StreamLive ProMy phone camera dropped in the middle of a live
Phone camera froze or says Reconnecting during a live? The studio keeps its place for 5 minutes by default while the phone tries again. What viewers see and what to do.
When a phone camera drops during a live, the studio does not throw it out. Its tile shows a Reconnecting card with a countdown, only you see that card, and the phone keeps trying to come back by itself. The most common causes are the phone going to the background (a call, a notification you tapped, the screen locking) and a weak or changing connection. Bring the camera page back to the front on the phone, or move it to better Wi-Fi, and the picture returns to the same place in your show.
What you see in the studio
The card on the phone's tile says why it is waiting and how long it will keep the place:
| On the card | What it means |
|---|---|
| Reconnecting · 4:32 | The connection dropped; the phone is trying again. The time is how long the studio keeps its place |
| Phone in background | The camera page on the phone is not in front, so the browser paused the camera |
| Call on the phone | A call took over the phone (with the camera in the phone browser, a call usually shows as Phone in background) |
| Viewers see the last picture | While it is away, viewers see the last frame |
| Hidden from viewers until it is back | While it is away, the camera leaves the picture |
The card has two buttons: Take out (remove the camera now, and tell the phone to stop trying) and Hold settings.
Symptom, likely cause, fix
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Phone in background | A call, another app, or the screen locked | Open the browser on the phone and go back to the camera page |
| Reconnecting, phone shows No internet | Wi-Fi dropped or mobile data is weak | Move closer to the router or switch to good Wi-Fi |
| Reconnecting after walking out of Wi-Fi | The phone moved to mobile data | Usually nothing: the phone asks the studio to reconnect at once over the new network |
| Picture comes back blurry | The phone lowered its quality on a weak connection | Improve the connection; quality rises again slowly by itself |
| The tile disappeared | The hold time ran out | Add the phone again (Add input, Phone) and scan the code |
| The phone shows that the camera was taken out | Someone pressed Take out in the studio | Add the phone again if you need it |
Steps
- Look at the card first. It tells you whether the phone is in the background or the connection dropped.
- Decide what viewers see. If the phone was on air, either keep the last frame or take another camera to Program right away. A phone that is away does not have to be on air.
- Fix the phone. Unlock it and bring the camera page back to the front. If it says No internet, fix the Wi-Fi. When the connection is back, the phone shows Back online, connecting, and the picture returns to its tile.
- Set the hold time if you need more or less. Press Hold settings on the card. How long to keep its place: 1, 2, 5, 10, 15 or 30 minutes, or Do not hold (remove at once). What viewers see meanwhile: the last picture, or nothing (the camera leaves the picture until it is back). Press Save. The default is 5 minutes, and the choice is kept in this browser.
- Take it out if it will not come back. Press Take out. The phone stops retrying and the tile is removed. Add the phone again later and scan the code.
- After the live, prevent it next time. See the habits below.
Habits that prevent drops
- Do Not Disturb on the phone, so calls and notifications do not pull the camera page away.
- Power and Wi-Fi. A charger, and a strong Wi-Fi signal where the phone stands.
- Do not lock the phone or switch apps while it is a camera. Browsers pause the camera when the page is not in front, on iPhone and Android alike.
- One spare angle. Keep a second camera ready to Take if a phone drops at a bad moment.
How to connect a phone in the first place: Use an iPhone as a camera for live streaming, no app needed, Use an Android phone as a camera for live streaming. If it never connects at all: My phone does not connect as a camera.
When to contact support
If the phone shows it is connected and broadcasting, the studio is open and in front, and the tile stays on Reconnecting for more than a minute, write to [email protected]. Send the phone model and system version, the phone browser, the computer browser, the time it happened, and a screenshot of the tile and of the phone screen.
Frequently asked questions
What do viewers see when my phone camera drops?
By default the last picture from the phone. In Hold settings you can choose that the camera leaves the picture until it is back instead.
How long does the studio wait for a phone that dropped?
5 minutes by default. You can set 1 to 30 minutes, or remove it at once, in Hold settings on the card.
Does the broadcast stop when a phone drops?
No. The broadcast goes on with everything else; only that camera's tile waits.
Why does the phone drop when I get a call?
The call takes the phone away from the camera page, and the browser pauses the camera. Turn on Do Not Disturb before the live.
Do I have to scan the code again after a drop?
Not while the studio keeps its place: the phone comes back by itself. After the hold time ends, or after Take out, add it again and scan the code.
Keep reading
Which browser to use for StreamLive Pro: Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox on a computer, Safari or Chrome on a phone or iPad, and why in-app browsers fail.
My phone does not connect as a cameraPhone 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.
My camera does not work in the browserCamera not working in Chrome, Edge or Safari? Usually the site or the computer blocks it, or another app holds it. Where to allow it, from each vendor's help.
Where is my live stream recording?Where is my live stream recording? Check Past streams and Storage, keep the video within about two hours, and learn why some broadcasts have none.
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