Home Remote control iPhone app for laundry

[whyrichard]

Hello wonderful Mac people,

I seek advice for a somewhat unusual task. Let me explain.

My 85 year old mother lives in an apartment building that I own, 4hours away from where I live. The laundry in the building is operated by an app called Clothesline Mobile. The tenants use it just fine, you open the app, add money, put in the machine number, and then wash your clothes like usual.

The problem is: my mom is hopeless on a smart phone.

Question:

Is there a way I can have a remote controlled smart phone with the app on it, and remote control the smart phone and app from afar?

Or is there a way for me to control my mom’s iPhone from afar? She struggles to even use it as a phone. That’s all she uses it for.

I was thinking, if I can get a raspberry pi like device that can download the app, I can lock it up in the laundry room. When she needs to do laundry, I can remote controlled the app, and then she can use the machine.

Curious what your thoughts were.


Thank you wonderful Mac community!


R

 

[waw74]

Can you access the clothesline mobile app remotely? (accesing the system directly from your phone when you're not in the building)

My building's laundry room app works from anywhere. at least for machine status. Paying may use bluetooth though, not sure if I can vend remotely, it's very slow, so I still use the smart card. Looking at the CLM website, it looks like vending is a "secure bluetooth connection", so probably won't work

You may have better luck controlling an android device remotely, iPhones do let you do it, but only works on the same network, you might be able to set something up with a vpn.

 

[mystery hill]

Or is there a way for me to control my mom’s iPhone from afar?

Yes, but she will need to give you permission each time.

She will need to share her screen during a FaceTime (audio or video) call with you. You will then request to control her phone. She then needs to accept.

Request or give remote control in a FaceTime call on iPhone

During a FaceTime call on iPhone, remotely control another person’s screen, or allow them to remotely control yours.

support.apple.com

This may be too difficult for her.

 

[whyrichard]

Yes, I think the app requires a Bluetooth connection.

I was wondering if I can set up an android phone with the app and remote control it from my home four hours away.

I have full control of both networks on either side

How would I do this? I know almost nothing about android phones.

 

[waw74]

https://www.reddit.com/r/androidapps/comments/kp4ze8/are_there_any_good_apps_to_control_an_android

looks like it should work
team viewer is free for personal use.
If you've got wifi in the laundry room, you won't need a cell plan. You'll just have to leave the phone on a charger, and have it in bluetooth range of the machines. Or have her keep the phone on charge in her apartment, and take it down with her when she needs it.

now that I thought about it for a second, you may be able to use teamviewer to control her iphone.