Use your phone as a gamepad on your PC

The short version

Setup comes down to the three moves below. The longer sections that follow split them into four steps, because installing the phone app gets its own step.

1. Run the installer. One setup wizard installs everything for you. Nothing to configure, nothing to hunt down.
2. Scan the QR code. Point your phone's camera at the code on your PC. One scan and you're paired — no typing anything in.
3. Windows sees a gamepad. Launch Steam or any game — there's an Xbox controller waiting. Pick a skin and play.

What you need

On the PC you need Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. On the phone you need an Android phone or an iPhone. Both devices have to be on the same Wi-Fi network, because the phone sends its button presses straight to the PC over the local network.

You do not need to install anything else first. The Windows installer brings the pieces it needs, including the virtual gamepad driver, and sets up the firewall rule for you.

Step 1: install the Windows companion

Open the download section on the home page and download the Windows installer, then run it. The setup wizard installs the companion app, the ViGEmBus virtual gamepad driver (skipped if you already have it), and a firewall rule for UDP port 7777. When it finishes, the companion starts and shows the QR code you will scan in step 3.

The installer is EV code-signed, so Windows shows the publisher's name instead of “Unknown publisher”. If Windows or your firewall still asks for confirmation or network access, allow it on your private network.

Step 2: install the phone app

On Android, install the app from Google Play, where it is listed as “Remote Gamepad for PC”. On iPhone, install it from the App Store, where it is listed as “Gamepad Pro - Remote for PC”. Both are free.

On iPhone, the first connection triggers a Local Network permission prompt. Accept it: if it was declined, you can turn it back on under Settings, Privacy & Security, Local Network.

Step 3: pair with the QR code

Open the phone app. It goes straight to a QR scanner, so point the camera at the code on your PC screen. Pairing is QR-only: there is no IP address to type in.

The code carries a per-session token. The PC ignores packets that do not carry it, and disconnecting from either side resets the session.

Step 4: pick a layout and play

Choose a controller skin on the phone: Xbox, PS5 or NES Retro. The skin changes the on-screen layout; the PC always sees the same Xbox 360 controller. Then start a game. Windows reports a standard controller, so Steam, emulators and Game Pass titles treat it like physical hardware.

Two habits help. Start the companion and connect the phone before you launch Steam, because Steam scans for controllers when it starts; if Steam was already open, restart it. And keep the app open on the phone while you play: if the PC hears nothing for a second, it releases every button so a locked screen cannot leave one stuck down.

If the phone cannot find the PC

Most connection problems come from the network. Check that the phone and the PC are on the same network: a guest Wi-Fi that isolates devices, or a VPN, can keep them apart. If the network is right, check that the Windows firewall is not blocking the companion.

If a game does not react, confirm the companion shows the phone as connected and restart the game so it scans for controllers again. The support page covers these cases, and the details and FAQ page explains how the connection works.

Under the hood

These are the technical specs behind the setup above, taken from the same source as the details page.

• Protocol: fixed 20-byte little-endian UDP packets over your local Wi-Fi, on port 7777. Your controller input goes phone → PC and nowhere else — no cloud relay.
• Controller: a real Xbox 360 / XInput pad via the ViGEmBus driver (the same technology DS4Windows uses), so Steam, emulators, and Game Pass titles read it as genuine hardware.
• Pairing: scan a QR code that carries a per-session token; the PC rejects packets without it, and disconnecting from either side resets the session.
• Requirements: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) on the PC, and an Android phone or iPhone on the same Wi-Fi network.
• Installer: EV code-signed. The wizard installs the app, the ViGEmBus driver (skipped if you already have it), and a firewall rule for UDP 7777.
• Extras: trackpad/keyboard mode (cursor, two-finger scroll, pinch-zoom, phone-keyboard typing), controller skins (Xbox, PS5, NES Retro), system-tray operation, and haptic feedback.

Common questions