If you’re a live-streamer, or if you follow any live-streamers, you’ve probably heard of StreamYard.
Did you know you can use StreamYard to live-stream on the go from your smartphone?
Well, you sure can, and we’re going to take a look at how, and how well it works compared to the desktop application.
StreamYard Works on Smartphones, with Caveats
The short answer to “does it really work,” is yes.
You can successfully host a live-stream from your Android or Apple phone, or other mobile devices like a tablet.
However, for the best possible quality and access to the full host of StreamYard’s features, the desktop version is still going to be your best bet.
But if you want to stream on the go—or outdoors—the mobile version may help you do just that.
How Well Does StreamYard Work with Smartphones?
While the desktop version is going to get you the highest quality and the most features, StreamYard mobile works surprisingly well as long as you have a solid internet connection. Naturally, though, your video quality can only be as good as the quality of your phone’s—or other mobile device’s—camera.
Ditto with sound quality and your phone’s microphone.
All that being said, feedback from those who have streamed from their phone seems to indicate the quality is quite good for the limitations of a mobile device. Further, using StreamYard from a phone still allows you to use a variety of familiar StreamYard features such as overlays, comments, banners, and even backgrounds!
StreamYard mobile also allows you to invite up to nine guests to your stream, a frankly impressive amount of simultaneous video and audio connections for a stream hosted from a phone.
The background feature mentioned above comes in real handy with guests, too, as you can arrange all of your video feeds in an attractive format over a background image to customize the look of your stream.
How Do You Set Up StreamYard with an iPhone?
StreamYard mobile is accessed via your mobile browser, no app is required! For an iPhone, only the Safari browser works; trying to use it on Chrome will just redirect you to use Safari.
But before we do that, make sure to read our article here about where you can stream to with Streamyard.
Several steps are required at this point to get StreamYard up and running on your phone, so refer to this handy step-by-step guide:
- Open your Safari browser on your iPhone.
- Navigate to www.streamyard.com.
- Click the “Get Started” button in the top right corner.
- Input your email address on the next page.
- Retrieve your login code from your email and enter it in the code box which appears on the StreamYard page.
- Choose one or more destinations for your stream (note the free version only allows a single destination, while the paid version allows multi-casting).
- Allow StreamYard access to your Google account.
- Click the “Onward” button.
- If you have over 1,000 subscribers on YouTube, skip to the next step. If you do not, click this link and follow the steps to verify your channel.
- Click the “Create a Broadcast” button.
- Select your destination(s) and add a title and description for your stream.
- Choose your privacy setting.
- Click the “Create Broadcast” button.
- Allow access to your microphone and camera.
- Enter your display name. This is what viewers will see in the banner at the bottom of your video feed.
- Click the “Enter the Broadcast studio” button.
- When you are ready, click the “Go Live” button.
- You are now live!
Do note that it’s easiest to do the email verification on steps 4 and 5 from a desktop, so if you don’t have a StreamYard account yet, you may want to set it up on your desktop before streaming from mobile, although you can do every step from your phone if desired.
Further, you may be able to skip step 5 if you already have a StreamYard account.
On the privacy settings from step 12, “Public” allows anyone to come to see your stream, “Unlisted” makes a private invite-only stream, and “Private” is for testing purposes as only you will see the stream.
At this point, you can also choose to schedule your stream to start at a pre-determined time, if desired.
If you want to customize your stream, in between steps 16 and 17 (after entering the broadcast studio but before going live), you can look through the options and experiment with banners, overlays, backgrounds, and much more.
What About Other Types of Smartphones?
StreamYard mobile is also fully compatible with Android phones!
On Android, a variety of browsers may work, but StreamYard recommends the Chrome browser.
You can use the exact same steps from the section above to get started with an Android phone, simply replace step 1 with “Open your Chrome browser on your Android phone” and every step after that will be the same as the above list.
What Are the Limitations Compared to Desktop?
StreamYard mobile features a robust array of features, but it’s not the full suite you might be used to if you regularly stream from your desktop.
Most notably, virtual backgrounds—whether you’re using a green screen or letting the computer do all the work without one—are unavailable in StreamYard mobile.
This isn’t terribly surprising, since even with the aid of a green screen, your mobile device is unlikely to have the processing power necessary to make a virtual background work. Further, if you’re using StreamYard mobile so that you can stream outdoors and on the go, you’d probably prefer the natural background anyway.
Additionally, StreamYard on desktop (if you have a paid plan) can host up to 14 guests in the studio, or 15 people total including the host.
By comparison, StreamYard mobile maxes out at 9 guests, or 10 people total including the host.
StreamYard in general is also highly reliant on a solid, decently fast internet connection.
This is true on the desktop version as well, however, it becomes even more of a concern—and potential limitation—if you’re streaming from mobile because wireless internet connections are not always as steady or reliable as wired. If you’re going to be out and about, you’ll want to stay in areas with good cellular coverage and preferably have a high-speed, unlimited data plan.
If you’re going to be indoors for the whole stream, make sure the wifi connection is fast, stable, and won’t be interrupted.
Do People Actually Use Smartphones for Streaming with StreamYard?
From what we can tell, there definitely are people streaming from their phones with Streamyard. Some streamers might use their phones exclusively, some might use desktop setups exclusively, and some might use a mix of both; it all just depends on what kind of content you want to make.
For the highest-quality, most reliable, feature-rich streams, the desktop really can’t be beaten.
You’ll get the best audio and video quality that way, and access to powerful features like virtual backgrounds which are unavailable on mobile. You can also get a more stable, higher-speed connection via wired internet.
However, you’ll be stuck sitting in one place.
On StreamYard mobile, you’re limited by the availability of wireless internet, won’t have access to as many features, and your video and audio quality won’t be as good, but you can go outside, move around and take your audience with you.
Because of the unique pros and cons of each option, streamers tend to use each of them for different purposes.
The desktop is great for gaming streams, talk-show, or Q&A style streams, and in general a more curated, feature-rich experience for you and your viewers.
Mobile on the other hand is perfect if you want to go on a walk and take your audience with you, show them local sights, or bring them with you to hang out with your friends.
You could even incorporate both styles into a single stream, starting with your desktop setup at home and swapping to mobile when you want to go get some air or take a break without stopping the stream!
Sources
Does StreamYard Work on Phones?

