How to use NDI HX Camera App (iOS)

1

Ensure that the iOS device and app are both on the latest versions. At the time of writing, that means iOS 26.4.2 and NDI HX Camera app 3.3. The minimum requirements are iOS 17.0, iPadOS 17.0, or visionOS 1.0.

2

The app needs network, camera, and microphone access. On first launch, it may ask for these permissions. Enable them when prompted. If you do not enable them, you can allow access manually by opening the Settings app, selecting Apps, scrolling to NDI HX Camera, and toggling them on.

3

After the initial permissions are granted, you’ll see the main UI. To use the app as is, touch the NDI logo to start streaming. The logo should pulse purple, and a red indicator should appear by the camera name.

Now, let's look at the settings and options available in the elements on the left, top, and right.

The Privacy Indicator is an iOS-wide indicator that shows whether the camera, microphone, or both are in use.

The Device Name at the top can be changed in the in-app Settings page. If the device is on the network and streaming, a red indicator appears beside the name. If it’s on the network but not streaming, no indicator is present.

On the right are toggles for the rear-facing light and preset zoom points. By default, the camera uses all available rear lenses and switches between them as needed. If the device does not have a triple camera, or only has a single camera, those options will not be available. Instead, it will zoom digitally when required.

Along the bottom are other settings and toggles:

• Settings - Configuration changes can be made here. Some changes can only be made if the device is not actively streaming.

• Alignment and Safe Areas - Several overlay options are available: Center Cross, Cross Pattern, 2.39:1, 9:16, 16:9, 1:1, 4:3, 80%, and 90%. Overlays can be toggled on and off individually, and you can select multiple overlays.

• Mic toggle - Enables or disables the onboard microphone. If supported, external mics can also be connected and selected through the Settings page.

• NDI Streaming toggle - By default, it is off and static. When pressed, the logo will "pulse" to indicate that video is currently being streamed from the app.

• Lens Selection - If the device has multiple cameras, you can select from them here.

• Stabilization - If the device supports stabilization, it can be toggled and set here. The options are High, Medium, Low, and Off. Please note that enabling stabilization also increases latency because the device requires additional processing.

• EV Compensation - You can select from -2.0 to +2.0 in 0.5 increments. This darkens or brightens the image.

• White Balance - Adjusts the white balance for the selected lens between Shade (7500K), Cloudy (6500K), Daylight (5000K), Fluorescent (4000K), and Incandescent (2800K). Please note that this adjusts the white balance for only a single lens. On devices with multiple lenses, WB is disabled when a multi-lens array is selected. For example, selecting "Back Dual Camera" disables WB because it must composite the zoom between both cameras. Selecting "Back Camera" enables it because it processes the image from a single camera.

In the settings page, several options are available. Some are only present if the device is not actively streaming. Most settings have a tooltip icon that you can touch for more information.

• Device - Selects the intended lenses for shooting.

• Resolution - Sets the resolution supported by the lens and OS. Lower resolutions typically send less traffic on slower networks.

• Frame rate - Sets the frame rate at which the signal is delivered. Lower frame rates typically send less traffic on slower networks. The frame rate is artificially induced by the app. However, if the camera captures at 60 fps at the hardware level, the app can deliver the signal at 50 fps or 25 fps.

• Video Rotation - On a device that supports external cameras, the signal may be transmitted in the wrong orientation. You can manually set the camera rotation if it does not appear correctly. Note that some devices may appear "upside down" in the app preview, but appear correctly in the NDI stream.

• Codec - Toggle between H.264 and HEVC. HEVC is generally more compressed than H.264 to save bandwidth, especially if streaming over Wi‑Fi.

• Bit depth - Toggle between 10-bit and 8-bit. 10-bit is usually for HDR, so we recommend using a faster network.

• Bit Rate - Toggle between presets from "Very Low" to "Extreme" to target a bit rate range. "Very Low" is around 2.5 Mbps with HEVC at 1080p60, and "Extreme" is about 80 Mbps at the same codec and resolution/frame rate. Choose a lower option if you’re on congested Wi‑Fi or a slower network.

• Exposure Compensation - EV compensation brightens or darkens the image.

• White Balance - Uses the same options as the main UI: Incandescent, Fluorescent, Daylight, Cloudy, and Shade.

• Stabilization - Uses the same options as the main UI: Low, Medium, and High. Increasing stabilization increases latency because the device must buffer the image to process stabilization.

• Enable Audio - Enables or disables audio.

• Device - If an external microphone is plugged in and the hardware supports it, you can choose a different microphone instead of the built-in one.

• Codec - Toggle between the older universal PCM and the more modern AAC.

• Sender Name - A text-editable field that changes the device name as it appears on the NDI network.

• Sender Protocol - Toggle between UDP for lower latency and TCP for an older, reliable connection.

• Enable Sender Groups - When disabled, the sender is available to all receivers in the default "Public" group. When enabled, it shows a text field where you can specify which group can receive the image. Please note that each receiver must also be assigned to the same group name.

• Enable Discovery Server - When disabled, the app broadcasts its name over mDNS to all devices on the same network. When enabled and a valid Discovery Server IP is entered, it broadcasts its name only to that Discovery Server. Any intended receiver must also be connected to the same Discovery Server to receive the signal.

• Enable Sender Monitoring - When a valid Discovery Server is enabled, this option toggles Sender Monitoring on or off. Sender Monitoring broadcasts not only the sender name, but also stream information to a compatible app such as the NDI Discovery app.

• Show Labels - When in landscape mode, toggles the labels under each button in the main interface.

  • Labels on:

    
  • Labels off:

    
• Alignment - Enables the Center Cross and Cross overlays.

• Safe Zones - Enables various safe-area overlays such as 90%, 1:1, and 16:9.

• Orientation - Locks the view to Portrait, Landscape, Landscape Left, or Landscape Right.

• Show VU Meters - Shows an audio VU meter in the main interface. This VU meter is not transmitted over NDI.

• Auto Hide Interface - After a period of inactivity in the main interface, the buttons disappear off-screen.

• Enable Screen Saver - When enabled, the video preview is disabled after a period of inactivity.