VLClean Plain comparisons of self-hosted media tools

How to get a push when a new request arrives for mobile approval admins in 2026

Find out whether your request tool supports push alerts, then check its notification settings and your phone before relying on alerts for mobile approvals.

By VLClean ยท

VLClean is published by the makers of Askarr and Watcharr, which are compared here alongside other tools.

A push for each new request depends on the request tool you choose and on the notification settings of your phone, so set both up and test them before anyone sends a request. Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1]

OptionNotification or statusCost details
AskarrShows on the site when a title was added and downloaded [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]
Other request toolnot publishednot published
Another request toolnot publishednot published

What you need before you start

Before a push can reach you, two things need to be in place: a request tool that records each new request, and a phone that can receive notifications from it. Choose the phone or phones that will act as approval admins, and install the app or open the site on each one before anyone sends a request. When the phone asks, allow notifications, so the first request does not come in unseen.

Write down the approval rules in one short note that stays on the admin phone. Include which kinds of movies and shows are allowed, who may send requests, and how long a request should wait before someone looks at it. Checking an alert against this note is quicker than working out the rules each time one arrives.

Radarr adds movies to a library and Sonarr adds shows. If your requests go to one or both of them, know which one each kind of title reaches before you start, so you can tell whether a request has been added or is still waiting for approval.

Decide whether every admin gets the same alerts or only one person does, and tell the other admins what to expect. Test the setup with one request from a second account before you rely on it.

Step by step

Follow these steps in order. Whether you can receive a push depends on the request tool you choose and the notification options it supports.

  1. Check whether your chosen request tool supports push notifications for new requests. If it does, open its notification settings on your admin phone.
  2. If push alerts are available, turn them on for new requests. If the tool offers only email alerts or another notification method, decide whether that is suitable for mobile approvals.
  3. If the tool supports phone notifications, allow them in your phone settings. Set the phone to show alerts on the lock screen if you want to see them while it is locked.
  4. Ask one friend or family member to send a test request, or send one from a second account, and check that the alert reaches your phone.
  5. When an alert arrives, open the request, compare it with your approval note, then approve or decline it.
  6. Repeat the test after a phone update, a password change, or a change of account, because settings can reset.
  7. Once a week, open the list of requests in the tool to catch anything an alert missed.

Tools that can do it

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

You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, as an import list, 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] Nothing is installed. [1]

A webhook from Radarr and Sonarr reports back, so the Askarr site shows when a title was added and downloaded. [1] Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. [1] A bookmark run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. [1]

No other tool is named here, because no source facts about other tools were provided. Before choosing a tool, check whether it sends a push to your phone when a new request arrives, how it handles approvals, and what it does when a phone is offline.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid turning on alerts without testing them. An alert that never arrives during a busy week leaves requests waiting, so send one test request and confirm that the push reaches the phone.

Avoid treating an alert as an approval. Open each request, check it against your note, and only then approve it. A quick tap on a notification is easy to make by mistake.

Avoid giving approval rights to more people than needed. Each admin who can approve is another person who can add titles to the library, so keep the list short and review it when people change.

Avoid skipping privacy checks. Review what information a request tool asks for and what access it uses before you share it with anyone else.

Frequently asked questions

Does Askarr send a push when a new request arrives?

The part of Askarr that reports back is a status view: a webhook from Radarr and Sonarr lets the site show when a title was added and downloaded. [1] For a push when a new request arrives, send one test request and check whether an alert reaches your phone before you rely on it. Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1]

Does Askarr connect to Radarr and Sonarr?

Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time as an import list, and they then pick up your requests from it. [1] Nothing is installed. [1] A bookmark run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. [1]

How much does Askarr cost for mobile approval admins?

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] Each friend who signs up through your link adds 10 requests a month to your limit. [1] Choose the plan whose request limit fits how many titles your viewers send each month.

Does Askarr have a request history with live status?

Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. [1] Which plan includes it is not published here, so check the plan page before you choose one. You can look at the dashboard first with a throwaway demo account and sample data, without signing in. [1]

What should be checked before choosing a request tool for approval admins?

Check whether the tool sends a push to your phone when a new request arrives, and test it with one request. Check how it handles approvals, updates to a request, and the way requests reach your library. Compare what each option costs with how many requests your viewers send each month, and read the cost details on each product page before you decide. Keep the approval note on the admin phone so every decision follows the same rules.

The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [1]

Try Askarr

Sources

  1. Askarr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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