If CameraFi Live cannot find a video stored on your Android phone, first check the app’s media or file permission, then confirm that the clip is visible in the phone’s own file or gallery app. CameraFi Live’s documented path to add a video is the swipe menu’s Video control, but the permission labels and file-selection behaviour can vary by Android and app version.
Start with a clip you can see on the phone, rather than one that may only be available through a cloud service. If CameraFi still does not show it after you check permissions and reopen the app, its support team is the right place to ask about that specific device and file.
Confirm the video is on the phone and visible
Before changing settings, open the phone’s Gallery or file-management app and look for the exact clip. Play it or open its details if possible. This separates a CameraFi permission problem from a file that is not actually downloaded to the device, has been moved, or is otherwise unavailable to the phone’s local apps.
A thumbnail in a cloud photo service does not necessarily mean the original video is stored on the phone. If the clip appears in such an app, use that app’s download or offline-availability control if it offers one, then check again in the device’s Gallery or file manager. The precise labels depend on the app and phone; the useful test is whether the local device can open the video without relying on a cloud listing.
Check the location you expect the file to be in. If you transferred it from a computer, confirm the transfer completed and that you are looking in the right folder. If another app created or downloaded it, use that app’s own save or export option and verify the result in a file browser. Do not assume that every folder is indexed or exposed in the same way by every device or app.
The point is not to diagnose a particular folder rule in advance. The reviewed CameraFi documentation does not specify every supported location, file format, or codec, so avoid moving or converting the clip as a first step. Begin with a video that the phone itself can locate and open. If this is part of a recorded-video YouTube workflow, the file checks in how to make a static image radio stream on YouTube are a separate planning concern; they do not replace confirming that CameraFi can see a local video.
Open Android app permissions for CameraFi Live
Leave CameraFi Live and open Android Settings. The general route documented by Android Help is Settings > Apps > CameraFi Live > Permissions. On some phones, Apps may lead first to an option such as See all apps or an app list; select CameraFi Live from that list, then open its permissions page.
If CameraFi Live is not in the first set of apps shown, use Settings search or the full app list. Make sure you have selected the CameraFi Live app rather than a similarly named app. The exact Settings layout can be changed by the phone manufacturer, so the route may look slightly different even when the underlying permission controls are Android’s.
On the app’s Permissions screen, note which categories are listed and whether any relevant access is denied. Do not start by revoking unrelated permissions. The goal is to check the access that lets the app select photos, videos, or files, not to change every setting in the hope that one of them fixes the list.
Allow the media or file access shown
If a relevant media or file permission is denied, open that category and choose an allowed option offered by the device. Depending on the Android release and device interface, you may see Photos and videos, Files, or legacy Storage wording. You may instead encounter a system picker or a narrower access choice. Follow the control that is actually displayed rather than looking for a label your phone does not offer.
CameraFi Live’s Google Play listing names READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE and describes it as being used “To get photos”. That wording is useful context, but it is not a guarantee that a current phone will show a setting with that same name. Android’s media-access rules have changed, and an app’s precise access method is not established by the listing alone. The Android Developers guide to shared-storage media access explains that access depends on Android version and the media involved.
After allowing the relevant access, return to the app information page and confirm the permission is no longer marked as denied. If Android offers limited access rather than broad access, a later system prompt may let you choose particular items. In that case, select the test video if it is available in the picker. Do not infer that a permission grant guarantees every file on the phone will appear in CameraFi.
For a channel that depends on recorded material, this permission check is one small part of getting the file ready; the separate decisions about keeping a YouTube stream running are covered in how to keep a 24/7 forest ambience stream live during power cuts in India. Keep those questions distinct: Android access determines whether an app can select a file, while a stream’s continuity depends on the rest of the broadcast setup.
Reopen CameraFi Live and find Video sources
Once you have checked or changed the permission, return to CameraFi Live. If it was open while you changed Settings, close or leave it and open it again before testing. This gives the app a fresh opportunity to use the current access state. The exact way to close an app varies by phone; simply returning to its main screen after visiting Settings may also be enough to retest.
CameraFi’s Android beginner guide documents adding a video from the swipe menu’s Video control. On the main screen, swipe to open that menu and look for Video. Use it to open the video-source or selection flow, then see whether the local test clip is available there.
Do not mistake a camera preview or a Gallery control for the Video source. The guide also describes a Gallery control for internal storage, but the documented video-file route is the Video control in the swipe menu. If the labels or arrangement on your screen differ, check CameraFi’s current guide and the app version you are using rather than assuming your screen has the same layout as an older tutorial.
