RemotePlayback

About

Want to control YouTube on your computer from your phone — just like a real TV? Remote Playback makes it happen.

Remote Playback transforms your browser into a YouTube TV (Leanback) receiver — the same cinematic interface you see on Smart TVs, game consoles, and streaming devices. Cast videos from your phone, queue up playlists, and control everything without touching your keyboard.

What does it do?
When you visit youtube.com/tv with this extension enabled, your browser pretends to be a Samsung Smart TV. YouTube then serves the full TV interface — large thumbnails, horizontal shelves, and a remote-friendly layout — instead of the regular desktop site. You also get background playback (videos keep playing when you switch tabs).

How to use:
1. Install the extension and click the Remote Playback icon in your toolbar
2. Make sure "TV Mode" is toggled ON
3. Go to youtube.com/tv — you will see the YouTube TV interface
4. Sign in to your YouTube/Google account
5. Click "Go Fullscreen" for the full TV experience
6. Use your keyboard arrow keys to navigate (just like a TV remote)
7. Switch to another tab — your video keeps playing in the background

Control from your phone:
Since your browser appears as a Smart TV to YouTube, you can pair it with the YouTube app on your phone — just like pairing a real TV. Open the YouTube app on your phone, tap the Cast icon, and select your browser. You can then:
- Queue videos from your phone
- Play, pause, skip, and seek from your phone
- Browse and add to queue without interrupting playback
- Control volume and subtitles remotely

Features:
- TV Mode — Spoofs the User-Agent as a Smart TV to unlock the Leanback interface at youtube.com/tv
- Background Playback — Videos keep playing when you switch tabs or minimize the browser
- Fullscreen Toggle — One-click fullscreen from the popup for a true TV experience
- Phone as Remote — Pair the YouTube app on your phone to control playback, queue videos, and browse hands-free

Why use this?
- Use your phone as a remote — queue videos, play, pause, skip, and browse without touching your keyboard
- Watch YouTube on a second monitor with a clean, distraction-free TV interface
- Use keyboard arrow keys and Enter to browse — no mouse needed
- Cast-like experience without needing a Chromecast or Smart TV

Privacy:
This extension only operates on youtube.com/tv. It collects no personal data, has no analytics or telemetry, and makes no external network requests. All settings are stored locally on your device and are deleted when the extension is uninstalled.

Works on all Chromium-based browsers: Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi, and Arc.