How to Use the Remote Guest Feature in the Switcher App

Switcher Studio's Remote Guest (Video Chat) feature is an in-app video chat tool that allows users to welcome interviewees, guest callers, co-hosts, or on-site correspondents to their livestream. Guests can easily join using a web browser using most mobile devices and webcam-equipped computers.

In this article:

Setting up Remote Guest Using the Switcher Studio App

Choose the host Device and Join a Room

When using Remote Guest you have the option to host from your main Switcher or by joining the video chat from a separate device. For most users, "Host From This Device" is the setting of choice.

  • Open Switcher Studio on the main switching device (iPad, iPhone).

  • Tap the Plus (+) icon. (iPhone only)

  • Tap New Livestream.

  • Tap Horizontal or Vertical.

  • Tap the Remote Guest tab (icon with two people).

  • Tap Host From This Device.

  • Tap Join Room.

Invite Remote Guests to Join the Room

Once you've joined the Remote Guest room, you'll need to invite your guests. They will join using a unique link to your room.

  • From the Remote Guest tab, tap Invite Video Chat Guest.

    • This will initiate your iOS Share options.

  • Tap to select the communication method of choice.

    • You can send the link via AirDrop, Messages, Mail, Facebook, and more.

  • Guests can click the link on any compatible device with a microphone and camera to join the room.

Note: You can send your guests the link to your room at any time prior to the broadcast. The link will not change unless you log into your online Switcher Studio Dashboard and manually generate a new link.

Step 3: Add your guests to your broadcast

Once your guests have joined the room, they will show up in the Sources / Production panel. To add them to your broadcast:

  • Tap the record button

  • Tap the guest name

Remote Guest Audio Monitoring

Switcher Studio users can hear guests directly through the device's built-in speakers or through headphones. You can use the built-in speakers if using the device's internal microphone because the Remote Guest feature includes echo cancellation. However, Switcher Studio's built-in echo cancellation does not work with external audio inputs.

Note: Although it's not required, we recommend Video Chat guests use headphones for the best audio experience.

Muting Remote Guest audio

You have the option to mute guests by default when they join the chat room. Simply toggle the Mute Guests' Audio by Default option to On when you're on the Remote Guest tab. You can also mute individual guests at any time during the production. Simply go to the Audio tab (sound wave icon) and tap the microphone icon next to their name. When the icon is highlighted blue, your guest is muted.

Hosting From the Main Switching Device

Before joining the room, users have the option to choose how to host using the Remote Guest feature. Choosing the default option to Host From This Device will send your live feed to the guests' displays. This means your guests will be able to see and hear what your live audience sees in addition to other guests in the Remote Guest room. This is best for most setups.

If you disable this feature, you will have to join the Remote Guest room from a secondary device. To do this, simply copy and paste the video chat link in a separate device and join the Remote Guest room the same way a guest would. In this scenario, guests will only see other guests and will not be able to see the live feed from Switcher. This set up is not normally recommended, but is good for complex audio setups and certain situations and workarounds.

Note: If using this option remember to mute either Switcher's mic or the mic on your second device or you'll hear an echo.

Remote Camera Mode

Remote Camera Mode keeps the guest's camera full screen. They will still be able to hear everyone else in the Remote Guest room, but they will only see their own camera in full-screen with a slider to adjust the zoom level of the camera on supported devices.

Private Chat

Users on the Switcher Studio Business plan have the ability to chat with their guests in the Remote Guest room before bringing them live onto the stream. This is a useful tool for live-coaching as a producer or giving a quick heads-up on conversation topics before your guest enters the stream.

Remote Guest Compatibility

The Remote Guest feature is compatible with the browsers and operating systems displayed below. If your guest is joining on an iOS device, they must use Safari to open the Remote Guest link. We recommend all other guests use Chrome for the best experience.

Note: Mac Minis do not have a built-in webcam. For Remote Guest to work properly on these computers, an external webcam or software such as Camo must be used instead.

Huawei Phones

Huawei phones are incompatible with Remote Guest. Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox both have open bugs for this issue, which is impacting any web-based video calling on Huawei phones. If your guest appears as a black screen in Switcher Studio, it's likely because they are using a Huawei phone, and will need to join using a different device.

Director Mode

Switcher Studio's Director Mode can be used to capture HD video from all angles and automatically composite each angle and assets used during the production into one video file. It is not possible to gather local recordings of the footage from Video Chat angles.

Remote Guest Setup Using the Switcher Studio Dashboard

Remote Guest rooms can be hosted using the Switcher Studio Dashboard from a computer.

To set up a Remote Guest room using the Switcher Studio Dashboard:

  • Go to the Switcher Studio Dashboard.

  • Click Remote Guests in the left sidebar.

  • Click Launch Remote Guests Room.

  • Type your name in the Enter Name field.

  • Click Continue.

  • Select your preferred camera, microphone, and speaker.

  • Click Join Room.

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