Control every phone from your computer and record in sync
A free, open-source multi-camera tool. Any Android 12+ phone can be a camera, whatever the brand. Watch every phone's live view, set each one's zoom, and press R to start them all at the same moment; each phone records phone-native video up to 4K, and the footage is already on your computer when you stop.
Latest v0.6.1・Computer: macOS or Windows・Phones: Android 12+・Interface in English and Traditional Chinese
Up to 10 phones
Portrait + landscape in one take
Upload while recording, SHA-256 verified
External mics
No cloud account
The dashboard on your computer: two phones recording 4K, landscape 16:9 on the left and portrait 9:16 on the right, each with a live view (the gradients come from the simulated phones used in development).
10phones at once
4Kphone-native, 30 fps
9:16＋16:9portrait and landscape together
$0free, no sign-up
VIDEO
Video: why MultiCam Recorder exists
The author explains why this tool was built, how to install and use it, and what building it together with AI looked like. The video is in Chinese.
MultiCam Recorder is a free, open-source multi-camera recording tool that turns the Android phones you already own into synchronized cameras. Open the web dashboard on your Mac or Windows PC to see every phone's live view, set each phone's zoom, and start all of them at the same moment with one key. Each phone records phone-native video locally and streams it to your computer while recording, so you can review it shortly after you stop. Everything stays on your local Wi-Fi: no cloud account, and your footage never leaves your network.
Tap record on each phone
Walk to each phone and tap record; every phone starts at a different moment.
VSWith MultiCam Recorder
Press R once: the computer syncs clocks with every phone and schedules one shared start.
Illustration: when each phone starts recording, on one shared timeline.
Recording on each phone separately compared with MultiCam Recorder
Each phone on its own
With MultiCam Recorder
Starting
Walk to each phone and tap record; starts are seconds apart
Press R once; every phone starts at a scheduled moment
Monitoring
You only see the phone in front of you
Live view of every phone on your computer
Getting files
Copy and rename each phone's files afterwards
Uploaded while recording, named and verified automatically
Status
You notice low battery or storage too late
Battery, temperature, free space and minutes left at a glance
USE CASES
Made for multi-angle shoots
Whenever you need several angles but don't want to rent cameras and a switcher, the phones you already have will do.
01
Interviews and podcasts
One phone on the host, one on the guest, with an external mic on one of them as the main audio track.
02
Long-form + shorts
One phone sideways for a 16:9 YouTube video, one upright for 9:16 Reels, Shorts or TikTok, in the same take.
03
Classes and talks
A wide shot from the back and a close-up of the speaker or whiteboard from the side.
04
Product shots and unboxing
Front, overhead and close-up angles at once, with up to 10 phones.
FEATURES
Features
The computer directs, monitors and collects; the phones just record. Every detail is about footage you can use right away.
RECORDING
One-key sync start
Press R to start and S to stop every phone. The computer syncs clocks and schedules a common start, then shows the measured offset.
Phone-native quality
4K, 2K, 1080p or 720p for every phone. Set takes anywhere from 10 to 90 minutes, with a warning 3 minutes before the end.
Portrait or landscape
Sideways records 16:9, upright records 9:16. The app follows each phone and locks the orientation while recording.
External microphones
USB and headset-jack mics are used automatically, and both the app and the dashboard show which mic is active.
MONITORING
Live view
About 5 frames per second from each phone for framing. Pressing record always switches every monitor back to the live view.
Per-phone zoom
Presets and a slider for each phone; phones with ultra-wide or telephoto lenses switch lenses automatically.
Framing guides
9:16, 4:5 or 1:1 guides on the phone preview, the live view and the player; the full frame is always recorded.
Status at a glance
Battery, temperature, free space, minutes left and transfer speed, plus warnings for low disk space, stalled uploads and lost phones.
FILES
Instant playback
Footage uploads while recording; after you stop, only the tail is sent and the file is verified chunk by chunk with SHA-256.
Resilient
Phones keep recording if Wi-Fi drops, and uploads resume automatically when they reconnect.
Projects
Takes go into <recording folder>/<project>, named by time and phone so every angle of a take sorts together.
Star the good takes
Star a take and every angle of it is starred together, so the keepers are easy to find in your editor.
Trim heads and tails
Set in and out points while a clip plays; every angle is trimmed together into a new _1 file without re-encoding, and the original is kept.
Delete what you don't need
The trash button on each row removes that take, or clear every unstarred take at once; everything goes to the system Trash, so you can put it back.
LONG-FORM + SHORTS
Shoot the long-form video and the shorts in one take
Hold one phone sideways for a 16:9 YouTube video and another upright for 9:16 Reels, Shorts or TikTok. Shoot the shorts upright instead of cropping them out of the landscape frame.
