---
{"title": "How to approve requests from a phone in 2026", "description": "Learn how Synology media hosts can review movie and show requests from a phone, choose a request method, and check what happens after approval.", "url": "https://vlcleanplayer.com/how-to-approve-requests-from-a-phone-for-synology-media-hosts/", "date": "2026-10-27"}
---
Learn how Synology media hosts can review movie and show requests from a phone, choose a request method, and check what happens after approval.

Synology media hosts can approve requests from a phone by deciding how approved titles get added to the library, choosing a request method that shows status on a phone browser, and checking the request list on a set day each week.

| Option | Request method | Cost details |
|---|---|---|
| Askarr | Search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [^1] | The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [^1] Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. [^1] Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. [^1] |
| Request form | People submit movie or show titles through the chosen form. | not published |
| Shared request list | People add movie or show ideas to the chosen shared list. | not published |

## What you need before you start

Make sure the Synology media setup already has the movies and shows that viewers can watch, and decide which friends or family members should be able to send requests.

Prepare the titles or types of content that are allowed, so people know what kinds of requests fit the library. Keep the request rules simple, such as whether people can ask for any title or only certain types of movies and shows.

Radarr and Sonarr are free helper programs that many Synology media hosts run to find and add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to their library. Have them ready if they are part of the way requested titles are added to the library. Decide who will review requests before anything is added, and confirm that person can open the request list on a phone browser.

Choose where people will send requests. The choice can be a request tool, a form, or another method that gives viewers a clear place to submit titles and that the host can open on a phone to approve or decline them.

## Step by step

1. Pick one place where friends and family will send requests, such as a request website or a shared message thread, and tell everyone to use only that place.

2. Write down who looks at each request and whether a title needs your approval before it is added to the library. Note that this person will often open the list on a phone.

3. Write a short note for viewers that says who can request, what kinds of titles are accepted, and how they will hear that a title was added.

4. Send the note and the request location to the friends and family you want to allow, with two lines on how to search for a title and how to submit it.

5. Open the request list on a phone browser on a regular day each week. Approve the ones you want, decline or delete the ones you do not, and mark any title that still needs a closer look on a larger screen.

6. When a title is approved, confirm that it moved into the library workflow (for example through Radarr or Sonarr if those are in use), and that the request list shows an updated status so viewers know what happened.

7. Ask a few viewers after the first week what confused them, and edit your note to fix those points. Adjust the phone review habit if requests pile up between check-ins.

## Tools that can do it

Askarr is made by the team that publishes this site. Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Askarr can be used by searching for a movie or show on Askarr and requesting it, and the owner’s own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [^1]

You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they then pick up your requests from it. [^1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [^1]

The Askarr site shows when a title was added and downloaded. [^1] Askarr also allows title searches by pasting a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link. [^1] Nothing is installed; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Askarr’s plans include a request history with live status. [^1] You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. [^1]

The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [^1] Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. [^1] Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. [^1] The Pro plan has no monthly request limit. [^1] Each friend who signs up through your link adds 10 requests a month to your limit. [^1]

A request form is another option: people submit movie or show titles through the chosen form, and the host opens that form on a phone to decide what to approve. A shared request list is a further option: people add movie or show ideas to the chosen shared list, and the host reviews that list on a phone.

No other tool is named here because no source facts about other tools were provided. Before choosing a tool, check how it handles title searches, approvals on a phone browser, updates, and the way requests move into the library workflow.

## Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid sharing a request method without explaining the rules. Friends and family need to know what types of titles can be requested and who decides what gets added.

Avoid choosing a tool without checking how it fits the current way movies and shows are added to the Synology media library. The request process should be clear for both the people sending titles and the person managing the library from a phone.

Avoid forgetting to review requests after setup. A request list can become harder to manage if old or unwanted requests are left without attention, especially when the host only checks from a phone now and then.

Avoid skipping account and privacy checks. Review what information a tool asks for and what access it uses before sharing it with other people.

Avoid assuming every request tool shows live status on a small screen. Check whether the request list is readable on a phone browser and whether status updates appear after a title is approved.

## Things to check before you choose

Check whether the request method can be opened and read on a phone browser so approvals do not wait for a desktop session. Check how title searches work for viewers and how the host sees new requests.

Check how a tool moves an approved title into Radarr or Sonarr if those programs are part of the library workflow. Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they then pick up your requests from it. [^1]

Check plan limits and fees against how many requests the household sends each month. The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [^1] Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. [^1] Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. [^1]

Check whether request history and live status are included on the plan under review. Askarr’s plans include a request history with live status. [^1] Compare those details with the way the Synology media library is managed before choosing a request method.

## Frequently asked questions

### How can Synology media hosts approve requests from a phone?

A Synology media host can choose a request method, decide who can submit titles, and open that list on a phone browser to approve or decline them. The important parts are giving viewers a clear place to request movies and shows and keeping the review process easy to follow on a small screen.

### Can a request tool work with Radarr and Sonarr for Synology hosts?

Check how each request tool handles Radarr and Sonarr before choosing one. Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they then pick up your requests from it. [^1]

### Does Askarr require changes to the Synology media setup?

Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Nothing is installed. [^1] You add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [^1]

### How do friends find movies and shows to request with Askarr?

Friends and family can search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and the owner’s own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [^1] A TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link can also be pasted to find the title. [^1] The site shows when a title was added and downloaded. [^1]

### What should be checked before choosing a request tool for Synology media?

Check how a tool handles requests, title searches, phone-friendly review, updates, and the process for adding movies and shows. Askarr’s plans include a request history with live status. [^1] Compare those details with the way the Synology media library is managed before choosing a request method.

The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [^1] - [Visit Askarr](/go/start)

## Sources

[^1]: Askarr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start)