: a BlueMote service block, then map sticks to motors. WORKS WITH Any device that implements Nordic UART. Libraries and examples: https://bluemote.app STREAMING VIDEO Turn on MJPEG and the camera feed sits behind the controls. Drive with the sticks, see what the robot sees. Separate from BLE — the radio stays free for the packets. FREE TO DOWNLOAD. NO ADS. 15 minutes of driving per day for prototypes and code tests. PRO (ONE-TIME UNLOCK) • Unlimited driving • Remember a robot name so CONNECT skips the scanner in a crowded room Docs and examples: https://www.antonsmindstorms.com/docs/bluemote/ Site: https://bluemote.app
Phone Controller
Transform your iPhone into a wireless gamepad for your Windows PC. Customize button layouts, add motion and touch feedback, and connect multiple devices over your local Wi-Fi network. Requires a companion app and driver installation on your PC.
- Wireless gamepad for Windows PC
- Customizable button layouts
- Motion and touch feedback
- Connect multiple devices
- Local network connection
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Turn your iPhone into a wireless gamepad for a Windows PC on the same Wi-Fi network. Phone Controller requires the Phone Controller Windows companion and the ViGEmBus virtual controller driver on your PC. Install them before playing. This app does not connect directly to a game console and does not include games. CUSTOMIZE YOUR CONTROLS Use a full two-stick controller or left- or right-hand single-stick layouts. Move and resize buttons, with separate saved layouts for portrait, landscape and upright or sideways holding. Use independent touches for sticks and buttons. ADD MOTION AND TOUCH FEEDBACK Enable optional gyroscope and accelerometer controls for compatible PC software through the companion's DSU motion bridge. Adjust sensitivity and calibrate while still. Optional iPhone haptics provide feedback for button presses and stick movement. Motion support depends on the game or emulator and its configuration. CONNECT ON YOUR LOCAL NETWORK Scan the QR code in the Windows companion using the in-app scanner, or paste the pairing URL. Keep the companion open while playing. Up to four phones can connect as independent controllers. One phone supplies one motion source. No app account, ads or analytics. Use a trusted private network: local controller traffic is unencrypted. See the privacy policy for the data sent to your computer. Compatibility: iPhone with iOS 17 or later; Windows PC with the companion and ViGEmBus installed; both devices on the same local network. Games must support compatible controller input. Motion requires a compatible DSU client. Standalone left/right layouts require manual game or emulator bindings. Haptic feedback depends on device hardware. Phone Controller is an independent app and is not affiliated with Nintendo or Microsoft. Joy-Con and Xbox names describe control compatibility. The app does not provide IR, NFC, Nintendo HD rumble or absolute positional tracking.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Phone Controller at none against BlueMote's 1. BlueMote's advantage is device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price and ads 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. BlueMote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Phone Controller asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | BlueMote | Phone Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Antons Mindstorms | Jake Jin |
In-app purchases
BlueMote
- BlueMote Pro$3.99
Phone Controller
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is BlueMote free?
Is Phone Controller free?
Do BlueMote or Phone Controller have ads?
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