To bring an Android phone feed into Streamlabs Desktop over your local network, start LAN Streaming in Streamlabs Mobile, copy its current stream URL, then add that URL as a Media Source. The phone and computer must be on the same local network; this route is not a cellular connection and is not the separate NDI workflow.
The main point of failure is usually not the camera. It is the route between the phone and the computer, or using a saved URL that has changed. Follow the steps in order and you can check each part before relying on the feed in a production scene.
Check that the phone and computer share a local network
A LAN feed travels across your local network from the Android phone to the computer running Streamlabs Desktop. Connect the phone to Wi-Fi on the same network that the computer uses. The computer can be connected by Ethernet while the phone is on Wi-Fi, provided both connections lead to the same local network. Streamlabs’ Mobile LAN Streaming Source Guide describes this requirement and the setup that follows.
Do not substitute a mobile-data connection for the phone’s Wi-Fi connection. A phone may show that it is online over cellular, but that does not mean the computer can reach its LAN feed. If the Wi-Fi signal is weak where the phone will sit, fix that before configuring the source. A feed that works beside the router but drops from its intended position will not become dependable just because the Desktop scene is set up correctly.
For a straightforward test, put both devices on the home or studio network and keep them there while you configure the feed. If the computer is wired, confirm which router or access point its Ethernet cable reaches. A guest Wi-Fi network, client isolation, or a separate network segment can prevent devices from seeing each other, even when both have internet access. Network layouts differ, so treat “same Wi-Fi name” as a useful clue rather than proof that devices can communicate.
If the phone or computer changes networks later, the source may stop working. That is an expected consequence of using a local address rather than a public stream endpoint. For a continuous broadcast, consider whether you need a phone camera in the scene at all hours or only while you are actively producing. A phone left as a camera brings practical constraints: charging, heat, camera position and network stability. If your wider setup depends on a desktop remaining available, the trade-offs in running OBS continuously and calculating its electricity use are useful context, though this LAN guide is specifically about Streamlabs Desktop.
Start LAN Streaming in Streamlabs Mobile on Android
Install Streamlabs Mobile on an Android smartphone, sign in, and open the app’s menu. Choose LAN Streaming. This documented URL workflow is for Android; do not assume that a different phone app or an iOS workflow will expose the same controls or create a compatible source. If you only need a temporary view of a product, a person speaking, or a phone screen, the built-in option can send that feed to a desktop scene without treating it as a full YouTube broadcast from the phone.
Before starting the feed, set the image and encoding options for the use you have in mind. Streamlabs gives 720p and 1080p as example resolutions, with example bitrates of 5000 for 720p and 10000 for 1080p, and recommends leaving the encoder on H.264/AVC. These are Streamlabs’ guidance in its setup material, not universal settings or a promise that every wireless network can sustain them. A higher resolution can make detail more legible, but it also asks more of the phone and network. If the image is only a small box in a layout, a lower resolution may be sufficient; make that choice by checking the actual scene rather than assuming that the largest setting is best.
Think about the feed’s purpose before choosing settings. A phone filling the scene for a close-up may need more detail than a small corner view of a desk. A screen capture with small text can be harder to read after scaling, while a wide camera shot of a room may look acceptable at a modest size. Start with the settings Streamlabs suggests, then judge the preview on the computer at the size viewers will see it. If you change resolution or bitrate, check whether the network remains stable and whether the phone continues to run comfortably.
When the settings are ready, tap Next to begin sending the feed onto the local network. Starting this stage makes the URL available for the Desktop side of the setup; it does not itself add a source to your scene or start your YouTube broadcast. Keep the app open and the phone on the same network while you complete the next steps. If the phone locks, changes networks or closes the app, the feed may no longer be available as expected.
Copy the phone’s stream URL
After starting LAN Streaming, choose Get Stream URL in the mobile app. The app presents a URL that the computer can use to access the feed. Open the displayed URL on the computer and copy the URL under Using Streamlabs, following the guide’s instructions. Use the current URL created by this session rather than a sample address from an old note or an earlier setup.
At the end of the URL setup, choose the FLV stream option. Streamlabs’ guide specifically directs users to this option for the Media Source workflow. Copy the complete address, not just the part that looks like a local IP address. A truncated URL or a different stream option can leave the source blank even when both devices are connected correctly.
