Free Android App · No Account Required

# Turn Your Android Phone Into a Wi-Fi IP Camera

Stream live video to any browser, VLC, or Home Assistant in under 2 minutes. HTTPS encrypted. No cloud, no subscription.

FREE Android 5.0+ MJPEG Stream HTTPS Built-in Home Assistant Works in Chrome No Ads
Download Free on Google Play See how it works ↓

Free forever · No account · No ads · Android 5.0+

Quick Answer

IP Camera Pro is a free Android app that turns any Android phone (including old ones) into a live network IP camera. It streams video over your Wi-Fi using the MJPEG protocol, viewable in any web browser, VLC, or smart-home systems like Home Assistant — with no account, no cloud storage, and no subscription. It supports HTTPS encryption, motion detection with push notifications, QR code sharing, and is compatible with NVR software including Blue Iris and Synology Surveillance Station.

## What Is the IP Camera Pro?

IP Camera Pro is a free Android application that converts any Android smartphone or tablet into a fully functional network IP camera. Once installed, you tap a single button and your phone immediately begins serving a live MJPEG video stream over your Wi-Fi network — accessible from any web browser, VLC media player, NVR software, or smart-home platform without any additional configuration.

Unlike cloud-based camera apps such as Alfred Camera or AtHome Camera, this app is entirely local. No video ever leaves your network unless you explicitly set up remote access. There is no account to create, no cloud subscription to pay for, and no third-party server that holds recordings of your home.

💡
Best use case: Repurposing an old Android phone. Hundreds of millions of people have an unused Android phone in a drawer. This app turns it into a permanent security camera — just plug in the charger, prop up the phone, and your old device becomes a 24/7 IP camera with no ongoing cost.

## Features

Every feature listed below is included free of charge. There are no tiers, no paywalls, and no ads.

📡

### MJPEG Live Streaming

Streams live video over HTTP or HTTPS to any browser, VLC, Home Assistant, or NVR software on your Wi-Fi network.

FREE
🔒

### HTTPS Encryption

Built-in TLS with a self-signed certificate — the only IP camera app that works in Chrome and Firefox without workarounds.

FREE
🔔

### Motion Detection

Frame-differencing motion detection with configurable sensitivity. Sends push notifications when movement is detected, even when the screen is off.

FREE
📷

### QR Code Sharing

Tap the QR icon to show a scannable code for your stream URL. Any device on the same Wi-Fi can join instantly — no typing required.

FREE
💾

### Local Recording

Records to your device's storage as MJPEG AVI. No cloud upload. Convert to MP4 with ffmpeg or the built-in hardware encoder path.

FREE
🏠

### Home Assistant Ready

Compatible with Home Assistant's generic MJPEG camera platform. Also works with Blue Iris, Synology Surveillance, and iSpy.

COMPATIBLE
📸

### Snapshot Endpoint

Hit `/snapshot` to grab a single JPEG frame at any time — useful for automations, thumbnails, and integrations.

FREE
🔑

### Password Protection

Optional HTTP Basic Auth on all endpoints. Set a password in Settings to prevent unauthorised viewers on shared networks.

FREE
🔋

### Background Streaming

Continues streaming with the screen off via an Android Foreground Service and WakeLock. The stream survives backgrounding the app.

FREE
⚡

### Hardware H.264 Encoder

Optional hardware-accelerated H.264 encoding via Android MediaCodec — delivers 30 FPS at 1080p with 5× lower CPU usage.

OPTIONAL
📊

### Live Stats API

JSON status endpoint at `/status` shows FPS, connected clients, bytes served, and protocol in real time.

FREE
🌐

### Multiple Stream Formats

MJPEG stream at `/video`, snapshot at `/snapshot`, live viewer page at `/`. All endpoints on one port.

FREE

## How to Set Up in 4 Steps

From download to live stream in under 2 minutes. No configuration required.

1

### Install the app

Download IP Camera Pro from Google Play. It is free, no account required.

2

### Grant camera permission

Tap Allow when the app requests camera and notification access. These are the only permissions the app requests.

3

### Tap START STREAM

The app instantly shows your local IP address, stream URL, and a QR code. The camera feed is now live.

4

### Open on any device

Scan the QR code or open the URL in a browser on any device on the same Wi-Fi. The live stream appears with no extra software.

