Use the Kodi Web Interface to Access Your Library From Another Device

To access Kodi from another device, enable the built-in web server on the Kodi host, then open its local IP address and HTTP port in a browser on the same network. The interface lets you browse a library and control playback; playing video inside the browser depends on the interface, browser, and media format. This is local-network access, not public internet file sharing.

What the Kodi web interface can access

Kodi’s default web interface, Chorus2, can display movies, TV shows, and music in a browser and control Kodi remotely. It is not a general file manager for every drive on the host. Kodi’s web server serves files from configured sources, so add folders to Kodi first. See the official web-interface guide and web-server documentation.

Before you start

• Install Kodi on the device that holds or can reach your media. That device is the host.
• Connect the host and the phone, tablet, or computer you’ll use to the same trusted home network. Guest Wi-Fi or client isolation can block them from communicating.

Set up the Kodi web interface

1. Add or check your media sources. On the Kodi host, open Videos > Files > Add videos, browse to a folder, add it as a source, choose its content type, and scan it if you want titles in the library. Add music under Music. Menus can vary by platform or skin; Kodi’s video-source guide shows the process.

2. Enable the web server and authentication. Open Settings > Services > Control. Under web-server settings, enable Allow remote control via HTTP, keep Require authentication on, set a username and strong, unique password, and note the port. The usual default is 8080; use the value shown in Kodi. Leave Chorus2 selected if it is already the web interface. The separate remote-control-app setting is not needed to open the browser interface. See Kodi’s Control settings reference.

3. Find the host’s local IP address. Check Kodi’s System Information network screen, the host’s network settings, or your router’s connected-device list. Use the local IPv4 address, often similar to 192.168.1.25 or 10.0.0.25. If it changes later, look it up again or reserve the address in your router.
4. Open the address from another device. On a browser connected to the same network, enter the host address, a colon, and Kodi’s port. For example, use http://192.168.1.25:8080 if those are your host IP and port. Replace them with your own values, then sign in with the credentials you set.

Browse and play media

Choose Movies, TV Shows, Music, or another available section to find scanned items. If you select a title, check whether playback is set to run on the Kodi host or in the browser; those are different destinations. The official Chorus2 project says browser streaming depends on the file format and browser support. A video may play on the Kodi device even if the browser cannot decode it. For reliable access to files as ordinary folders, use a secured SMB share or NAS instead of treating Kodi’s web interface as file-server software.

Keep remote access private

Use the web interface only on a network you trust, keep authentication on, and do not forward Kodi’s web-server port through your router. Kodi warns against exposing this port to the internet. Its remote-access security recommendations also advise using a strong password and not exposing Kodi interfaces publicly. The web address uses HTTP, so a password does not encrypt traffic on an untrusted network. To connect while away from home, first use a VPN you control to reach your home network, then open Kodi’s private IP and port.

Troubleshooting

• The page will not open: Confirm Kodi is running, HTTP access is enabled, and you used the host’s current IP and configured port. Check that both devices are on the same non-guest network and that the host firewall allows local access.
• The login fails: Check Kodi’s web-server username and password; they are not your Wi-Fi credentials.
• The library is empty: Add the folders as Kodi sources and scan them.
• Browser playback fails: Try playing on Kodi, or test a format supported by the browser. Not every codec or device can stream in-browser.

Once enabled and authenticated, Kodi can be browsed from another browser-capable device on your local network without installing Kodi on that second device.