Canon's new "Live Switcher Mobile" app turns your iPhone or iPad into a multi-device streaming setup — and it's currently limited to Apple devices only.
On Monday, Canon announced that it has launched a new app called "Live Switcher Mobile." It allows users to seamlessly switch between three devices — currently just iPhones and iPads — that are all connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Canon hopes the app will streamline the live-streaming process and eliminate the need for much bulkier setups. There's even an option to specify the number of seconds before the shooting device automatically changes over to another.
Peculiarly enough, none of Canon's digital cameras are supported at this time, though the company says that functionality will be added in the future. Android isn't supported either.
Canon's announcement suggests that the primary target for the app is YouTube and Facebook streamers. However, it points out that other live-streaming platforms can be used if users enter the streaming URL issued by the platform.
The app appears to compete with OBS, a popular — and free — desktop streaming software. It's worth noting that OBS doesn't make an iPhone or iPad app currently, so Live Switcher Mobile may be a better fit for those who wish to stream content from their cameras, rather than their computers.
Canon recommends Live Switcher Mobile as a viable option for gaming streamers, though the user would need to be playing a game on their smartphone. It's real advantage lies in its ability to accommodate multiple cameras, rather than just broadcasting a user's screen.
As the promotional video shows, this could become an indispensable tool for those who want to livestream top-down content with an additional face camera. It seems like it would mostly benefit cooking, crafting, and art streamers.
It also makes for a much more portable setup, provided you still have access to Wi-Fi.
Live Switcher Mobile is available for free on the App Store, but it does fall squarely in freemium territory. Free users get watermarked footage that maxes out at 720p, and users will see advertisements, though they're not shared with anyone watching the live stream.
To use Live Switcher Mobile, you'll need to have an iPhone or iPad running iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 or newer. Premium features can be unlocked for $17.99 per month.
Premium features, at this time, include removal of ads and watermarks, image overlay, picture-in-picture, and resolution switching between HD and FHD.