Treat the URL as temporary setup information. Streamlabs warns that it can change, so a source that worked previously may need the current address copied again. If you save the source in a scene collection, record that the address may need refreshing; do not assume it is a permanent camera identifier. This is particularly important if someone else maintains the scene, because a familiar source name can make an expired URL look like an unexplained camera fault.
A useful check is to keep the mobile app’s URL screen available until Desktop shows the feed. If the link is copied from a browser or another display, avoid adding spaces or punctuation while selecting it. Then move to Desktop and enter the address exactly as provided. The URL belongs to the LAN feed; it is not a YouTube stream key or a public link to share with viewers.
Add a Media Source in Streamlabs Desktop
In Streamlabs Desktop, select the scene where the phone feed should appear. Add a Media Source and give it a name that identifies the phone or the shot, such as “desk camera” or “phone screen”. A clear name helps later if you have several sources and need to find the one whose URL should be refreshed. Streamlabs’ Desktop getting-started guidance covers the broader process of setting up scenes and sources.
The choice of source type matters. The built-in Streamlabs Mobile LAN URL is entered in a Media Source. It is not an NDI Source, and choosing an NDI Source will not make this URL method work. Likewise, the phone’s LAN URL is not a local video file, so do not browse for a file on the computer when you are configuring it.
Once the properties open, clear the Local File checkbox. With that option cleared, the source accepts an input address rather than looking for media stored on the computer. Paste the copied URL into the Input field and confirm the properties. If Local File remains checked, Desktop interprets the input as a file path; an address from the phone is not that kind of input, so the source will not be configured for this feed.
After confirming, look at the source preview. The feed should appear if the app is sending, the URL is current, the right stream option was chosen and the computer can reach the phone over the LAN. If it does not appear immediately, avoid rebuilding the scene at random. Check each of those conditions in order, starting with whether the phone is still on the same network and whether the URL is the current one.
For production, place and size the source only after the preview works. Make sure other overlays do not cover the useful part of the shot, and check the scene at the output resolution you intend to use. If the phone is a temporary live camera rather than the core content of a 24/7 channel, consider keeping it in a separate scene so a disconnected phone does not leave a broken element in your main layout. A dependable content loop has different needs from a live camera shot; the guide to preventing a YouTube loop from ending when its source file finishes addresses that separate failure mode.
Choose LAN or NDI for the sender you have
LAN Streaming and NDI can both carry a phone feed across a network, but they are separate workflows. The LAN route described here uses Streamlabs Mobile on Android, a URL, and a Media Source. The NDI route requires a sender that outputs NDI, and Desktop receives it through an NDI Source. Do not try the NDI instructions as a shortcut for the built-in LAN URL, or expect the URL to appear through NDI discovery.
| Question | Streamlabs Mobile LAN | NDI sender |
|---|---|---|
| What sends the feed? | Streamlabs Mobile on Android | An NDI-capable sender app or device |
| What do you add in Desktop? | Media Source with the current URL | NDI Source |
| What should you check first? | Same local network, current URL and FLV option | SDK/runtime, reboot and firewall access |
| When does it fit? | You want the documented Streamlabs Mobile camera or screen feed | Your phone or other sender is already configured to output NDI |
Streamlabs’ NDI receiving instructions describe separate requirements. For Streamlabs Desktop version 1.20.6 and later, Streamlabs says NDI SDK 6 or higher is needed; its guide also calls for installing the SDK runtime and rebooting. If an NDI sender is not visible, it points to the installation and reboot, plus allowing the sender and receiver through the firewall and using a private network profile. These are NDI-specific checks, not steps to make a Streamlabs Mobile LAN URL appear.
The sender choice should follow the app and source type you actually have. Streamlabs also documents creating an NDI stream from a mobile device, including phone apps that provide NDI output. If you already use such an app, the NDI route may suit you; if you are following the built-in Streamlabs Mobile LAN guide, stay with the URL and Media Source. For either path, changing source types mid-troubleshooting adds variables without answering whether the original path is configured correctly.
Troubleshoot network and source issues
If Desktop shows a blank or unavailable source, work from the connection outward. First verify that the phone is still on Wi-Fi on the same local network as the computer. Ethernet on the computer is fine if it reaches that network. If the phone has switched to cellular, or the devices are isolated from one another by a guest network or network policy, the desktop may not reach the phone’s feed even if both devices can browse the internet.
