Build a Free iOS App for Live IRL Streaming with Moblin

Ever wanted to build a live streaming app for iOS without getting tangled in expensive SDKs or complex backend setups? It’s a common itch for developers interested in real-time video, but the barrier to entry can feel high. What if you could spin up your own IRL (In Real Life) streaming app, for free, and have full control over the code?

That’s exactly what the open-source project Moblin offers. It’s a native iOS application that lets you broadcast live video directly from your phone to an RTMP server. Think of it as a foundational, fully-functional client that you can clone, tweak, and make your own.

What It Does

Moblin is a Swift-based iOS app that turns your phone into a live streaming powerhouse. At its core, it uses Apple’s AVFoundation framework to capture video and audio from the device’s camera and microphone. It then encodes this media in real-time and streams it out to any RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) server you specify—like a self-hosted instance of nginx-rtmp, or cloud services from Mux, AWS IVS, or Twitch.

You get a clean, minimal camera interface with the essential controls: start/stop streaming, switch between front and back cameras, and toggle the microphone. The magic is in its simplicity and focus; it does one job and gets out of your way.

Why It’s Cool

The real value here isn’t just that it’s a free streaming app. It’s a well-architected, open-source reference implementation built with modern Swift. For developers, this is a goldmine.

First, it demystifies the live streaming pipeline on iOS. You can see exactly how session configuration, video compression settings, and network adaptation are handled. The code is straightforward and readable, making it a fantastic learning resource.

Second, it’s a perfect starting point for customization. Want to add a custom watermark, overlay graphics, or a different UI? The project structure is clear, so you can dive right in. It’s also built with a modular approach, separating concerns like camera management and stream configuration, which makes it easier to extend.

Finally, it’s completely self-sufficient. There’s no reliance on proprietary third-party libraries for the core functionality. You own the entire stack, which is a breath of fresh air in an ecosystem often dominated by locked-in services.

How to Try It

Getting Moblin running on your own device is straightforward:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/eerimoq/moblin.git
   cd moblin
   

2. Open the project in Xcode (Moblin.xcodeproj).
3. Set up your streaming endpoint. You’ll need the URL and stream key for an RTMP server. For a quick test, you can use a free, public test server (a quick web search will find current ones), or set up a local server.
4. Enter your stream details in the app’s settings screen before you hit “Start Streaming.”
5. Build and run the app on your iOS device (note: the camera APIs require a real device, not the simulator).

That’s it. You should be live in minutes.

Final Thoughts

Moblin is a pragmatic and empowering tool. It doesn’t promise to be the next big social platform; instead, it gives you the solid, un-opinionated bones to build one if you want to. As a developer, I appreciate projects that solve a specific technical problem cleanly and then hand you the keys. Whether you’re learning how live video works on iOS, prototyping a feature, or starting a full-blown project, having this codebase in your toolkit is incredibly useful. It turns a complex domain into something you can actually play with and understand.

Check out the repo, stream a test, and see what you can build from it.

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