Guides
CamRelay User Guide
CamRelay - Cámara IP en directo mediante RTSP
Convierte tu teléfono Android en una cámara IP RTSP
Convierte tu teléfono Android en una potente cámara de red RTSP.
Paid
Android 7.0+
Transmite vídeo y audio con baja latencia a través de tu red local, graba las imágenes localmente y conecta tu cámara Android a NVR, sistemas de videovigilancia, reproductores multimedia y herramientas de vídeo profesionales.
Features
Video & Audio Codecs
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.
Two-Way Audio
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.
Web-Based Remote Control
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.
Local Video Recording
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.
Dashcam Mode & Live Overlays
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.
Advanced Camera Controls
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.
Screen-Off Streaming
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
Automatic Startup
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
Flexible Streaming Controls
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
RTSP Live Streaming
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.
Frigate NVR Integration
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.
About this app
Convierte tu teléfono Android en una cámara de red
¿Tienes un teléfono Android con una buena cámara que no utilizas? CamRelay lo convierte en una cámara de red capaz de transmitir vídeo y audio mediante RTSP.
Utiliza tu teléfono como cámara de seguridad, cámara para el coche, cámara de monitorización o fuente de vídeo inalámbrica, y conéctalo al software y hardware que ya utilizas.
CamRelay funciona con NVR, sistemas de videovigilancia, Home Assistant, OBS Studio, VLC y otros clientes compatibles con RTSP, ofreciéndote una forma flexible de integrar una cámara Android en un flujo de vídeo existente.
📡 Streaming RTSP
Transmite vídeo y audio en directo directamente desde tu dispositivo a través de tu red local mediante el protocolo estándar RTSP.
CamRelay admite:
- Vídeo H.264 y H.265/HEVC
- Resoluciones de 480p, 720p, 1080p, 4K y superiores, según el hardware
- Tasa de bits de vídeo y audio configurable
- Frecuencias de imagen objetivo de 15–60 FPS
- Codificación de vídeo acelerada por hardware cuando es compatible
Utiliza el flujo RTSP resultante con NVR, VMS, reproductores multimedia o software de streaming compatibles.
🎥 Mucho más que un simple flujo de cámara
CamRelay incluye controles diseñados para el funcionamiento continuo de la cámara:
- Cambio entre la cámara frontal y trasera
- Control de la linterna
- Control del enfoque
- Estabilización OIS/EIS cuando es compatible
- HDR cuando es compatible
- Streaming con la pantalla apagada
- Modo inmersivo y atenuación de pantalla
- Inicio automático después de arrancar el dispositivo
Estas funciones hacen que sea adecuado tanto para configuraciones temporales como para dispositivos Android dedicados a funcionar como cámaras.
🌐 Controla tu cámara desde un navegador
CamRelay incluye una interfaz web integrada que permite acceder a la cámara desde otro dispositivo de la red.
Utiliza la interfaz web para supervisar el flujo, controlar las funciones compatibles de la cámara y gestionar las grabaciones sin tener que interactuar directamente con el dispositivo Android.
💾 Grabación local
Graba vídeo directamente en el dispositivo Android como archivos MP4.
Los archivos grabados también pueden consultarse desde la interfaz web, lo que facilita explorar, ver o descargar las grabaciones desde otro dispositivo de la red.
🚗 Diseñado para cámaras de coche
CamRelay también puede convertir un teléfono Android en una cámara de coche conectada.
Entre sus funciones útiles se incluyen:
- Inicio automático después de arrancar
- Grabación de vídeo continua
- Superposición de velocidad GPS
- Superposición de fecha y hora
- Superposición del nombre de la cámara
- Información de batería y temperatura
- Atenuación de pantalla para un funcionamiento prolongado
El procesamiento de la ubicación para la superposición de velocidad se realiza en el propio dispositivo.