ℹ️
To use with VLC: Open VLC on any platform → Media → Open Network Stream → enter `http://YOUR_PHONE_IP:8080/video`. The stream starts immediately at full quality.

## How It Compares to Other Apps

IP Camera Pro was designed to fix the specific problems users have with existing apps, particularly the Chrome/HTTPS issue in IP Webcam and the cloud dependency of Alfred Camera.

Feature | IP Camera Pro | IP Webcam | Alfred Camera | DroidCam
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Works in Chrome / Firefox | ✓ HTTPS built-in | ✗ Known bug | ✓ | ✓
No account required | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ Required | ✗ For cloud
No cloud / fully local | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ Cloud relay | ✓
Home Assistant compatible | ✓ MJPEG native | ✓ | ✗ | ✗
HTTPS / encrypted stream | ✓ Built-in | ✗ | ✓ Cloud only | ✗
QR code sharing | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗
Motion detection + notifications | ✓ Local | ✓ Cloud req. | ✓ Cloud | ✗
Local recording | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ Cloud only | ✗
Primary use case | IP camera / security | IP camera | Baby monitor | PC webcam
Free | ✓ Fully free | ✓ Ad-supported | ✗ Freemium | ✗ Freemium

## Common Use Cases

### Repurpose an old Android phone as a security camera

The most popular use case. Android phones made after 2014 run Android 5.0+ and work with this app. Plug in the charger, point the camera at your front door, driveway, or back garden, and you have a permanent IP camera at zero cost.

### Home Assistant dashboard camera

Add the stream to your Home Assistant dashboard with two lines of YAML. The MJPEG stream updates in real time, and the `/snapshot` endpoint is usable in automations to capture images when motion is detected.

### Baby monitor and pet camera

Point a spare phone at a cot, playpen, or pet bed. View the stream on your tablet, laptop, or phone on the same Wi-Fi — no app installation needed on the viewing device, just a browser.

### Construction site and time-lapse monitoring

Mount a phone on a window or tripod. The recording feature captures everything locally. For time-lapse, trigger the `/snapshot` endpoint on a schedule from a Home Assistant automation or any HTTP client.

### NVR integration with Blue Iris or Synology

Any NVR software that supports MJPEG or generic HTTP streams can add this app as a camera source. Blue Iris, Synology Surveillance Station, iSpy, and AgentDVR all work out of the box.

⚠️
Important: The stream is accessible to anyone on your Wi-Fi network by default. Enable password protection in Settings if you share a network with people you do not trust, and use HTTPS mode to encrypt the video feed.

## Home Assistant & NVR Integration

### Home Assistant (YAML configuration)

Add the following to your Home Assistant `configuration.yaml`. Replace the IP and port with those shown in the app:

    camera:
      - platform: mjpeg
        name: Front Door Camera
        mjpeg_url: http://192.168.1.100:8080/video
        still_image_url: http://192.168.1.100:8080/snapshot
        # Optional — if you set a password in the app:
        username: admin
        password: your_password

### VLC Media Player

Open VLC on any platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS) and navigate to Media → Open Network Stream, then enter:

    http://192.168.1.100:8080/video

### Blue Iris NVR

In Blue Iris, add a new camera and select Network IP / HTTP. Set the URL to `http://192.168.1.100:8080/video` and the still image URL to `/snapshot`. Blue Iris handles MJPEG streams natively.

### HTTPS mode

Enable HTTPS in the app's Settings screen. On first connection in a browser, you will see a certificate warning — click Advanced → Proceed. After accepting once per device, the stream runs over encrypted HTTPS for all future connections. The certificate is self-signed and generated locally on your phone.

## Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IP Camera Pro app?

IP Camera Pro is a free Android app that turns any Android phone or tablet into a live network IP camera. It serves a MJPEG video stream over your Wi-Fi network that can be viewed in any web browser, VLC, Home Assistant, or NVR software. The app requires no account, uses no cloud servers, and runs entirely on your local network. It supports HTTPS encryption, motion detection with push notifications, QR code sharing, local video recording, and is compatible with Home Assistant, Blue Iris, and Synology Surveillance Station.

Does the IP Camera Pro app work with Home Assistant?

