Canon has introduced a new application, Live Switcher Mobile, that allows you to conduct live broadcasts with the ability to connect up to three mobile devices. The app only works on iPhones and iPads running iOS or iPadOS 16 or higher. Android support has not yet been announced, but even more surprising is the incompatibility with Canon’s own digital cameras.
Image source (YouTube screenshot): Canon
According to The Verge, the app is already available for free download, but with some restrictions. In particular, video quality is only possible at 720 pixels with a watermark, and the application interface periodically displays advertisements. To remove these restrictions, as well as improve video quality to 1080 pixels, a paid subscription is offered for $18 per month (over $215 per year). At the same time, even for money, it is not yet possible to increase video quality to 4K.
To operate, one of the devices is designated as a host, which controls camera switching and serves as the main camera. You can connect up to two additional devices to it, using them as additional angles or to broadcast the screen, for example, during video games. Switching between cameras is possible manually or automatically at intervals of 8 to 20 seconds. Picture-in-picture functions are also available, adding text to create titles and images.
Live Switcher Mobile supports broadcasts on YouTube, Facebook✴ and other platforms with the RTMP protocol, however, the function of displaying comments is limited to the first two services. Although the application is inferior in functionality to the free OBS Studio program, it is nevertheless based on a simpler and more intuitive interface, which is important for novice streamers.
The app is currently limited to supporting only mobile devices, but the company promises that in the future it will add support for Canon digital cameras, as well as the ability to upscale video to 4K.