VDO.Ninja Native App to Meshcast WHIP

Use the VDO.Ninja Android native app to publish a phone camera or USB/UVC camera into Meshcast with one WHIP connection.

Verified test

This workflow was tested with a Pixel 9a, the VDO.Ninja Android app, and a Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 over USB. The app published audio and video to Meshcast in WHIP-only mode, and Meshcast WHEP playback showed the same USB camera feed.

Requirements

Android phone or tablet with the VDO.Ninja native app installed.
For USB camera capture: an Android-compatible UVC camera and a USB-C adapter or powered hub.
A Meshcast WHIP URL. Registered users can copy it from Meshcast. Anonymous sessions can also be created for short-lived WebRTC-only streams.
A separate Meshcast watch link, embed link, or WHEP URL for viewers.

Platform note

USB camera capture is Android-only in the native app. The iOS app supports camera publishing, screen share, and external USB/USB-C audio on supported devices, but it does not expose USB camera capture.

Get the Meshcast WHIP URL

For a registered Meshcast stream, open the Dashboard or Studio and copy the WHIP publish URL for the stream. The URL has this shape:

https://app.meshcast.io/api/gateway/whip/YOUR_PUBLISH_KEY

If Meshcast gives you a server hint, keep it on the URL:

https://app.meshcast.io/api/gateway/whip/YOUR_PUBLISH_KEY?server=ovh-use1

Meshcast Studio is the browser publishing surface. For the native app, use the WHIP publish URL from your Meshcast stream, invite, dashboard, or session response.

Anonymous session option

For a temporary accountless test, create an anonymous session from an allowed origin and use the returned stream_key and whip_url. Anonymous sessions are WHIP/WHEP only and expire.

POST https://app.meshcast.io/api/publish/anonymous
Origin: https://vdo.ninja

Response fields:
stream_key = anon_...
servers[0].whip_url = /api/gateway/whip/{stream_key}?server=ovh-use1

Replace {stream_key} and prepend https://app.meshcast.io. Leave the VDO.Ninja app's separate Stream Key field blank when the key is already part of the WHIP URL path.

Configure the native app

Connect the USB camera to the Android phone before opening the app. Use a powered hub if the camera draws too much power.
Open the VDO.Ninja native app and select USB CAMERA. For a phone camera, select BACK CAMERA, FRONT CAMERA, or BACK ULTRA-WIDE.
In Publishing Settings, choose the microphone. If the USB camera exposes audio, it may appear as a USB audio input.
Enable Advanced Settings if the WHIP section is not visible.
Enable WHIP output.
Paste the full Meshcast WHIP URL into WHIP URL.
Leave Stream Key blank unless your WHIP service specifically expects a Bearer token instead of a key in the URL.
Select WHIP only to avoid creating a VDO.Ninja peer-to-peer publish connection. Use Alongside VDO.Ninja only when you also want a normal VDO.Ninja push running at the same time.
Tap Connect.

VDO.Ninja native app showing USB Camera mode

Select USB CAMERA when Android exposes a connected UVC camera.

VDO.Ninja native app WHIP settings filled with Meshcast URL

Enable WHIP output, paste the Meshcast WHIP URL, leave Stream Key blank, and select WHIP only.

Android USB camera permission prompt for VDO.Ninja

Approve the Android USB camera prompt when it appears.

VDO.Ninja native app live USB camera preview

After connecting, the app shows the USB camera preview and call controls.

View or share the stream

Open the Meshcast watch or embed link for the same stream. Anonymous streams use the anonymous key as the view path:

https://app.meshcast.io/embed/YOUR_STREAM_KEY?server=ovh-use1

Registered streams normally use the public Stream ID for watching and the private Publish Key for WHIP publishing.

Meshcast player showing USB camera feed from VDO.Ninja native app

Meshcast WHEP playback showing the USB camera feed published from the phone.

Recommended event settings

Phone and camera

Keep the phone plugged into power.
Disable battery saver and screen timeout if possible.
Use a powered USB hub for larger webcams or HDMI capture dongles.
Test the exact camera, adapter, and audio device before the event.

Video and network

Start at 720p and 30 fps for reliability.
Use Prefer 1080p only when the phone, camera, and uplink are stable.
Use WHIP only when Meshcast should be the only publisher connection.
Use wired Ethernet or strong Wi-Fi for long ceremonies or events.

Troubleshooting

USB CAMERA does not appear

Reconnect the camera and restart the app.
Use a powered USB-C hub, especially with HDMI capture adapters.
Confirm the camera is UVC compatible. Android USB camera support is device and firmware dependent.
USB camera capture is not available in the iOS native app.

WHIP does not connect

Use the full HTTPS WHIP URL, not the WHEP or watch URL.
Leave the app's Stream Key field blank when the Meshcast key is already in the URL.
Create a fresh anonymous session if the key expired.
Make sure only one publisher is using the same key unless you intentionally force-replaced it.

Phone preview works but viewers see nothing

Open the Meshcast embed/watch URL for the same stream key or public Stream ID.
Wait a few seconds after the phone shows the live preview. WHIP setup and WHEP playback each need a WebRTC connection.
Check that the server hint matches on both the WHIP publish URL and WHEP/watch URL when you are using one.