Control your iPhone camera from Windows or an Android browser. Record locally in up to 4K60. No Mac required for the Windows installation route.
A local-first, open-source SayCheese alternative for creators who want a remote viewfinder and camera controls while their iPhone does the recording. Independent project; not affiliated with SayCheese or Apple.
First time here? For Windows control, download both the EXE and iPhone IPA. The IPA is unsigned: sign/install it with your own Apple ID using Sideloadly on Windows. Initial installation requires a USB data cable. Android uses the browser remote and needs no APK.
A-to-Z English setup · Roman Urdu setup · Troubleshooting & FAQ · Verified tests · Release notes
| Package | Download | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Windows controller | Download EXE | Desktop controls and optional viewfinder. No Python required for this binary. |
| iPhone companion | Download unsigned IPA | Native recording app, v1.5 / build 8. Personal signing required. |
| Latest source + guides | Download main ZIP | Current source, Xcode project, English/Roman Urdu guides and workflows. |
| Versioned release source | Download v1.5.0 ZIP | Fixed source snapshot used for the release; later documentation updates live on main. |
| Release checksums | SHA256SUMS.txt | Verify the versioned EXE, IPA and release source ZIP. |
The EXE and IPA are unsigned downloads. Opening the IPA directly on iPhone will not install it. Follow the complete installation guide. No Apple password, certificate or provisioning profile is included.
Contents — setup, controls, recordings and development
If ShutterBridge helps your next shoot, give the repository a ⭐. Stars help other Windows + iPhone creators find it. Built by @msaadatmustafa-tech.
- Windows remote: Bluetooth LE start/stop, camera switching, zoom and quality controls, with an optional live Wi-Fi viewfinder.
- iPhone camera app: full-screen recording view, timer, visible permissions and selectable supported formats.
- Android remote: scan the iPhone QR code and use Chrome; no Android APK required. The same browser remote also works on a laptop.
- 4K / 1080p / 720p at 30 or 60 FPS: options come from the selected camera's real capabilities. Confirmed dimensions/FPS are shown separately from the pending selection.
- Local originals + Photos: recordings stay on iPhone; the app saves to Photos when permitted and keeps a Files backup.
- No app-imposed duration limit: available storage, power, temperature and iOS interruptions still limit recording.
- No Mac ownership required: download the unsigned iPhone app or compile it using GitHub Actions, then sign/install locally from Windows.
Windows Camera Studio dashboard during v1.5 development, shown before connecting. No personal footage, session PIN or access link is shown. The installed iPhone companion appears as “iPhone BLE Camera”.
flowchart LR
W[Windows app] -->|BLE commands + status / session PIN| I[iPhone app]
I -->|Optional local Wi-Fi preview| W
A[Android or laptop browser] <-->|Optional local Wi-Fi preview + opt-in controls| I
I --> P[Photos + local Files originals]
Bluetooth carries commands/status, never video. Wi-Fi preview is a silent up-to-640px, up-to-5-FPS framing feed. Your saved movie uses the confirmed recording quality independently.
- Download
ShutterBridge-iPhone-v1.5-unsigned.ipafrom Releases. - Install Sideloadly on Windows, following its official driver/dependency instructions.
- Connect and unlock iPhone by USB, accept Trust This Computer, and select the IPA in Sideloadly.
- Sign/install using your own Apple ID locally. Complete any trust / Developer Mode prompts on iPhone. The download is unsigned and cannot run until personally signed.
- Open iPhone BLE Camera. Grant Camera and Bluetooth permissions; Microphone enables sound and Add Photos enables gallery saving. Keep the app open and iPhone unlocked.
Signing may expire and require refresh; see the official Sideloadly FAQ. Keep the same Apple ID/bundle ID when updating and back up clips first. Never put Apple passwords, signing certificates or provisioning profiles in GitHub.
The installed app currently uses the Camera Studio interface and iPhone BLE Camera display name. ShutterBridge is the public project name.
- Download
ShutterBridge-Windows-v1.5.exefrom Releases, or runWindows/START_WINDOWS.batfrom source with Python 3.11+ and Tkinter installed. - Turn on Bluetooth on both devices. In the Windows app choose Scan for iPhone, select
iPhoneCam, enter the six-digit PIN shown in the iPhone app, and Connect. OS Bluetooth pairing is not the app's connection flow. - While stopped, select a supported quality and click Apply quality. Check the Confirmed on iPhone dimensions/FPS.
