OBS SOFTWARE BY CTD
How to Control OBS From Your iPhone (No Capture Card, No Plugins)
Want to control OBS from your iPhone without buying a single piece of hardware? You can. OBS Studio 28 and newer ships with a WebSocket server built right in, so any iPhone on your network can switch OBS scenes, hit TAKE in Studio Mode, quick-cut a camera to air, and start or stop your stream — no capture card and no OBS plugins required. This guide walks you through it end to end with CTD Live Mobile, then shows you the moves that make your phone feel like a real switcher.
What you need before you start
Three things, and you almost certainly already have all of them. First, a computer running OBS Studio 28 or newer (Mac, PC, or Linux) — every build since OBS 28 includes obs-websocket 5.x baked in, so there is nothing extra to download and no plugin to install. Second, an iPhone on iOS 26 or newer with the free CTD Live Mobile app. Third, both devices on the same local network (the same Wi-Fi, or your phone on Wi-Fi and OBS on Ethernet behind the same router). That is the entire shopping list. You do not need a capture card, an HDMI dongle, a Stream Deck, or any cloud account — your iPhone talks directly to your own OBS machine over the network and nothing leaves your LAN.
Step 1: Enable the obs-websocket server in OBS
Open OBS on your computer and go to Tools → WebSocket Server Settings. Check 'Enable WebSocket server'. Leave the port at its default (4455) unless you have a reason to change it, and turn on 'Enable Authentication' so the connection is password-protected — OBS can generate a password for you. That is the whole OBS-side setup. Because obs-websocket is built into OBS 28+, there is no plugin to find, download, or update, and no capture card anywhere in the chain. OBS is now listening for a controller; next we point your iPhone at it.
Step 2: Pair your iPhone in seconds with a QR code
Still in that same WebSocket Server Settings window, click 'Show Connect Info'. OBS displays a QR code that encodes your host, port, and password. Open CTD Live Mobile on your iPhone, tap to scan, and point the camera at that QR code — host, port, and password fill in automatically and you are connected. No typing IP addresses, no copy-pasting passwords. Prefer to do it by hand? You can enter host, port, and password manually over obsws://, ws://, or wss:// (TLS) instead. The app only uses your camera to read that one connect-info code, and it talks to nothing but the OBS server you just pointed it at.
Step 3: Switch OBS scenes from your iPhone
Once paired, your scenes appear as a live multiview grid — actual fast-refreshing thumbnails of each OBS scene, not a flat list of names. (Under the hood obs-websocket sends rapid screenshots rather than a full video feed, so these are quick stills, but they are more than enough to see exactly what is on each angle before you commit.) Tap a scene to switch OBS to it. If you are not running Studio Mode, that tap cuts the scene straight to program — the simplest way to switch OBS scenes from your iPhone. If you want preview-before-program control instead, that is where Studio Mode and the TAKE button come in, covered next.
Step 4: Use Studio Mode — tap-to-preview, then TAKE
This is the part that makes your phone feel like a switcher instead of a remote. With Studio Mode on, tap an angle to load it into preview and line up the shot. When you are ready, press the dedicated TAKE button to send preview to program with your configured transition — a true preview-to-program switch, exactly the Studio Mode TAKE flow you would expect from a hardware switcher. Need a fast grab without arming preview? Hold-to-quick-cut lets you press and hold any angle to punch it straight to air, then release to snap back to where you were — perfect for catching a reaction shot or a quick wide during a live multi-camera show.
Step 5: Read the on-air tally and run the broadcast
You should never have to walk back to the OBS computer to know whether you are live. CTD Live Mobile shows clear on-air status right on your iPhone: the stream and record buttons pulse while you are broadcasting or recording, and live stream and record timecode tick away so you always know the show is rolling. From the same screen you can start and stop streaming and start and stop recording, so you can run the entire broadcast from across the room while you work the floor. Want a dedicated red/green light for every camera operator too? Pair it with CTD Tally, our OBS tally light for iPhone, Apple Watch, and Android.
Why no capture card and no plugins?
