SELF-HOSTED. READY TO GO.
Jellyfin on CarPlay. Your library goes with you.
Add your Jellyfin server in Dashow, sign in with your server account, and choose a movie or TV episode. After confirming playback on iPhone, select a compatible car video display while parked. Supported downloads and Download Season can prepare local episodes before you leave your home connection.
- 01
Browse your Jellyfin films, seasons, episode details, and server artwork in Dashow.
- 02
Continue Watching and Next Up make short viewing sessions easier to pick up again.
- 03
Prepare supported episodes or seasons locally when the server will not be reachable.
How it works
Your quick start
- 01
Add your Jellyfin server
Choose Jellyfin in Add and enter the server address and account details.
- 02
Open a familiar title
Browse a movie or TV season and confirm the right episode plays on iPhone.
- 03
Save for an offline stop
Use Download on a supported title, or Download Season when available, and wait for completion.
- 04
Bring it to CarPlay
Select your compatible car display while parked, then check the picture and sound.
Give your Jellyfin collection a familiar home.
Open Add in Dashow and choose Jellyfin. Enter the address of your server and the account you use for that library. Begin on a network where the server is already reachable, such as your home Wi-Fi. When the connection succeeds, open the films or shows you expect that account to see.
Choose a known title and play it on iPhone. Seeing the server name is only the connection step; seeing the correct film and hearing its audio confirms access to the actual media. This is the best starting point before testing the car display.
Let the show keep its structure.
Browse a series by season, see episode information, and choose the next part in order. Dashow uses the server’s artwork and details so the collection still feels like yours. Next Up and Continue Watching give a short break a useful starting point without reopening every season page.
Supported playback is reported back to Jellyfin, including progress and stop state. Watched marks help you distinguish an episode you have completed from the one you want next. This makes a few minutes at a charger part of the same viewing habit as your evening at home.
Take episodes with you before leaving Wi-Fi.
Open a supported movie or episode and choose Download. An eligible season page can also offer Download Season for episodes not already saved. The progress indicator shows the transfer; wait until it finishes, then open the actual local copy and test it before departure.
Downloaded titles join your library with their movie or series identity. Your next parked break can start from the saved file rather than asking the server to stream the whole episode. Keep a small selection first so you can check storage, transfer time, and playback with your own media.
Give your home server a view from the car.
With the vehicle parked, connect your iPhone and open the selected movie in Dashow. Choose the compatible car display from the player’s display control. Confirm the video, dialogue, and pause behavior on that actual receiver. Check subtitles there too if they are part of your preferred watch.
If you are streaming rather than using a local copy, the Jellyfin server needs to remain reachable from the phone. Your home Wi-Fi address may not be the route you use away from home. Prepare a download when you want the movie independent of that network arrangement.
Check access before changing the movie.
If you cannot see the expected library, confirm the account has access to it. If the library appears but a title will not play, test that title on iPhone and compare with another file. If playback fails only after leaving home, check server reachability from your current network.
A saved download provides another useful test. When the local copy plays but a stream does not, focus on the source connection. When both play on iPhone but not the car screen, return to the receiver’s video capability and output selection.
Choose how your Jellyfin library travels
| Your situation | Use | Useful check |
|---|---|---|
| At home or on a network with server access | Stream from Jellyfin | Play the actual title on iPhone |
| Away from your home Wi-Fi | An existing reachable remote setup | Check access from that network before the trip |
| No reliable server connection | A supported local download | Open the saved copy after the transfer finishes |