If you cannot find the swipe menu, look for the menu by swiping on CameraFi Live’s main screen, as described in the guide. Avoid changing streaming settings while you are still locating a file. A basic selection test should tell you whether the issue is that the source control is hard to find or that the clip does not appear after you open it.
Check Android-version permission labels
Android does not use one identical permission label across every device and release. A phone may expose Photos and videos or Files; an older Android version or app build may use Storage. Android’s own Help page lists available permission categories, while its developer documentation describes version-dependent media access. Those sources explain the variation, but they do not establish which exact implementation a particular CameraFi Live release uses on every phone.
| What you see | What to do next |
|---|---|
| Photos and videos | Check whether access is allowed. If access is limited to selected items, include the test clip if the system offers that choice. |
| Files | Check the available access setting and allow the relevant access shown for CameraFi Live. |
| Storage | On a device or app build showing this older wording, check whether it is denied and use the offered allowed setting. |
| No obvious media category | Review the CameraFi Live permission screen and any system picker shown when you use Video; do not assume a missing label means there is no file-access route. |
These are practical cues, not a compatibility matrix. Android Developers describes changes in media access across versions, and Google Play policy encourages the system photo picker for one-time or infrequent photo and video selection. That policy does not tell you which picker or permission CameraFi Live currently uses. If a prompt appears when you enter Video, read it carefully and make a choice that includes the clip you are testing, where that option is offered.
If the phone’s controls do not match a guide written for another Android version, do not search for a toggle that is not there or grant unrelated access without a reason. Use the available controls on your device, then retest from the app. A permission being allowed is one useful check, not proof that CameraFi can list all media from every source.
Retry with a visible local clip
Return to the same video that you already confirmed is visible in the phone’s Gallery or file manager. Open CameraFi Live, swipe to Video, and check whether that clip appears. Using one known local item keeps the test simple: you can tell whether the app is showing that file without mixing in cloud-only items, several folders, or a different video at the same time.
If the clip appears, select it and continue with the app’s normal source flow. If it does not, repeat the basic checks: the clip still opens in the phone’s own app; CameraFi Live has the relevant access shown in Android Settings; and you reopened CameraFi after checking permissions. If you changed the permission or downloaded the clip after the first attempt, run the test again rather than relying on the earlier result.
You can also try a different video already visible locally, but treat that as a comparison, not a claim that a particular file type or folder is supported. The reviewed material does not establish CameraFi Live’s full format list, codec requirements, folder-scanning rules, or cloud-media behaviour. If one clip is missing, there is not enough evidence to conclude that converting it, moving it to a guessed folder, or buying a storage tool is the answer.
For a 24/7 channel, it is sensible to check that the source file is selectable before you plan around it. A phone-app permission issue is different from the broader question of how to keep a video loop running; how to stream a music playlist 24/7 on YouTube using OBS discusses a computer-based streaming workflow, not CameraFi’s Android file access. Choose the workflow that fits your channel and equipment, and test its actual source path before depending on it.
Contact CameraFi support if files remain missing
If permission is allowed, the clip opens locally, and the Video source still does not show it, stop guessing at increasingly broad settings. CameraFi’s FAQ and tutorial index provides feature tutorials and lists [email protected] for unresolved problems. Include the phone model, Android version, CameraFi Live version, where the video is stored, and what you see after opening Video. Those details are practical diagnostic context, not a published requirement from CameraFi.
Describe what you tested: whether the clip opens in Gallery or the file manager, which permission labels appeared, whether access was allowed, and whether the source list was empty or simply did not include that clip. A screenshot of the permission page or source screen may help explain the difference between your device’s controls and a general guide. Avoid sending private material unless support requests it and you are comfortable sharing it.
A clear report helps distinguish an Android permission issue from a file-selection or app-specific issue. The published sources do not confirm every combination of Android release, app build, file location, and media type, so CameraFi support may need to diagnose the case. If you are also planning a long-running channel, keep that support thread focused on the missing local file; operational questions about continuous streaming are separate.
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FAQ
Where is the Video source in CameraFi Live?
On the main screen, swipe to open the menu and choose Video. CameraFi’s Android beginner guide documents this as the control for adding video files; screen layout can vary by app version.
Which Android permission should I allow?
Allow the relevant media or file access shown on your device. It may be called Photos and videos, Files, or, on some older configurations, Storage; do not expect identical wording on every Android version.
Does granting permission guarantee my video will appear?
No. Permission is one part of access, and Android’s media rules and the app’s selection method can vary. Confirm the video is stored locally and visible in the phone’s own Gallery or file manager, then reopen CameraFi and check Video.
Who should I contact if the clip is still missing?
Use CameraFi’s tutorials or email [email protected]. Include your phone model, Android and CameraFi Live versions, the clip’s location, the permission shown, and what happens in the Video source screen.