How to use your phone as an IP camera
- Open Camlora on Android, allow camera permission and connect the phone to your trusted Wi-Fi.
- Choose the camera and start streaming. Read the IP address and port shown in the app.
- Connect your viewing device to the same local network. Enter the full address in its browser, including
http://and the port. - Adjust resolution, rotation, quality and frame rate for your phone and network. Secure the phone in a stable mount.
For example, if your phone shows 192.168.1.42 and port 5959, open http://192.168.1.42:5959/. Use your own displayed address. The browser setup instructions include the local URL helper.
Live stream and snapshot addresses
/— browser dashboard./video— multipart MJPEG video stream./shot.jpg— current JPEG snapshot.
Append the path to the phone’s address and port. These are real endpoints in Camlora, checked on Android release 1.0.2. Frame rate and picture quality depend on the phone, lighting and available network capacity.
Can it work with Home Assistant or other viewers?
Home Assistant documents an MJPEG IP Camera integration that accepts stream URLs. Camlora’s /video endpoint provides that format and /shot.jpg provides a still image. Format compatibility makes this a possible integration, but an end-to-end Camlora/Home Assistant setup has not been verified for this release. Test it on your network before relying on it.
IP camera versus webcam
An IP camera sends its picture over a network address. A Windows webcam appears as a camera device inside compatible desktop applications. Camlora can do both: use the browser for local viewing, or add the Windows 11 companion for virtual-camera output.
Does Camlora use RTSP or ONVIF?
No. This release serves HTTP MJPEG video and JPEG snapshots. It does not implement RTSP or ONVIF discovery. Check your recorder or viewer’s supported formats.
Can I watch from outside my home?
Camlora does not provide a cloud or remote-access service. Its intended setup is a trusted local network. Do not expose the unencrypted stream by forwarding its port to the internet.
Why can’t another device connect?
Check the displayed address, server status and network. Guest Wi-Fi or client isolation may prevent devices from reaching each other. The phone’s address can change when it reconnects. See the setup and support pages for connection checks.
Explore Camlora use cases · IP camera guide · Windows webcam guide · Document camera guide