Camera Configuration

The Stream Video SDK provides comprehensive camera configuration capabilities, allowing you to control various aspects of the camera during video calls. From basic operations like enabling/disabling the camera to advanced features like zoom and focus control, the SDK offers an intuitive interface for managing camera functionality.

Before attempting to access the user’s camera, ensure the appropriate permissions are set in both the iOS plist file and Android Manifest. You can read more about permissions in installation section.

Basic Camera Operations

Enable/Disable Camera

Control whether the camera is active during a call:

// Enable camera
await call.setCameraEnabled(enabled: true);

// Disable camera
await call.setCameraEnabled(enabled: false);

// Enable camera with specific constraints
await call.setCameraEnabled(
  enabled: true,
  constraints: const CameraConstraints(
    facingMode: FacingMode.environment,
    mirrorMode: MirrorMode.off,
  ),
);

Camera Position Control

Switch between front and rear cameras:

// Set to front camera
await call.setCameraPosition(CameraPosition.front);

// Set to back camera
await call.setCameraPosition(CameraPosition.back);

// Flip camera (toggles between front and back)
await call.flipCamera();

Video Input Device Management

Select and configure specific camera devices:

// Set a specific video input device
await call.setVideoInputDevice(device);

// Get current camera device
var currentCamera = call.state.value.videoInputDevice;

Advanced Camera Features

Zoom Control

Adjust the camera zoom level programmatically:

// Set zoom level (1.0 = no zoom, higher values = more zoom)
await call.setZoom(zoomLevel: 2.0);

Focus and Exposure Control

Control camera focus and exposure points:

// Set focus to a specific point on the screen
// Point coordinates are relative to the video view (0.0 to 1.0)
await call.focus(focusPoint: Point(0.5, 0.5)); // Center of the screen

// Auto focus (no specific point)
await call.focus();

Platform-Specific Features

iOS Multitasking Camera Access

For iOS devices, you can control whether the camera remains accessible during multitasking:

// Enable multitasking camera access (iOS only)
await call.setMultitaskingCameraAccessEnabled(true);

// Disable multitasking camera access (iOS only)
await call.setMultitaskingCameraAccessEnabled(false);

You don’t need to explicitly call this method, as the SDK will handle it automatically when the muteVideoWhenInBackground option is set to false in StreamVideoOptions.

Camera State Management

Accessing Camera State

You can access the current camera state through the call state:

// Get current camera device
var camera = call.state.value.videoInputDevice;

// Check if camera is enabled
var isCameraEnabled = call.state.value.localParticipant?.isVideoEnabled ?? false;

Error Handling

All camera methods return a Result type for proper error handling:

final result = await call.setCameraEnabled(enabled: true);

result.fold(
  success: (success) {
    print('Camera enabled successfully');
  },
  failure: (failure) {
    print('Failed to enable camera: ${failure.error.message}');
  },
);

Call Types

Microphone and Audio Configuration