Shoot portrait natively: about 3× the pixels
Same 9:16 frame: a crop from 4K landscape is only 1215×2160, while a phone held upright records 2160×3840. Both frames are drawn to the same scale.
CAM A · landscape 16:968% cropped away
9:16 crop from 4K landscape2.6 MP1215×2160
CAM B · portrait 9:16
Shot upright in 4K8.3 MP2160×3840
Mount the phones the way you want to record: the app follows each phone's orientation, even with auto-rotate turned off, in all four directions.
Check the dashboard: the portrait phone's monitor turns upright and is labeled 9:16.
Frame with the live view: a 9:16 guide on the landscape phone shows whether a later vertical crop still fits; 4:5 or 1:1 on the portrait phone shows an Instagram post crop.
Press R: every monitor switches to the live view, and each phone's orientation stays locked until you stop.
Review right after you stop: clips play upright on the dashboard and portrait clips are labeled, so both angles of the take are easy to line up.
PORTRAIT
Portrait settings: face priority and exposure lock
For interviews, podcasts and classes, turn them on in the Recording settings menu and every phone follows. Everything runs in the phone's own camera pipeline, so resolution, bitrate and frame rate stay the same.
Normal autoExposed for the window
Face priorityExposed for the face
Illustration: with a bright window behind the subject, normal auto exposes for the window and the face goes dark; face priority exposes for the face, so the face is clear and the window gets brighter.
Face priorityOn by default
Focus, exposure and white balance follow faces. With a bright window behind someone, normal auto exposes for the window and the face goes dark; face priority gets the face right first and keeps focus off the background.
In even light with the subject centered, it looks the same as normal auto. Most phones support it; a phone that doesn't records in normal auto mode, and the menu tells you.
Illustration. Drag it to compare.
UnlockedAdjusted all the time, and each phone differently
LockedLocked when you press start, unchanged until you stop
CAM A exposureCAM B exposureWhite balance (color)
Exposure, white-balance and focus lockOff by default
Normally a phone keeps adjusting brightness and color: someone walks by or a cloud passes the window and the picture shifts, and two phones shift differently, which makes color matching harder in the edit.
Turn it on and each phone locks the moment you press start, keeping brightness, color and focus until you stop, so interview shots don't "breathe" in and out of focus. Best when people and lights stay put; turn it off outdoors or when the light changes.
No background blur or filters
Background blur only works on a few phones and has resolution limits, so results were unreliable; filters bake a look into the footage for good. The app records clean, consistent footage, so you can grade every angle at once in your editor.
Both settings are under Portrait at the bottom of the Recording settings menu.
HOW IT WORKS
How it works
The computer directs
A local server on your computer serves the dashboard. The dashboard only opens on that computer, not on other devices on the network.
The phones record
Recording happens on each phone (Camera2 + MediaRecorder), so Wi-Fi never limits image quality; it only carries control and files.
Files arrive intact
Footage is uploaded over HTTP in chunks. After you stop, both sides compare SHA-256 hashes and resend any chunk that differs.
After you press stop, how soon can you watch the footage?
Copy after recording
StopRecordingCopy, rename
After you stop, you still have to copy every phone's footage to the computer and rename it before you can watch.
Upload while recording
RecordingUploads as it records
After you stop, only the last bit is sent and checked with SHA-256, so it plays right away (roughly 10–20 seconds more for a 30-minute 4K take).
Illustration, not to scale.
How is this different from streaming your phone to the computer?
LIVEQuality drop
Wi-Fi
Streaming the phone to your computerThe picture is sent live, so quality follows the network: when Wi-Fi gets busy, the picture blurs or stutters. Made for live streams.
● REC 4K
To computer
MultiCam RecorderEach phone records at native quality and Wi-Fi only carries the files: a slow network means a longer upload, never a worse picture. Made for footage you'll edit.
GET STARTED
Get started in 3 steps
The first setup takes about 15 minutes. After that, just run npm start on your computer and open the app on each phone.
Install and start the computer side
It takes a few commands in a terminal: just copy and paste them. First, pick your computer:
Open a terminal
Press ⌘Space, type Terminal and press Enter.
Press Start, type cmd and open Command Prompt. Don't use PowerShell; it may block npm.
Install Git
xcode-select --install
Click Install when asked and wait for it to finish. If it says already installed, you already have it.
Download the installer from git-scm.com, keep the default options and click Next all the way through. Then close Command Prompt and open a new one.
Install Node.js 24 or newer
Run node -v first. If it shows v24 or newer, skip to the next step.
Install it with nvm for Windows: from the latest release, download the file ending in x64-setup.exe (arm64-setup.exe on ARM PCs such as Snapdragon laptops) and double-click it; don't run it as administrator. Uninstall any older Node.js first. Then close Command Prompt, open a new one and run:
nvm install lts
nvm use lts
Run node -v again: it should show v24 or newer.
