VLC Web Interface: Control VLC from a Browser (Official Lua HTTP)
VLC ships an official Lua web interface that lets you control playback from any browser on your local network: play/pause, volume, playlists and streaming URLs. It is perfect for driving a media PC from your phone. This guide covers enabling it, securing it with a password, and the common "cannot connect" issues.
Enable the interface
Tools → Preferences → All (bottom-left) → Interface → Main interfaces → tick "Web" (and optionally "Web (httpd)"). Set a password in the same screen: Interface → Main interfaces → Lua → "Lua HTTP". Save and restart VLC.
Connect from another device
Find VLC's IP (the PC's LAN IP, e.g. 192.168.1.20) and open http://192.168.1.20:8080 in the browser. Enter the password you set. The default page shows the classic HTTP interface with playlist and control buttons.
Secure it
Never run the web interface without a password on an untrusted network. The HTTP server is plain HTTP (no TLS), so on a public Wi-Fi someone could sniff the session. For home use it is fine; for anything else, restrict it to the trusted subnet or use a VPN.
Troubleshooting
If the page does not load: check that VLC is running (the interface dies with VLC), verify the port (default 8080) is not taken by another app, and confirm the firewall allows inbound connections to VLC on the LAN profile. On Windows, the first run may prompt a firewall allow dialog — accept it for private networks only.