Remote control
Listen can serve a small web page that works as a remote control for your phone or another computer on your network. It is off by default. The settings are under Settings → Window → Remote control.
Turning it on
- Open Settings → Window → Remote control.
- Switch on Enable remote control server. The row then shows “Running: open http://…:4333 on the phone”. If it cannot start (for example the port is taken), it shows “Not running” and the reason.
- On the phone, open that address in a browser, replacing
localhostwith this computer’s address on your network, for examplehttp://192.168.1.20:4333. - Optionally use the browser’s “Add to Home Screen” to install the page like an app.
Settings
| Setting | Meaning | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable remote control server | Starts and stops the server. | Off |
| Remote server port | TCP port, 1 to 65535. Press Enter to apply. | 4333 |
| Remote server address | 0.0.0.0 lets other devices in your network connect; 127.0.0.1 only this computer. Press Enter to apply. | 0.0.0.0 |
| Remote server username | User name for sign-in. | empty |
| Remote server password | Password for sign-in. Stored in the system keyring, not in the settings file. Press Enter to save; Enter on an empty field clears it. | empty |
Leave both username and password empty for no sign-in. If you set either, the browser asks for a login (HTTP basic authentication) before it shows the page.
What the page can do
The page has six tabs:
| Tab | Content |
|---|---|
| Home | Cover, title and artist, seek bar, shuffle, previous, play/pause, next, repeat, volume slider, favourite heart and star rating. While internet radio plays it shows the station name. |
| Queue | The queue with the playing entry highlighted. Tap an entry to jump to it, the cross removes it, and Clear queue empties it. |
| Albums | Searchable list of albums; tap to play. |
| Playlists | Your playlists; tap to play. |
| Radio | Internet radio stations; tap to play. |
| Tracks | Searchable list of songs; tap to play. |
The star rating only appears for songs from a server that supports ratings. The page updates live over a WebSocket and reconnects on its own if the connection drops. Its message format is compatible with the Feishin remote.
Security
- The page and the connection use plain HTTP and WebSocket, without encryption. A basic-auth password is therefore visible to anyone who can watch your network traffic. Use the remote only on a network you trust, or keep the address at
127.0.0.1and reach it through your own secure tunnel. - With an empty username and password and an address other than
127.0.0.1, Listen shows a red warning: “Anyone in your network can control Listen. Set a username and password.” - The page only receives what it needs: the song’s details and the cover, which Listen serves itself at
/cover. Your music server’s address, login and tokens never leave Listen. - Do not forward the port to the internet.
- Some systems ask you to allow Listen through the firewall the first time the server listens on a network address.
To use Listen from an AI assistant rather than a phone, see MCP server.