Download and start MultiCam Recorder
git clone https://github.com/dean9703111/multicam-recorder.git
cd multicam-recorder
npm install
npm start
The dashboard opens in your browser (http://localhost:8787). Keep the terminal open while recording; closing it stops MultiCam Recorder. Next time, just run:
cd multicam-recorder
npm start
When the firewall asks whether node may accept incoming connections, click Allow on macOS; on Windows, tick both Private and Public networks, then Allow access. Otherwise phones can't reach the computer.
The setup screen then walks you through the recording folder (an external SSD is recommended), pairing and your first project. If you see an error, check Troubleshooting in the README.
Install the app and pair with a QR code
Scan this QR code with the phone's camera, or tap download the app on the phone, then open MultiCamRecorder.apk to install it. Android asks you to allow installing unknown apps, and Google Play Protect may show a warning because the app doesn't come from Google Play (Is the app safe?).
Then click Pair phone on the dashboard, scan the QR code with the phone's camera and tap the button on the page that opens. That page also links to the app download. Each phone only needs to be paired once.
Create a project and press R
Create a project from the Project menu; takes are saved to <recording folder>/<project>.
Pick the resolution (4K, 2K, 1080p, 720p), a framing guide and the take length (10 to 90 minutes) in the Recording settings menu.
Press R to start every phone and S to stop; each clip plays on its monitor once it has uploaded.
Before starting, any phone without enough space or battery for the take is listed first; while recording, silence, clipping, an unplugged mic or an overheating phone shows up at the top of the dashboard.
Keep the app in the foreground with the screen on while recording; turn on the phone's app pinning, and use the app's Dim screen button for long takes.
A pre-shoot checklist, troubleshooting tips and network advice are in the English section of the README; the full guide to playback, starring and cleanup is in Traditional Chinese.
PHONE APP
The phone app: set it up and leave it
The computer starts and stops recording. The app shows the connection, the recording timer, the mic in use, the zoom and the upload progress, and turns upright when the phone does.
NETWORK
The fastest way to connect
Connect the computer with Ethernet: each phone's footage then crosses the air only once.
Or split the bands: for example phones on 2.4 GHz and the computer on 5 GHz, so they don't compete for the same channel.
Avoid guest networks: they usually isolate devices so phones can't reach the computer. A VPN on the computer can also block local connections.
Two phones recording 4K need about 80 Mbps in total. Anything not sent during recording is sent after you stop.
Bring a travel router on location: connect the phones and the computer to it, and the venue's Wi-Fi no longer matters. It doesn't need internet access.
Use your own network for sensitive shoots: footage travels over plain HTTP on the local network, so others on the same Wi-Fi could in theory capture it. Avoid café and hotel Wi-Fi.
SPECS
Specifications
MultiCam Recorder specifications
Price
Free, MIT license
Computer
macOS or Windows with Node.js 24+
Phones
Android 12+, up to 10; no iPhone app yet
Resolution
4K (3840×2160), 2K (2560×1440), 1080p, 720p at 30 fps; width and height swap in portrait. A phone that can't record the chosen resolution uses the highest one it can below it, and the dashboard says so first
Format
MP4 (H.264 video, AAC audio), about 40 Mbps at 4K
Portrait settings
Face priority (on by default) and exposure, white-balance and focus lock while recording (off by default)
Take length
10 to 90 minutes, set by you (30 by default); about 9 GB per phone per 30 minutes at 4K
Trimming
Heads and tails only, every angle together, saved as new files without re-encoding (requires ffmpeg)
Network
Phones and computer on the same Wi-Fi; footage stays on your local network
Audio
Built-in mic, or USB and headset-jack external mics (stereo when the mic supports it)
Live view
About 5 fps (640×360 landscape, 360×640 portrait)
Interface
English and Traditional Chinese (dashboard, pairing page, phone app)
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is MultiCam Recorder free?
Yes. MultiCam Recorder is open-source software under the MIT license. The computer side and the phone app are both free, with no ads, subscriptions or accounts.
Does it work with iPhone?
Not yet. The phone app is available for Android 12 and later. The protocol between the computer and the phones is public (server/protocol.ts), so other platforms can be added.
Does it run on Windows?
Yes. It has been used with real phones on both Windows and an Apple Silicon Mac, and every push runs an end-to-end test on Windows, macOS and Linux in GitHub Actions with two simulated phones, covering pairing, live view, recording, transfer and verification.
Does it need the internet? Is footage uploaded to the cloud?
No cloud is involved. Recording and file transfer happen only between your phones and your computer over the same Wi-Fi network, with no account. Footage is saved to the recording folder you choose. You only need the internet to download the app and the program.
Is the app safe?