🏠 Funciona con tus herramientas actuales
CamRelay está diseñado para funcionar como fuente de vídeo de red, sin obligarte a utilizar un ecosistema propietario.
Úsalo con software compatible como:
- Home Assistant
- Frigate
- Synology Surveillance Station
- QNAP
- Blue Iris
- ZoneMinder
- MotionEye
- OBS Studio
- vMix
- Wirecast
- VLC
La compatibilidad depende de las funciones del protocolo compatibles con la aplicación receptora.
🔊 Audio bidireccional
CamRelay admite audio de canal de retorno RTSP para sistemas NVR y VMS compatibles.
Esto permite que las configuraciones compatibles reciban audio de la cámara y envíen audio de vuelta al dispositivo Android para la comunicación bidireccional.
🔒 Streaming local
El flujo de la cámara está diseñado para transmitirse directamente a través de la red local sin necesidad de una cuenta en la nube ni una suscripción.
CamRelay no requiere que subas la señal de la cámara a un servicio en la nube propietario para utilizarla como fuente RTSP.
⚙️ Funciones dependientes del hardware
Algunas funciones dependen de la cámara y de la implementación del hardware del dispositivo Android.
La resolución, los códecs disponibles, OIS, EIS, HDR, las frecuencias de imagen y otras funciones de la cámara pueden variar según el dispositivo.
CamRelay — convierte un dispositivo Android en una cámara RTSP flexible para seguridad, monitorización, grabación, cámaras de coche y flujos de vídeo inalámbricos.
Requirements
- Minimum Android
- 7.0 (API 24)
Android 7.0 (API 24) o posterior. Se requiere acceso a la cámara y al micrófono para la transmisión en directo y las funciones de audio. Algunas capacidades, como 4K, H.265, OIS, EIS y HDR, dependen del hardware del dispositivo.
Privacy & permissions
CamRelay utiliza Firebase Analytics para comprender cómo se utiliza la aplicación y mejorar el producto.
La aplicación puede recopilar información analítica y de diagnóstico, como eventos de uso de la aplicación, versión de la aplicación, información del dispositivo y otros datos técnicos asociados con Firebase Analytics.
Los datos de la cámara y el micrófono se utilizan para las funciones de transmisión y grabación de la aplicación. La transmisión de la cámara en directo está diseñada para enviarse directamente a clientes compatibles con RTSP a través de la red, en lugar de subirse al servicio en la nube propio de CamRelay.
El acceso opcional a la ubicación se utiliza para funciones como la información de velocidad GPS en las superposiciones de la cámara para coche.
Para obtener más información sobre el tratamiento de datos, los servicios de terceros y tus opciones de privacidad, consulta la sección Privacidad.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Frequently asked questions
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:
- Home security cameras
- NVR and VMS camera sources
- Dashcams
- Baby and pet monitoring
- Remote camera monitoring
- Wireless camera sources for OBS Studio
- Local video recording
- Android-based surveillance setups
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:
- Automatic startup
- Continuous recording
- GPS speed overlay
- Timestamp overlay
- Camera name overlay
- Battery and temperature information
- Screen-off operation
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
- H.265/HEVC
- AV1
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:
- Opus
- AAC
- G.711 μ-law
- G.711 A-law
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.
Streaming video continuously can cause your phone to heat up. If the device temperature becomes too high, the phone may automatically limit or stop camera operation to protect the device.
When this happens, you may notice:
- Choppy or laggy video
- Dropped frames
- Reduced streaming performance
- The camera stopping unexpectedly
- The stream disconnecting or stopping
If your phone becomes hot during streaming, try to improve its cooling:
- Keep the phone in a cool, well-ventilated area.
- Avoid direct sunlight and other sources of heat.
- Remove the phone case if it retains heat.
- Use a fan or other suitable cooling solution to help dissipate heat.
- Close unnecessary apps running in the background.
Keeping your phone cool can help maintain stable camera performance and reduce the risk of frame drops, lag, or streaming interruptions.