AN INDEPENDENT ANDROID APP FOR BLUE IRIS

The Blue Iris Android app stopped getting updates. So I'm building the one it should be.

Name: BI Viewer
Author: Thomas

BI Viewer is free and talks straight to your own Blue Iris server. The core is done and it runs my house every day. Now I need Blue Iris users to test it, break it, and help decide what gets built next.

Join the testers See what it does

Android 7 or newer. Echo Show 15 and Fire TV through Amazon's test program.

Why I'm building this

Thomas

Long-time Blue Iris user. Software developer.

Blue Iris is excellent on the server side. The Android app has always been the weak spot for me: slow to load, stuck on "Loading" until you force-close it, and clips so blurry you can't make out a face. It hasn't had an update since September 2024. I got tired of hoping it would, so I built my own.

The first thing I found shows how much was being left on the table:

When an app doesn't ask Blue Iris for a quality level, it gets a low default. On my server that was 106 to 158 kbps for 1080p clips. BI Viewer asks for it, and the same clips now come through at about 2,700 kbps, roughly 18 times more picture, with audio in sync. Same cameras, same server, same phone.

That's the mission: the Android app Blue Iris users should have had all along, shaped by the people who actually use it. It won't do everything the official app does on day one. I focused on the things I use every day and made those solid. What comes next is up to the testers.

Where it stands today

Built and tested on Blue Iris 6.
Sharp live view and clips, with sound. Decoded by your phone's video hardware, so they start fast.
Reconnects on its own when you come back to the app or switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data. No more force-closing.
All your cameras on one screen. Turn your phone sideways for full screen.
Alerts and clips you can actually search. Filter by camera, or jump to a specific date and time.
PTZ controls and presets, snapshots, and manual record and trigger for admins.
Home and away addresses. It switches automatically when you leave the house.
HTTPS works, including Blue Iris's own self-signed certificate.
Share access with family by QR code. Nobody types a password.
Echo Show 15 and Fire TV as a wall display. Opens to all your cameras and returns there when idle.
Built-in "Report a problem" that sends me the details I need to fix it.
Private by design. It talks directly to your Blue Iris server. No account, no analytics, nothing sent anywhere else.

Screenshots

Camera images are stock photos standing in for real footage.

Camera list with an all-cameras group at the top — All your cameras

Single camera with pan, tilt, zoom and preset controls — PTZ and presets

Alerts list with camera, time range and go to date filters — Alerts and clips

Share access screen with a QR code invite — Share by QR code

Server screen with home and away addresses — Home and away

Four cameras on one screen, full screen in landscape — Full screen in landscape

What's next

Here's what's not there yet, roughly in the order I'm planning to tackle it. Tester feedback moves things up the list.

NextPush notifications. The most-requested thing by far. Tell me how you'd want them to work.
PlannedGoogle Play release once testing wraps up.
LaterTwo-way talk to cameras that support it.
LateriPhone version.
KnownBlue Iris 5 should work, but it's untested. Blue Iris 4 probably won't.

Help build it

Google won't let a new app go public until a group of testers has kept it installed for 14 days. That's the first milestone, and it's where I need you.

Join the tester group with the Google account on your Android phone.
Join the tester group
Install it from Google Play when the test opens. I'll email the group the link.
Keep it installed for 14 days, even on days you don't open it, and tell me what's broken or missing. Settings, then Help, then "Report a problem" does it in a couple of taps.

Echo Show or Fire TV? Those go through Amazon's test program. Email the address on your Amazon account to clark.dev.apps@gmail.com and I'll add you.

Questions

Is this the official Blue Iris app?

No. BI Viewer is independent. It isn't made by or affiliated with Perspective Software, the company behind Blue Iris. It talks to your server the same way Blue Iris's own web interface does.

Is it a replacement for the official Blue Iris Android app?

For live view, alerts, clips and PTZ, yes. That's what I use it for every day. It doesn't do everything the official app does yet (push notifications are next), so check what's next if there's a feature you depend on.

Can I watch Blue Iris on an Echo Show or Fire TV?

Yes. BI Viewer runs on the Echo Show 15 and Fire TV as a Blue Iris camera wall: it opens to all your cameras, starts muted, and goes back to that view when nobody's using it. You sign in by scanning a code on the TV with your phone, so there's no typing passwords with a remote. It's in Amazon's test program for now, so email me to get added.

Is it really free?

Yes. No ads, no accounts, no subscription. It's a side project, and the payoff I'm after is a better app for everyone who runs Blue Iris.

Does my video go through your servers?

No. The app connects straight to your Blue Iris server. I never see your video, your address or your login. See the privacy policy.

Will it work when I'm away from home?

Yes, if your Blue Iris server is reachable from outside your home, the same as any remote viewer. Put that outside address in as your "away" address and the app switches to it when you leave.

Do I need to be an admin on Blue Iris?

No. Any Blue Iris user can sign in. Record, trigger and camera moves only show up if your user is allowed to do them.

How do I reach you?

In the app: Settings, then Help, then "Report a problem." It attaches a recent log with your server address, username and passwords removed. Or email clark.dev.apps@gmail.com.