Phone app setup
How to view your Ubiquiti UniFi cameras on your phone
UniFi cameras are viewed through the UniFi Protect app, signed in to the same UI account as your UniFi console. No QR code and no port forwarding.
VuePoint
Ubiquiti cameras don't connect to the phone individually. They're adopted by a UniFi console running Protect (a Dream Machine, Cloud Gateway, UNVR or Cloud Key, for example), and the phone talks to the console. The app is UniFi Protect, published by Ubiquiti Inc. on the App Store and Google Play. The separate UniFi app manages the network side; you don't need it just to watch cameras.
What you need before you start
- The UniFi console online with Protect running and your cameras adopted.
- The UI account (Ubiquiti's cloud account) the console is linked to, or an invitation to it from the owner.
- Remote access turned on for the console. It's normally enabled when the console is set up with a UI account; the toggle lives in the console's UniFi OS settings.
- The current UniFi Protect app, and console firmware that isn't years out of date.
Set up UniFi Protect on your phone
- 1
Install UniFi Protect
Download UniFi Protect from the App Store or Google Play.
- 2
Sign in with your UI account
Use the account the console is linked to. If someone else owns the console, they invite you first (step 5 explains how).
- 3
Pick the console
The app lists consoles linked to your account. Tap yours. On the same Wi-Fi, the app can also find the console locally.
- 4
Confirm remote access
Switch your phone to cellular and check live view. If it only works on Wi-Fi, remote access is off: in UniFi OS settings, turn on the remote access or remote management option (the exact label depends on the UniFi OS version).
- 5
Invite other people properly
In UniFi OS, go to the admins and users section, invite each person by email, and give them a Protect role limited to what they need, such as view-only.
The alternative: VPN, not port forwarding
UniFi's remote access works without opening inbound ports, so there is rarely a reason to port-forward a UniFi console. If you want access without Ubiquiti's cloud, use the VPN features built into UniFi gateways. Exposing the console directly is the riskiest option; if you're considering it, read how to set up port forwarding for a camera recorder to understand what you'd be opening.
Troubleshooting
- Console offline in the app. Check the console has internet, then sign in to unifi.ui.com from a computer to see whether it reports online.
- Login lockout or MFA problems. Repeated wrong passwords can temporarily block sign-in. Recover through Ubiquiti's account recovery; keep MFA backup codes somewhere safe.
- Remote access disabled. The app works on site but not away from it. Turn remote access back on in UniFi OS settings.
- Firmware too old. An old Protect or UniFi OS version can refuse connections from the current app. Update the console, then the cameras.
VuePoint Secure can add live monitoring to the same UniFi cameras through an on-site edge device, without port forwarding.
Common questions
- Do UniFi Protect cameras need a subscription?
- No. Recordings stay on the console's own storage, and remote viewing is included.
- Can I view cameras without a UI account?
- Locally, on the same network, yes. Remote access through the app uses a UI account.
- Can I give a property manager access to some cameras only?
- Yes. Invite them with a limited Protect role. Recent UniFi OS versions also allow custom permissions that narrow which cameras a user sees; check what your version offers.
Stuck getting your UniFi system online?
Tell us the recorder model and what the app is showing. We'll tell you what we'd check next.