Yes. Add it to Home Assistant using the generic MJPEG camera integration in `configuration.yaml`:

    camera:
      - platform: mjpeg
        name: My Camera
        mjpeg_url: http://PHONE_IP:8080/video
        still_image_url: http://PHONE_IP:8080/snapshot

The app is also compatible with Blue Iris, Synology Surveillance Station, AgentDVR, and iSpy — any NVR that accepts a MJPEG or generic HTTP stream URL.

Does it work in Google Chrome and Firefox?

Yes — and this is the key difference from IP Webcam. This app has HTTPS built-in. Chrome and Firefox block mixed-content MJPEG streams served over plain HTTP, which is why IP Webcam stopped working in modern browsers. Enable HTTPS in this app's Settings screen, accept the self-signed certificate once in the browser, and the stream works perfectly in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge going forward.

Can I use this app with an old Android phone?

Yes. The app requires Android 5.0 (API level 21) or higher, which covers virtually every Android phone made after 2014. This is specifically the most common use case — plugging in an old phone, enabling the app, and using it as a permanent 24/7 IP camera at zero cost. The app is optimised to pause camera processing when the phone screen turns off, reducing battery draw during continuous operation.

Is the app completely free? Are there any ads or subscriptions?

Yes, the app is completely free. There are no advertisements, no account required, no cloud subscription, and no feature paywalls. HTTPS encryption, motion detection, QR sharing, local recording, and NVR compatibility are all included at no cost.

How do I view the stream on another phone or tablet?

Tap START STREAM on the camera phone. The app displays a QR code and a URL such as `http://192.168.1.5:8080/`. On any other device on the same Wi-Fi: scan the QR code or open the URL in a browser. No app installation is needed on the viewing device. You can also use VLC (any platform) or any camera viewer that accepts a MJPEG URL.

Will the stream stop if I lock the phone screen?

No. The app runs as an Android Foreground Service with a WakeLock and Wi-Fi lock, which means it continues serving the stream even when the screen is locked, the app is minimised, or the phone enters standby. A persistent notification is shown while streaming is active, as required by Android for foreground services. The camera preview is paused (but not the stream) when the screen is off, reducing CPU and battery usage.

Can I access the camera from outside my home — remotely over the internet?

By default the stream is local Wi-Fi only, which is the most private and secure option. For remote access, the recommended approach is to use a VPN (Tailscale is free and easy to set up). Alternatively, you can forward port 8080 on your router to the phone's local IP address — enable HTTPS and password protection if you do this. A tunnel service such as ngrok also works for temporary remote access.

How many devices can watch the stream simultaneously?

Multiple simultaneous viewers are supported — each connected device gets its own independent MJPEG stream. In practice, the limiting factor is the phone's CPU and Wi-Fi bandwidth. At 75% JPEG quality the stream uses approximately 300–500 KB/s. A typical 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection supports 4–8 simultaneous viewers comfortably at 15 FPS.

What Android permissions does the app require?

The app requests three permissions: Camera (required to capture and stream video), Notifications (required for the Foreground Service notification and motion detection alerts), and Storage (required only if the recording feature is enabled). The app does not request location, microphone, contacts, SMS, or any other sensitive permission. No data is transmitted to any server — all video stays on your local network.

Does the app record video, and where are recordings saved?

Yes, enable Auto-record in Settings. Recordings are saved to `/IPCamera/Recordings/` on your device's external storage as MJPEG AVI files. They are playable in VLC immediately. To convert to H.264 MP4, run: `ffmpeg -i recording.avi output.mp4`. The app's hardware encoder path (optional) records directly to MP4 with no conversion needed.

How does motion detection work?

The app compares consecutive video frames using a luminance-weighted pixel difference algorithm on a downsampled 160×120 thumbnail. When the fraction of changed pixels exceeds the sensitivity threshold (adjustable in Settings from 0.5% to 15%), a push notification is sent. A 3-second cooldown prevents notification flooding. Motion detection works with the screen off and does not require cloud processing — it runs entirely on the device.

★★★★★ 4.8 · 1,200+ reviews

## Download IP Camera Pro Free

No account. No cloud. No subscription. Works with Home Assistant, VLC, and every major NVR.

Download Free on Google Play
FreeNo ads, no IAP
Android 5.0+All phones since 2014
~8 MBLightweight install
v2.0Latest release