StreamLive Pro

My phone does not connect as a camera

Phone camera not showing in the studio? Usually the link opened inside another app, the camera was refused, or the phone is waiting in Preview. Checks in order.

Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 min read

When a phone does not appear as a camera in the studio, the most likely cause is on the phone: the link opened inside another app's small browser, or the camera permission was refused, so the phone has nothing to send. The second most likely cause is that the phone did connect, but it waits in Preview: when something is already on air, a new input is staged in Preview instead of jumping on air, so you only see it on the Preview monitor and its tile. Check the phone screen first: it says in words what it is doing.

How to add a phone in the first place: Use your phone as an extra camera.

Symptom, likely cause, fix

Steps

1. Open the link in the right browser. Scan the QR code with the phone's camera, or open the link, and make sure it opens in Safari or Chrome, not inside another app. If it opened inside an app, choose Open in Safari or Open in browser from that app's menu.
2. Allow the camera. When the phone asks, allow the camera (and the microphone if you want the phone's sound). On iPhone in Safari: "aA", then Website Settings. On Android in Chrome: the icon left of the address, then Permissions.
3. Free the camera on the phone. End calls and close other camera apps, then tap Retry.
4. Watch the phone's status line. It goes from requesting camera access, to connecting to the server, to connected and waiting for the host, to broadcasting.
5. Keep the studio open on the computer. The phone connects to the studio, so the studio must be open and the tab in front. A phone camera does not wait in the waiting room; it is let in by itself.
6. Find the phone in the studio. If something is already on air, the phone appears as a new tile and in Preview. Take it to Program when you want it on air. See Preview, Program, Take and Cut explained.
7. Keep the phone awake and in front. A locked phone or a phone that switches to another app stops sending. If the phone drops and comes back, it keeps its place in the studio.
8. Make a new link if nothing helps. Remove the phone input in the studio, add the phone camera again, and scan the new code.

Good habits for a phone camera

• Put it on a stand and on power for anything longer than a few minutes.
• Use Wi-Fi. On mobile data the picture adapts to the signal.
• Turn on Do Not Disturb, so a call does not take the camera.
• The camera page on the phone has its own Do Not Disturb button, which turns the phone's camera and microphone off, and a background blur.

When to contact support

If the phone shows "broadcasting", the studio is open, and no phone tile appears after you add the camera again, write to [email protected]. Send the phone model and system version, the phone browser, the computer browser, the time you tried, and a screenshot of the phone screen and of the studio.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need the StreamLive Pro app to use my phone as a camera?

No. The link or QR code opens the camera in the phone's browser. The app is another way to add your own phones, where it is available.

Why is my phone stuck on "waiting for host"?

The studio on the computer is not open, or its tab is hidden. Open the studio, keep it in front, and the phone connects.

The phone connected, but I do not see it on air. Why?

New inputs wait in Preview when something is already on air. Select the phone tile and Take it to Program.

Can I use two phones?

Yes. Each phone becomes its own input in the studio, within the number of inputs your plan allows.

Does the phone camera work on an iPhone?

Yes, in Safari. Open the link in Safari, not inside another app, and allow the camera.

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