Older OBS remote setups were a hassle: you had to download the third-party obs-websocket plugin, match versions, and sometimes pipe video through a capture card just to see your scenes. That era is over. Since OBS 28, the WebSocket server is part of OBS itself, so your iPhone can read scene thumbnails and send switch, TAKE, stream, and record commands purely over the network. There is no video-capture hardware in the loop and nothing to install on the OBS side — which is why this works on a laptop at a coffee shop just as well as in a full control room. It is genuinely 'control OBS with your phone' with zero extra gear.
Go further: game-controller switching and automation
Once you are comfortable cutting scenes by hand, CTD Live Mobile has two power-user tricks. Pair an Xbox, PlayStation, or MFi game controller over Bluetooth and steer an on-screen focus ring with the stick or d-pad — then preview, TAKE, or quick-cut with a button, for an eyes-up, tactile OBS scene switcher without a Stream Deck. And for hands-free segments, build scene playlists that run a sequence of scenes automatically and trigger rules that fire actions on their own — great for pre-roll loops, lower-third rotations, and unattended portions of a service, class, or event. Both turn 'control OBS from your iPhone' into a much bigger toolkit than a plain remote.
Honest notes, common pitfalls, and the alternatives
A few honest caveats so your first run goes smoothly. If the app cannot find OBS, the usual culprits are: the WebSocket server isn't enabled, the two devices are on different Wi-Fi networks or VLANs, or a firewall is blocking port 4455 — check those first. Remember the multiview thumbnails are fast screenshots, not a broadcast feed, so they are for situational awareness, not for judging fine focus. And to be fair about your options: if you are on Android, CTD Live Mobile is iPhone and iPad only today, and the free, open-source OBS Blade is a solid cross-platform pick. If you want physical, tactile keys you can hit without looking, a hardware Elgato Stream Deck still wins on feel. CTD Live Mobile's edge is a native iOS switcher experience — live multiview, real Studio Mode TAKE, hold-to-quick-cut, and controller support — for free, with no account and no plugins.
FAQ
How do I control OBS from my iPhone?
Enable the built-in WebSocket server in OBS (Tools → WebSocket Server Settings), then install the free CTD Live Mobile app on your iPhone and scan the QR code under 'Show Connect Info' to pair. Once connected, you can switch OBS scenes, load preview and hit TAKE in Studio Mode, hold-to-quick-cut an angle to air, and start or stop streaming and recording — all over your local network, with no capture card and no OBS plugins required.
Do I need a capture card to control OBS from my phone?
No. Controlling OBS from your iPhone happens entirely over obs-websocket, which sends scene thumbnails and accepts commands over your network. There is no video-capture hardware in the chain. A capture card is only for getting an external camera or device into OBS in the first place — it has nothing to do with remote-controlling OBS from a phone.
Do I have to install an OBS plugin to use a phone remote?
Not anymore. OBS Studio 28 and newer ship with obs-websocket 5.x built in, so there is no plugin to download or version-match. Just enable the WebSocket server under Tools → WebSocket Server Settings and connect CTD Live Mobile to it. If you are on an OBS build older than 28, update OBS — that is far simpler than chasing the old standalone plugin.
How do I switch OBS scenes from my iPhone?
In CTD Live Mobile your scenes show up as a live multiview grid of thumbnails. Tap a scene to switch to it. With Studio Mode off, the tap cuts straight to program; with Studio Mode on, the tap loads the scene into preview and you press the dedicated TAKE button to send it to air. You can also hold any angle to quick-cut it to program and release to return.
Does my iPhone need to be on the same Wi-Fi as my OBS computer?
In the typical setup, yes — your iPhone reaches OBS over the same local network, which is why CTD Live Mobile requests Local Network permission. They can be on Wi-Fi and Ethernet as long as it is the same router/LAN. The app can also connect to an off-network OBS host by IP if you have set that up, and it supports wss:// (TLS). It only ever talks to the OBS server you configure — there is no cloud in between.
Is there a free app to control OBS from an iPhone?
Yes. CTD Live Mobile is completely free — no account, no subscription, no in-app purchases, and no ads or trackers (its App Privacy label is Data Not Collected). It turns your iPhone or iPad into a full OBS control surface with live multiview, Studio Mode TAKE, hold-to-quick-cut, stream/record control, and even game-controller switching. If you need Android, the free open-source OBS Blade is a good cross-platform alternative.
Get CTD Live Mobile
No subscriptions, no accounts, no cloud — talks only to your own OBS over your network.