- Press Start, then Stop & Save. Wait for the saved-file / Photos result.
The EXE is unsigned. Source and build steps are provided so you can inspect and build your own copy.
- Put the devices on the same trusted Wi-Fi.
- On iPhone tap Enable Wi-Fi preview and allow Local Network access.
- Windows: paste the complete iPhone link into LIVE PREVIEW → Connect preview. Native desktop buttons use your Bluetooth connection.
- Android: enable Allow Wi-Fi remote controls on iPhone, then scan its QR code with Camera / Google Lens and open the page in Chrome.
- Keep iPhone foreground/unlocked. Stop recording before applying another quality or camera. Zoom can be adjusted during recording.
See the Wi-Fi guide for reconnection, privacy and troubleshooting.
On 4 November 2026, using one Windows laptop and one physical iPhone:
| Check | Observed result |
|---|---|
| Front and back recording | All 12 combinations: 4K/1080p/720p × 30/60 FPS × 2 cameras |
| Saved movie metadata | Expected dimensions and 30 or approximately 60 FPS; nominal-60 clips measured 59.95–60.00 FPS |
| Photos saving | Success reported for test clips; owner confirmed recordings appear in Gallery |
| Windows EXE | Built/launched; real BLE discovery, PIN auth, quality apply, Start and Stop & Save verified |
| Desktop recording | About 25 seconds at 3840×2160 @ 59.95 FPS; Photos success received |
| Browser remote | Real iPhone-hosted page tested in Windows Chrome: quality apply, front/back, 1×/2×, start/stop and saved 4K30 metadata |
| Android | Owner confirmed the remote connected; latest browser logic tested against real iPhone in Windows Chrome, not fully re-tested on physical Android |
| Automated tests | 19 Windows tests passed; dependency check passed |
| iOS | GitHub Actions Xcode build succeeded; v1.5/build 8 IPA integrity checked and installed with Sideloadly |
This is a tested personal project, not broad device certification. Gallery playback/audio quality, extended capture, thermal/battery behavior, low storage and interruption recovery still need wider testing. See detailed evidence and remaining checks.
- Windows laptop with Bluetooth LE; developed/tested on Windows 11. Other Windows configurations need testing.
- iPhone with iOS 16+ and sufficient storage. Available formats depend on that specific camera/device.
- Same trusted Wi-Fi for preview/browser control; local guest-network isolation or VPNs can prevent connection.
- Initial USB connection and personal signing for Windows sideloading. No jailbreak needed.
- This controls the installed companion app, not Apple's built-in Camera app.
- Foreground operation only. Locking/backgrounding stops capture; return to the app to resume the preview session.
- There is no 4K stream or file transfer over Bluetooth, cloud recording service, background capture mode or App Store installation in this release.
# Windows, from the repository root (after START_WINDOWS.bat creates .venv)
.\Windows\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m unittest discover -s Windows -v
.\Windows\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip check- Windows EXE: run
Windows/BUILD_EXE.bat; output isWindows/dist/iPhoneCameraRemote.exe. - iPhone IPA, no Mac of your own: fork this repository, enable Actions, run Build iPhone IPA (no Mac required) and download the
iPhoneBLECamera-unsigned-IPAartifact. Sign it locally. - Mac: open
iPhone/iPhoneBLECamera.xcodeprojin Xcode and choose your own signing team/bundle ID.
Contributing guide · BLE / Wi-Fi protocol · Changelog · Security
Capture and playback permissions are visible. There is no camera-control account, backend or analytics. Windows installation/build and GitHub downloads require internet; camera use stays local.
The BLE PIN is an application access gate, not a claim of encrypted Bluetooth pairing. Wi-Fi uses unencrypted local HTTP with a random link key; anyone on the same network with that link can view preview, and can control it when Wi-Fi remote controls are enabled. Use a trusted network, keep links/PINs private, never forward the port to the internet, and turn Wi-Fi preview off to revoke the link. Backgrounding pauses the listener; returning to foreground resumes the same session key/port. Explicit Off revokes the session.
MIT. Contributions and practical device reports are welcome. Please remove private links, PINs, account details and personal footage before sharing logs or screenshots.