Turn your Android phone into a powerful RTSP network camera.
Stream low-latency video and audio over your local network, record footage locally, and connect your Android camera to NVRs, surveillance systems, media players, and professional video tools.
CamRelay supports a range of video and audio codecs to work with different Android devices and RTSP clients. **Video:** H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1, depending on device hardware. H.264 provides the broadest compatibility. **Audio:** Opus, AAC, and G.711 (μ-law and A-law). G.711 is always available, AAC is supported on most devices, while Opus availability depends on device capabilities. The available codecs can also depend on the capabilities of the receiving RTSP client.
Go beyond one-way camera monitoring with **RTSP backchannel audio**. CamRelay supports two-way communication when used with **Frigate NVR** and other compatible clients that support the relevant RTSP backchannel implementation. With a compatible setup, the client can receive audio from the Android device and send audio back to it over the network. This makes CamRelay suitable for applications such as security cameras, baby monitors, pet monitoring, and remote communication.
Control and monitor CamRelay from a web browser on another device connected to the network. The built-in web interface provides remote access to the camera feed, camera controls, and recorded files without requiring you to physically operate the Android device. Use a PC, tablet, or another phone as your remote control interface.
Record camera footage directly to your Android device as **MP4 video files**. Recorded videos can be browsed, played, and downloaded remotely through CamRelay's web interface, making the phone useful as both a live network camera and a standalone recording device.
Turn your Android phone into a connected dashcam with configurable on-screen information. CamRelay can display: - Precise timestamp - Custom camera name - Battery level - Battery temperature - GPS coordinates - GPS speed The GPS speed information is processed on the device and can be embedded into the live camera view as a HUD-style overlay. Overlay availability depends on the relevant device sensors and permissions.
Take control of the Android camera instead of relying on a fixed preview. CamRelay supports features such as: - Front and rear camera switching - Torch control - Focus locking - Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), where supported - Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS), where supported - HDR video, where supported Camera capabilities vary between Android devices and camera sensors.
Keep the camera running without keeping the display constantly illuminated. CamRelay supports screen dimming and immersive operation, including a pitch-black display mode designed for long-running camera setups. This is particularly useful when using an Android phone as a dedicated security camera or dashcam, while also helping reduce display power consumption and OLED/AMOLED burn-in risk. *Require standby lock mode* - Tested with no screen lock
Use an Android device as a more dedicated camera by optionally starting CamRelay when the device powers on. This is especially useful for permanently mounted security cameras and vehicle dashcams where the phone is expected to resume operation after a reboot or power cycle. *Require overlay permission* on recent Android versions
Fine-tune the stream to match your network and hardware. Configure settings such as: - Video codec - Video resolution - Video codec - Video bitrate - Audio codec - Audio bitratehardware - Target frame rate from 15 to 60 FPS or higher depending on device hardware - Audio streaming This gives you control over the balance between image quality, network bandwidth, device performance, and storage requirements. *Video codec* support H.264, H.265, AV1 depending on device hardware. Typically H.264 is supported on most devices. *Audio codec* support OPUS, AAC, G.711 (ulaw and alaw). G.711 is always supported, AAC on most devices while OPUS might be lesser
Stream live video and audio from your Android device over your local network using the standard **RTSP protocol**. CamRelay works particularly well with **Frigate NVR**, making it easy to use an Android phone as a camera source in a Frigate-based surveillance system. It can also be used with other RTSP-compatible NVRs, VMS software, media players, and video production tools. Video quality can be configured from lower resolutions for efficient streaming up to **4K or higher**, depending on your device hardware.
Use your Android phone as a camera source for **Frigate NVR**. CamRelay provides an RTSP stream that can be integrated into Frigate for local video surveillance and AI-powered camera workflows. CamRelay also supports **two-way audio with Frigate** when using a compatible Frigate/RTSP configuration, allowing audio to be sent back to the Android device in addition to receiving the camera's audio stream.
Have an Android phone with a good camera sitting around? CamRelay turns it into a network camera that can stream video and audio over RTSP.
