HOW TO USE
Turn your phone into a wireless camera in under a minute. No app install required.
Connect to the same Wi-Fi
Make sure both your laptop and phone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. This is required for the connection to work.
Open the dashboard on your laptop
Open Camcastar in your laptop browser. A QR code will appear on screen automatically. No login or setup needed.
Scan the QR code with your phone
Open your phone's camera app and point it at the QR code. Tap the link that appears. Your phone browser will open and the camera will start automatically.
Start streaming
Once connected, the live feed from your phone camera appears on the laptop dashboard. The status indicator in the top right will show PHONE CONNECTED.
Control the camera from your laptop
Use the controls panel on the right to adjust the camera remotely.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Facing | Switch between front and rear camera |
| Lens | Switch between wide, ultrawide, and telephoto |
| Zoom | Adjust digital zoom from 1× to 10× |
| Focus | Slide left for auto focus, right for manual distance |
| Torch | Toggle the phone flashlight on or off |
| Resolution | Set stream quality to 720P, 1080P, or 4K |
| Frame Rate | Set to 24, 30, or 60 FPS |
Record video
Press Start Recording in the Recording section. Recording happens on the phone at full quality. Press stop when done — the file saves to your phone's downloads.
Reduce latency with Restart Stream
If you notice lag building up during a long session, click Restart Stream in the bottom right of the video. This resets the stream buffer and brings the feed back to real-time.
Tips
Use 5 GHz Wi-Fi for best performance
5 GHz networks have lower interference and higher bandwidth than 2.4 GHz. If your router supports it, connect both devices to the 5 GHz band.
Keep the phone screen on
The phone uses a wake lock to prevent the screen from sleeping during streaming. If the screen turns off, the stream may pause.
HTTPS is required for camera access
Browsers only allow camera access over a secure connection. Camcastar handles this automatically when running locally. If you deploy it publicly, make sure HTTPS is enabled.