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LAN streaming

How to Use a Phone as a LAN Streaming Camera Source

Send a phone camera feed to compatible software over your local network. Follow the documented iPhone/iPad NDI-to-OBS or Android Streamlabs LAN workflow, then troubleshoot discovery and stutter.

By DocumentaryTube Team 6 min read
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You can send a phone camera to a computer over your local network without a capture card. For OBS, one documented route is to send NDI from an iPhone or iPad using Camera for OBS Studio, then add the phone as an NDI Source. Android users can use a separate Streamlabs Mobile-to-Streamlabs Desktop LAN workflow. In either case, the phone’s sender app and the receiving software must support the same feed type, and both devices need to be reachable on the same network.

Choose a sender and receiver that work together

A phone does not automatically appear as a camera on every computer or production app. It needs to publish video in a format the receiver understands. Choose the workflow based on the phone, the receiving application, and whether both can connect on the same local network.

  • iPhone or iPad to OBS: Camera for OBS Studio can send an NDI feed, which you add to OBS using the DistroAV plugin.
  • Android to Streamlabs Desktop: Streamlabs documents a LAN workflow in which Streamlabs Mobile supplies a URL that you add as a media source in Streamlabs Desktop.
  • NDI Camera: NDI lists its Camera app for Android and iOS. Confirm the current app requirements and receiver compatibility for your device before relying on it.

These routes are product-specific, not interchangeable protocols. OBS also maintains a smartphone camera guide covering phone-camera workflows, including NDI options.

Set up an iPhone or iPad as an NDI source in OBS

Install the computer-side components

  1. Install OBS Studio.
  2. Install DistroAV, the third-party OBS integration that adds NDI sources.
  3. Install the NDI Runtime required by your DistroAV release. The Camera for OBS Studio setup page reports that DistroAV 6.2.1 requires OBS Studio 31.1.1 or newer and NDI Runtime 6.3 or newer. These are release-specific requirements; check the current component documentation before installing because versions can change.

Camera for OBS Studio sends using NDI 5, and its documentation describes compatibility with the NDI 6.3 receiver used by current DistroAV releases. Check the Camera for OBS Studio NDI setup guide for current compatibility details.

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Start the phone feed and add it in OBS

  1. Connect the iPhone or iPad and the OBS computer to the same local network. Avoid guest Wi-Fi or access points that isolate connected devices.
  2. Open Camera for OBS Studio on the phone. In the app’s settings, open Output and select NDI. Some app releases may label the option NewTek NDI. Confirm the app indicates that it is broadcasting.
  3. In OBS, add an NDI Source and select the phone from the source list.
  4. Frame the phone, check the video and audio in OBS, and keep the sender app open while using the feed.

NDI discovery in this workflow uses mDNS, so local-network visibility matters. The phone and computer must be on a network that lets them discover one another; merely having internet access on both devices is not enough.

Use the documented Android LAN workflow in Streamlabs

  1. Install Streamlabs Mobile on the Android phone and Streamlabs Desktop on the receiving computer.
  2. Connect both devices to the same Ethernet or Wi-Fi network.
  3. Enable LAN streaming in Streamlabs Mobile and note the URL supplied by the phone.
  4. In Streamlabs Desktop, add a media source and enter the phone-provided URL as directed by Streamlabs.

Follow Streamlabs’ Mobile LAN Streaming Source Guide for its current interface and setup. This URL-based method is specific to Streamlabs’ documented workflow; do not assume another receiver can use that URL or that Streamlabs Desktop can receive an NDI feed without confirming support.

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Check network, quality, and connection options

Make the phone discoverable

  • Confirm both devices are connected to the same local network, not separate guest and main networks.
  • Check that the router or access point does not have client isolation enabled. Such isolation can prevent devices on Wi-Fi from communicating.
  • On iOS, allow the sender app to access the local network.
  • On Windows, check that the network is set to a Private profile and that OBS and DistroAV are allowed through the firewall on that profile.
  • If the network blocks mDNS or places the devices on separate subnets, discovery may fail even when both have internet access. Consult NDI’s discovery troubleshooting guidance for the network.

Balance image quality against stability

If video stutters or drops, lower the sender’s resolution or frame rate, move the phone closer to the access point, or use Ethernet when possible. For NDI, the setup guidance recommends Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 7 equipment for higher bitrates and resolutions, but actual performance depends on the phone, receiver, network, and surrounding traffic; no particular result is guaranteed. A receiver’s low-bandwidth option can also help if reduced image quality is acceptable.

NDI Camera lists high, medium, and low bandwidth modes, along with autofocus, zoom, front/rear camera selection, a connection meter, and tally display. Availability and feature details can vary by app version and platform, so check the NDI Camera product page and the current app listing for your device.

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Use Ethernet only when the hardware supports it

Wired networking can be an option for a more stable connection, but a phone-compatible Ethernet adapter is optional, not a universal requirement. Check the phone’s connector and adapter compatibility before buying one. The phone-to-LAN setup itself does not require a dedicated camera or capture card.

Troubleshoot a phone that does not appear or keep a steady feed

Symptom Likely cause What to try
The iPhone or iPad is missing from OBS’s NDI Source list. The phone is not broadcasting, local-network discovery is blocked, or the devices cannot communicate. Keep Camera for OBS Studio open and confirm its NDI status says broadcasting. Check that both devices share the same non-isolated local network and that iOS Local Network permission is allowed. Wait briefly, then reopen the NDI Source properties.
OBS still cannot discover the phone on Windows. Firewall rules or the Windows network profile may block discovery. Set the network profile to Private and allow OBS and DistroAV through the firewall on that profile. Confirm that the network permits mDNS and does not separate the devices into subnets.
The phone remains undiscoverable after installing or updating receiver components. A component or its discovery service may not have restarted cleanly. Restart the computer after installing or updating the receiver components, then check the source list again.
The feed appears but stutters or drops. The Wi-Fi link may not have enough consistent capacity for the chosen settings. Reduce resolution or frame rate, move closer to the access point, try Ethernet if compatible, or use a low-bandwidth receiver option if available and acceptable.
The phone-provided URL does not work in a different application. The URL belongs to Streamlabs’ documented LAN workflow and may not be supported by that receiver. Use the documented Streamlabs Mobile and Streamlabs Desktop pairing, or verify that the other receiver explicitly supports the phone’s feed type.

For additional NDI-specific setup and discovery guidance, consult the Camera for OBS Studio NDI guide.

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Or let it run in the cloud

A LAN camera workflow sends a live phone camera feed to nearby receiving software. If your goal instead is to keep uploaded videos playing as a 24/7 YouTube stream, StreamNeo is a different option: it loops uploaded videos from the cloud rather than broadcasting a live camera.

  1. Upload a recording or build a playlist.
  2. Add your YouTube stream key once.
  3. Go live; StreamNeo keeps the uploaded videos looping from the cloud.

Nothing has to stay on at home. Each slot streams the uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price, with no re-encode or quality tiers; automatic recovery is included if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card, one free day per account. Monthly: $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo or current plan details, then start your free day.

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