Use your phone as a security camera, dashcam, monitoring camera, or wireless video source — and connect it to the software and hardware you already use.
CamRelay that works with NVRs, surveillance systems, Home Assistant, OBS Studio, VLC, and other RTSP-compatible clients, giving you a flexible way to put an Android camera into an existing video workflow.
Stream live video and audio directly from your device over your local network using the standard RTSP protocol.
CamRelay supports:
Use the resulting RTSP stream with compatible NVR, VMS, media player, or streaming software.
CamRelay includes controls designed for continuous camera operation:
These features make it suitable for both temporary camera setups and dedicated Android camera devices.
CamRelay provides a built-in web interface that lets you access the camera from another device on the network.
Use the web interface to monitor the stream, control supported camera functions, and manage recordings without having to interact with the Android device directly.
Record video directly to the Android device as MP4 files.
Recorded files can also be accessed through the web interface, making it easy to browse, watch, or download footage from another device on the network.
CamRelay can also turn an Android phone into a connected dashcam.
Useful features include:
Location processing for the speed overlay is performed on the device.
CamRelay is designed to work as a network video source rather than locking you into a proprietary ecosystem.
Use it with compatible software such as:
Compatibility depends on the protocol features supported by the receiving application.
CamRelay supports RTSP backchannel audio for compatible NVR and VMS systems.
This allows supported setups to receive audio from the camera and send audio back to the Android device for two-way communication.
The camera stream is designed to be delivered directly over the local network without requiring a cloud account or subscription.
CamRelay does not require you to upload your camera feed to a proprietary cloud service just to use the camera as an RTSP source.
Some capabilities depend on the Android device's camera and hardware implementation.
Resolution, available codecs, OIS, EIS, HDR, frame rates, and other camera features may vary between devices.
CamRelay — turn an Android device into a flexible RTSP camera for security, monitoring, recording, dashcam, and wireless video workflows.
Android 5.0 (API 21) or later. Camera and microphone access are required for live streaming and audio features. Some capabilities such as 4K, H.265, OIS, EIS, and HDR depend on device hardware.
CamRelay uses **Firebase Analytics** to understand how the app is used and to improve the product. The app may collect analytics and diagnostic information such as app usage events, app version, device information, and other technical data associated with Firebase Analytics. Camera and microphone data are used for the app's streaming and recording features. The live camera stream is intended to be delivered directly to RTSP-compatible clients over the network rather than uploaded to CamRelay's own cloud service. Optional location access is used for features such as GPS speed information in dashcam overlays. For details about data handling, third-party services, and your privacy choices, please check the Privacy section.
Camera & Microphone
CamRelay needs access to your **camera** to capture live video and access to your **microphone** to capture audio for RTSP streaming and recording. Microphone access is also required for supported **two-way audio** functionality. These permissions are only relevant when you use camera or audio features.
Location
Location access is used for the optional **GPS speed overlay** in dashcam mode. CamRelay uses location information to calculate the vehicle's current speed and display it on the camera feed. The speed calculation is performed **on the device**. Location access is not required for basic RTSP video streaming.
Foreground Service
CamRelay uses Android's **foreground service** mechanism to keep long-running streaming and recording sessions active while the app is not continuously visible. Android displays a persistent notification while the service is running so that you can see when camera streaming or recording is active. This is important for use cases such as security cameras, dashcams, and screen-off streaming.
Boot Completed
CamRelay can use the device's boot-completed event to support its **optional automatic startup** feature. When enabled, this allows the camera setup to resume after the Android device has restarted or powered on, which is useful for dedicated security cameras and vehicle dashcams.
CamRelay is an Android app that turns your phone or tablet into a network camera with an RTSP stream.
You can use the device as a security camera, NVR camera source, dashcam, monitoring camera, or wireless video source for applications such as OBS Studio and VLC.
Unlike a traditional IP camera, CamRelay lets you use the camera hardware already available on your Android device.
CamRelay can be used for many network-camera scenarios, including:
The main requirement is that the software receiving the stream supports RTSP or a compatible integration.
RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) is a standard protocol commonly used to control and deliver real-time audio and video streams.
Using RTSP allows CamRelay to act as a network camera source instead of requiring a proprietary viewer or cloud service.
This makes the Android camera easier to integrate with NVRs, VMS software, media players, home automation systems, and video production tools that support RTSP.
Yes. CamRelay is designed to work as an RTSP camera source for compatible NVR and VMS software.
You can use the RTSP URL generated by CamRelay to add the Android device as a network camera.
Examples of software and systems listed for CamRelay include Home Assistant, Frigate, Synology Surveillance Station, QNAP, Blue Iris, ZoneMinder, and MotionEye.
The exact setup depends on how your NVR handles RTSP streams.
Yes. CamRelay can provide an RTSP video source that can be used in compatible video production workflows.
This makes an Android phone useful as a wireless camera source for OBS Studio and similar software.
Actual setup depends on the receiving application's support for RTSP streams and the network connection between the phone and computer.
No cloud account is required to use CamRelay's local RTSP camera functionality.
The camera stream is designed to be delivered over the network to compatible clients rather than requiring a CamRelay cloud service.
However, the app itself uses third-party services such as Firebase Analytics for product analytics. This is separate from the RTSP camera stream. See the Privacy Policy for details about data handling.
Yes. CamRelay supports screen-off streaming and screen dimming for long-running camera setups.
This is useful when the phone is being used as a dedicated security camera or dashcam and you don't need the display to remain visible.
Android's foreground-service system is used to keep supported streaming and recording operations active while the app is not continuously visible.
Some devices may not supported the background recording
CamRelay supports resolutions up to 4K or higher, depending on the Android device and its camera and hardware encoder capabilities.
The actual maximum resolution, frame rate, codec availability, and encoding performance depend on the specific phone or tablet.
For long-running use, choosing a resolution and bitrate appropriate for the device can help reduce heat, battery consumption, and network bandwidth.
Yes. CamRelay supports both H.264 and H.265/HEVC when the device provides the required hardware encoding support.
H.264 is generally useful when compatibility is the priority, while H.265 can reduce bandwidth and storage requirements when supported by the receiving software.
Available codecs depend on the Android device.
Yes. CamRelay includes features that make an Android phone suitable for use as a connected dashcam.
You can combine:
The actual experience depends on the phone's camera, GPS, battery, thermal characteristics, and mounting/charging setup.
Yes. CamRelay supports RTSP backchannel audio for compatible NVR and VMS software.
This allows a compatible client to receive audio from the phone and send audio back to the Android device.
Two-way audio depends on the receiving software supporting the relevant RTSP backchannel implementation. CamRelay's Google Play listing specifically notes compatibility with Frigate through go2rtc/WebRTC and other NVR/VMS systems that support RTSP audio backchannel.
No. Some features depend on the hardware and camera implementation of the Android device.
For example, 4K resolution, H.265/HEVC encoding, OIS, EIS, HDR, available frame rates, and supported camera controls can vary between devices.
CamRelay exposes the capabilities available from the device rather than guaranteeing the same feature set on every Android phone.
Yes. CamRelay works particularly well with Frigate NVR and can be used as an RTSP camera source in a Frigate setup.
CamRelay can also work with other RTSP-compatible NVR and VMS software, including Synology Surveillance Station, QNAP, Blue Iris, ZoneMinder, and MotionEye.
For Frigate, CamRelay can provide the RTSP video and audio stream for your camera configuration. Compatible setups can also use CamRelay's two-way audio functionality through Frigate's supported RTSP/WebRTC audio path.
CamRelay supports several video and audio codecs, depending on the Android device and the receiving client.
Video codecs:
H.264 is generally the most widely supported option. H.265/HEVC and AV1 may provide better compression efficiency but require compatible hardware and software.
Audio codecs:
G.711 is always available, AAC is supported on most devices, while Opus availability depends on the device's audio encoding capabilities.
The codecs available to you are determined by both the Android device and the capabilities of the RTSP client receiving the stream.