Projector Remote App: Which Projectors You Can Actually Control From Your Phone (2026)

Quick Answer: Several major projector brands — Epson (iProjection), XGIMI (Assistant), BenQ (Smart Control/SmartRemote) and Anker Nebula (Nebula Connect) — offer free companion apps that turn a phone into a touchpad remote, and some also mirror your screen or project files wirelessly. Coverage is model-specific, not brand-wide: XGIMI splits its own lineup into two incompatible apps by whether the projector runs Android, and BenQ’s newer SmartRemote app officially supports only six named models. None of these apps replace a physical remote for the very first power-on, since all of them need the projector already awake and joined to Wi-Fi before they can connect.

A lost or dead projector remote used to mean digging through drawers or ordering a replacement, covered in our best projector remote control guide. Increasingly it doesn’t have to — most current-generation projectors, including several picks in our best XGIMI projector, best BenQ projector and best Nebula projector roundups, ship with a free manufacturer app that mirrors or replaces the physical remote over Wi-Fi. This guide covers what each major app actually does, exactly which models it supports, and the gap where a real remote still wins.

By the numbers: Epson’s iProjection app, per Epson’s own product page, connects up to 50 devices to a single projector and can display up to 4 screens simultaneously — built for classrooms and meeting rooms, not just single-user remote control. On the narrower end, BenQ’s SmartRemote app currently lists support for exactly six named models (GV50, GV32, GV50P, GP520, TK705, TK705STi) on BenQ’s own compatibility FAQ, with every other BenQ projector routed to a separate, older Smart Control app instead — a reminder that “my brand has an app” doesn’t guarantee “my exact model works with it.”

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What a projector remote app actually does

Every app in this guide turns a phone’s touchscreen into a directional pad plus dedicated buttons for power, input, and volume — the same functions a physical remote handles, just rendered in software. Several go further: Epson’s iProjection also mirrors a phone or laptop screen wirelessly and projects PDFs and photos directly, with a built-in annotation tool for marking up the projected image. Anker’s Nebula Connect adds a full virtual keyboard and touchpad, useful for typing into a smart-TV interface without an accessory keyboard. None of it works over a cellular connection or Bluetooth alone in most cases — the projector and phone need to be joined to the same Wi-Fi network first, and several apps offer a projected QR code to skip typing in network credentials by hand.

Brand by brand: what’s actually supported

Epson iProjection is the most broadly useful of the four, because it’s built for presentation and classroom use as much as home viewing — the 50-device, 4-simultaneous-screen ceiling exists specifically so a teacher or presenter can pull content from several phones or laptops into one session, per Epson’s own product documentation.

XGIMI Assistant is where the brand-vs-model distinction matters most. XGIMI’s own support pages are explicit that Assistant functions as a remote replacement only on the company’s non-Android-based projectors, such as the H2; Android-based models like the Elfin and MoGo Pro instead pair with a completely different Android TV remote app. Installing the wrong one and assuming the projector or the app is broken is a common, avoidable support ticket.

BenQ’s app situation is split by design, not by accident. SmartRemote, the newer app, is scoped to six specific models per BenQ’s own compatibility FAQ. Older or unlisted BenQ projectors instead use the original Smart Control app, which still turns a phone into a remote, mousepad, and voice-search input, but is a separate download with a separate feature set.

Anker’s Nebula Connect leans toward full control rather than a stripped-down remote — a touchpad and virtual keyboard sit alongside the standard navigation buttons, useful for typing search queries into a smart-TV home screen. Anker also updated the app in 2026 to support a guest mode that skips the login step entirely for quick one-off pairing, while still letting owners log in when they want settings synced across a phone swap.

Where the app still can’t replace the remote

The one function none of these apps handle is the very first power-on from a fully off state. Wi-Fi-based remote apps need the projector already awake and broadcasting on the network before they can connect to it — there’s no equivalent to an IR remote’s power button reaching a projector that’s completely powered down. That’s also why a projector with zero companion-app support isn’t really at a disadvantage for day-to-day use; it just means a physical remote, ideally a universal learning model that copies codes straight from the original per our best projector remote control picks, stays the primary control method rather than a backup.

The bottom line

A companion app is a genuine convenience once a projector is powered on and joined to Wi-Fi — Epson’s iProjection in particular does more than remote duty, handling wireless mirroring and file projection for up to 50 connected devices. But coverage is set at the model level, not the brand level: check the app’s own compatibility list (BenQ’s SmartRemote covers six named models; XGIMI splits its entire lineup by Android vs. non-Android) before assuming your specific projector is supported, and keep a physical remote around for that first power-on the app can’t do.

Prices and specs verified August 2026 and subject to change; check the current listing before buying.