It's open source and only talks to the computer you paired with. The app uses the camera, microphone and network, doesn't read your photos, contacts or location, and never uploads footage to the internet. Because it doesn't come from Google Play, Android asks you to allow installing unknown apps and Google Play Protect may show a warning; that's expected. Every release APK is signed with the same key, whose certificate SHA-256 fingerprint is 851e9e8652eceeeb10277a3a92b9defcc25150e5e1566ede4495de85990552f4. Check it with apksigner verify --print-certs, and don't install it if it differs.
Does Wi-Fi affect video quality?
No. Each phone records phone-native video locally; Wi-Fi only carries control messages and file transfers. A slow network only makes the transfer take longer, and the rest is sent after you stop.
How is this different from streaming phone cameras into OBS?
Streaming sends a live picture to the computer, so quality depends on the network; it suits live streaming. MultiCam Recorder records full quality on each phone and transfers the files, which suits shoots you edit afterwards. It does not live-stream.
How is this different from Blackmagic Camera?
Both are free; they suit different people. Blackmagic Camera is a professional camera app with manual ISO and shutter control, and it can control several phones from another phone or tablet. On Android, though, it only supports specific models (such as recent Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones), and the original files stay on each phone. MultiCam Recorder works with any Android 12+ phone, uses your computer's browser as the control room, and the footage is already on your computer when you stop, verified and named by project, with portrait and landscape phones in the same take. Choose Blackmagic Camera for manual exposure control and DaVinci Resolve integration; choose MultiCam Recorder to turn the phones you already have into synced cameras with one key. (Checked October 2026.)
How many phones can I connect?
Up to 10. More phones need more Wi-Fi bandwidth; two phones recording 4K need about 80 Mbps in total. See the network tips.
Can I record portrait and landscape at the same time?
Yes. A phone held upright records 9:16 and a phone held sideways records 16:9, and you can mix them in the same take, for example one phone for a long-form video and one for shorts. See how it works.
Is there a portrait mode? Can it blur the background?
Face priority, yes; background blur, no. Face priority is on by default, so focus, exposure and white balance follow faces; it works on most phones. Background blur was tried and removed: only a few phones support Android's continuous bokeh mode, it has resolution limits (1080p on Pixel 11 Pro) and narrows the zoom range, so results were unreliable. For a softer background, keep the subject far from the background. See portrait settings.
Can I trim the start and end of a take?
Yes. Play the take in a monitor, choose Trim, drag the in and out handles on the timeline, and every angle of that take is trimmed together into new files named with _1 (the originals are kept). Nothing is re-encoded, so quality is unchanged; the start snaps back to the previous keyframe, so it may begin slightly earlier. Requires ffmpeg.
Are there filters or beauty effects?
No, on purpose. Warm, film or pastel looks and skin smoothing can't be done by the phone's camera pipeline; the app would have to process every frame itself, which makes phones hotter and drains the battery, and bakes the look into the footage for good. The same filter also looks different on phones from different brands. MultiCam Recorder records clean, consistent footage instead, so you can apply one grade to every angle in your editor.
How do I sync the clips from different phones?
The computer syncs clocks with every phone and schedules a common start time, and the dashboard shows the measured start offset between phones. For frame-accurate alignment, use your editor's audio sync.
Can I use an external microphone?
Yes. When a USB or headset-jack mic is plugged in, the phone records from it automatically, and both the app and the dashboard show which mic is in use. Stereo-capable mics are recorded in stereo, and the dashboard warns you if the mic comes loose and the phone falls back to its built-in mic.
How do I update to a new version?
Run these four lines in a terminal on the computer and install the new APK on each phone; pairing, projects and settings are kept.
cd multicam-recorder
git pull
npm install
npm start
If you downloaded v0.5.0 or earlier as a ZIP, install Git and clone the project as described in Get started, and copy the old folder's data folder into the new multicam-recorder folder before the first npm start. On the phone, install the new MultiCamRecorder.apk right over the old one; the dashboard tells you when an app is out of date and shows a QR code to download it.
Is the app available in English?
Yes. The dashboard, the pairing page and the phone app are available in English and Traditional Chinese. The dashboard follows your browser's language and switches with one click at the top right; the phone app follows the phone's language, and on Android 13 and later you can also choose a language just for the app in the system settings.
How do I demo the first-time setup from scratch?
Run npm run demo in a terminal; there's nothing to clear. The dashboard starts as if freshly installed, with no phones and no projects. Pairings and settings made during the demo are temporary, and your real ones are untouched. If MultiCam Recorder is already running, press Ctrl+C in that terminal first.
Phones that connect to the demo show “Not paired”, so you can start by scanning the QR code. Afterwards, press Ctrl+C, run npm start and scan the QR code again on each phone; names and clip lists are kept.
Turn the phones you own into a multi-camera rig
Free, open source, no sign-up. Start the dashboard on your computer, install the app on your phones and record within ten minutes.
MultiCam RECORDER
