1. Use a camera that supports RTSP or HTTP streaming

Most IP cameras (Dahua, Hikvision, CP Plus, TP-Link, EZVIZ, etc.) support RTSP or HTTP video streaming.

This means the camera sends the video over your local network or the internet, which your app can access.

Example RTSP link:

rtsp://username:password@camera_ip_address:port/streaming_path

2. Choose how to play the stream

On Android, you can’t play RTSP or HTTP video streams with regular VideoView.
You need a special video player library that supports live streaming.

Popular options:

ExoPlayer (Google library): Supports HTTP/HLS and RTSP streaming with some improvements.

VLC library for Android: Supports RTSP out of the box.

FFmpeg/LibVLC: Flexible, yet more powerful.

3. Add the player library to your app

Example of the VLC library (LibVLC) in Android Studio:

dependencies {
implementation ‘org.videolan.android:libvlc-all:3.4.4’
}

4. Use the player in your code

Example: Basic use of LibVLC for RTSP

import org.videolan.libvlc.LibVLC;
import org.videolan.libvlc.Media;
import org.videolan.libvlc.MediaPlayer;

LibVLC libVLC = new LibVLC(this);
MediaPlayer mediaPlayer = new MediaPlayer(libVLC);

SurfaceView videoSurface = findViewById(R.id.video_surface);
mediaPlayer.getVLCVout().setVideoView(videoSurface);
mediaPlayer.getVLCVout().attachViews();

String streamUrl = “rtsp://username:password@camera_ip/stream_path”;
Media media = new Media(libVLC, Uri.parse(streamUrl));
mediaPlayer.setMedia(media);
mediaPlayer.play();

5. Manage Network and Permissions

Add the INTERNET permission to the AndroidManifest.xml file:

<uses-permission android:name=”android.permission.INTERNET” />
Make sure your phone is connected to the same network or that the camera can be accessed via a public IP or DDNS.

6. Secure Your Camera

Never directly encrypt your username and password; use secure storage.

Use strong passwords on your camera.

If streaming over the internet, use secure RTSP (RTSPS) if supported.

7. Test the camera

Run the app and test the stream.

If the stream doesn’t load:

Check the RTSP URL.

Make sure the camera allows external connections.

Check your router/firewall if accessing remotely.