Next, return to Streamlabs Mobile and check that LAN Streaming is still active. Retrieve the URL again and compare it with the value in the Media Source. If the old source was saved, replace its address with the current one and confirm that the FLV stream option was selected during URL setup. Do not troubleshoot an old URL as though it were a fixed address; refreshing it is one of the first checks Streamlabs recommends.
Then inspect the Media Source properties. Confirm that Local File is unchecked and that the full URL is in Input. If you accidentally created an NDI Source, remove or disable it for this test and add the correct Media Source instead. If the preview works but the scene display does not, check whether the source is hidden, covered by another layer, or positioned outside the visible canvas. Those are scene layout issues rather than proof that the phone feed has failed.
If the basic checks do not resolve it, Streamlabs suggests closing and reopening the streaming software. Its mobile guide also says that TCP Delay and User Feedback Pop can be adjusted under Main Menu → Advanced Settings in the app. Change one setting at a time and check the result so you can tell whether it helped. Avoid treating a setting name as a universal fix: network conditions and phone behaviour vary, and the documentation does not promise that a particular adjustment will solve every connection problem.
For a setup used while you are away, test it from the actual phone position and leave it running long enough to notice ordinary interruptions before relying on it. Keep the phone powered, prevent an accidental app close, and check that its camera view remains useful as lighting changes. A LAN source is a local production input, not a way to make a desktop scene available from anywhere. If your broader channel uses a computer-based encoder, the practical checks in configuring OBS to resume after an internet outage can help with a different part of continuity, but they do not replace checking the phone-to-PC LAN path.
If the feed is only needed as part of an occasional production and you do not want a computer running for a long-form file channel, keep those jobs distinct. StreamNeo can take the specific burden of keeping an uploaded video running as a 24/7 YouTube stream off your local computer; it does not turn this phone LAN feed into a remote camera source, and it is YouTube-only. That distinction helps avoid expecting a local camera workflow to serve as a cloud-based continuous video loop.
Make the setup easier to maintain
Once the feed works, write down the practical steps for whoever will use it: which Android phone runs Streamlabs Mobile, which scene contains the Media Source, and where to retrieve a fresh URL. Do not write down a stale address as though it were permanent. A short handover note can say “start LAN Streaming, get the current URL, select FLV, replace the Media Source input” and prevent a later operator from rebuilding the scene unnecessarily.
Keep the phone in a repeatable position and check framing after reconnecting. A small tripod mount can help when the phone is being used as a webcam, but it is optional and not part of Streamlabs’ technical requirements. Use a secure charging arrangement, leave the camera lens unobstructed and consider heat if the phone will be on for a long session. These are operational precautions, not guaranteed remedies for a dropped network feed.
Before a planned broadcast, verify the source in the scene that will actually go live. A source can work in one scene and be hidden or omitted in another. Confirm that the right scene is selected, the phone feed is visible at the intended size and any audio you expect is present. If you do not need audio from the phone, mute or otherwise manage it deliberately so a room sound or notification does not become an unexpected part of the programme.
A phone feed also needs an operator’s judgement. It is useful for a person speaking, a demonstration, a small business counter view or a temporary mobile-game capture. It is less suitable as an unattended all-night source if the phone could move, overheat, lose Wi-Fi or be needed for calls. For an always-on channel built around a stable prerecorded loop, do not add a mobile camera just because it is technically possible; choose the source that matches what viewers are meant to see.
When you have confirmed the use case and the channel file is prepared, compare the operating options before settling on a continuous-streaming workflow.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Can I use the LAN URL when the phone is on mobile data?
No. The documented LAN feed relies on the phone and computer sharing a local network. Connect the Android phone to the same Wi-Fi/local network as the computer; a phone on cellular alone is not on that LAN path.
Should I add the phone feed as a Media Source or an NDI Source?
For Streamlabs Mobile’s built-in LAN URL, add a Media Source, clear Local File, and paste the current URL into Input. Use an NDI Source only when the sender is actually outputting NDI and you have completed that separate setup.
Why did a saved source stop working?
Streamlabs warns that the LAN URL can change. Start LAN Streaming again, retrieve the current URL, check the FLV option, and replace the old address in the Media Source.
Can I use this exact guide on an iPhone?
This guide covers Streamlabs Mobile’s documented LAN URL workflow on Android. Streamlabs documents a separate NDI route for mobile devices, but it uses an NDI sender and an NDI Source rather than the LAN URL steps here.