The whole app, step by step

Before the match

1. Charge both devices. Clear some space on the Camera iPhone (a match can take several GB).
2. Install the VantageCam test build on both (it’s in TestFlight, not the App Store yet).
3. Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both. You don’t need to join a network.
4. Optional: a tripod or a Hohem iSteady M7 gimbal for the Camera iPhone.

First time? A short tour points at each control. You can replay it anytime from Settings → Show the tour.

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Pick a role on each device

The first screen says “Pick a role for this device.”

• Camera iPhone Choose Camera on the iPhone that films.
• Control iPhone/iPad Choose Control on the device you’ll score from.

The choice is remembered. To change it later: Settings → Switch to Camera role or Switch to Control role. Switching restarts the session.

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Link the devices

1. Open VantageCam on both devices. Allow Local Network, Camera and Microphone when asked.
2. Control iPhone/iPad shows “Searching for a Camera phone.” Nearby cameras appear in the camera list.
3. Control iPhone/iPad Tap Link next to the camera, then confirm Link and trust for this session. Unconfirmed cameras don’t record or send footage.
4. Camera iPhone The Camera accepts one Control device. Its status shows the link.

Not finding it? Settings → Retry search. To unlink, tap Unlink in the camera list or Disconnect in Settings.

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Match setup

Control iPhone/iPad Open Settings → Match setup.

• Team names: Home and Away, up to 16 characters.
• Logos: pick from Photos. Initials show until you add one.
• Match length: Best of 5 (first to 3 sets) or Best of 3 (first to 2).
• Rules: points to win a set (25), shorter last set (15), win by (2).

Everything is saved on that device for next time. New match → Start at 0–0 resets points and sets but keeps names, logos, rules and slides.

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Place the camera

Settings → Camera placement is a note to help you set up: pick a corner and jot the height (about 9 ft works for most games). It doesn’t move or aim the camera. Higher and behind a corner shows the whole court best.

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Record

1. Control iPhone/iPad Check the camera preview. You’ll see REC and a timer once recording.
2. Control iPhone/iPad Tap Record. Every linked camera starts together.
3. Camera iPhone Shows REC with the time. You can leave it alone; it takes orders from Control.

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Keep score

Control iPhone/iPad Tap the big number for Home or Away each time a team wins a point. Made a mistake? Tap −1.

• Sets are awarded automatically using your rules, including win-by-2.
• The score strip shows points, sets (SETS 1–0) and timeouts left.
• Scoring pauses during a timeout.

The score is drawn onto the scored footage after Stop. Want help? See Point suggestions (beta).

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Warm-up and timeouts

Control iPhone/iPad The courtside clock lives on the Control screen.

• Warm-up: tap Start warm-up (10 minutes by default), End warm-up to stop.
• Timeouts: tap Timeout for a team (30 seconds, 2 per team per set by default). End timeout stops it early. Timeouts reset each set.

The countdown isn’t burned into the footage.

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Sponsor slides

Control iPhone/iPad Settings → Sponsor slides: add up to 3 images from Photos. During a timeout they show on the Control screen with Previous and Next. They aren’t burned into the footage.

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Pan, tilt, zoom (gimbal)

1. Camera iPhone Mount the iPhone in the Hohem iSteady M7 and turn it on. The Camera links over Bluetooth (Settings → Rescan if needed). Or dock it in any DockKit gimbal.
2. Control iPhone/iPad Tap SHOW PTZ to open the pad. Drag to pan and tilt, pinch or use the zoom for digital zoom, Reset to center.
3. Tap MINIMIZE to tuck the pad away.

With a DockKit gimbal, the Camera iPhone uses it automatically; the M7 is used when no DockKit gimbal is attached. The pad moves either one. If none is linked it says Not connected. To have the camera aim itself, see Auto tracking.

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Map the court

Control iPhone/iPad Settings → Court map → Map the court. On the preview, tap the four corners in order: near left, near right, far right, far left. Undo fixes a tap, Done saves. Do it once per camera.

• If the camera moves, you’ll see “Court map is stale. Retap the corners.”
• Court lines are a preview only. They aren’t burned into your footage.
• If the app can’t use the corners, it says why (for example, spread them out or zoom out) so you can retap.

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Point suggestions (beta) Beta

Control iPhone/iPad Settings → Auto scoring → turn on Suggest points. It’s off by default and needs a court map and one selected camera.

1. When a rally ends, a banner shows “Suggested: Home point” and where the ball landed.
2. Tap Confirm to score it, Swap to give it to the other team, or Dismiss to ignore it.
3. Tapping the score yourself always works.

Suggestions never score on their own, aren’t burned into footage, and nothing is uploaded. Sensitivity (Low, Medium, High): higher shows more suggestions, including closer calls. If the phone gets warm, suggestions pause.

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Auto tracking

Control iPhone/iPad Needs a DockKit gimbal on the Camera iPhone. Find AUTO TRACKING on the Control screen. It’s off by default.

• Follow play: keeps the rally framed. It needs at least one player in view; the ball and court map only fine-tune the framing. If only the ball is visible, the camera holds still.
• Follow subject: tap Track the player in the center to follow one player.
• Taking over: touch the PTZ pad and you’re in control right away. Tracking resumes after the Resume after time (about 3 seconds).

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If a phone drops its link

The Camera iPhone keeps recording, and Control shows “Camera phone disconnected. Recording is still going. Stop will finish it when the link returns.” Keep scoring: Control keeps every score you tap with its exact time. When the phones reconnect, VantageCam sends the score to the Camera automatically, so your scored footage stays in sync.

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Multiple cameras

Control iPhone/iPad Link up to 3 Camera iPhones the same way. Record and Stop apply to all. Pick a camera to see its preview and steer its gimbal, or view All cameras. Each camera saves its own scored footage, grouped by match in the library.

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Stop and save

1. Control iPhone/iPad Tap Stop. All cameras stop.
2. Camera iPhone Burns the score into scored footage and keeps the raw footage, both on this iPhone (and in Photos if you allowed it).
3. Control iPhone/iPad The scored footage copies over automatically. Until it arrives, the match shows “On Camera phone.” If the copy is interrupted, it picks up where it left off when the camera reconnects.

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Find your matches

Settings → VantageCam session library on either device. Matches are listed newest first with date, camera and length. Tap one to play the scored or raw footage. Nothing syncs to the cloud. Each match also has Rallies only and Highlight reels.

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Export and share

1. Open the match in the library.
2. Pick Scored footage (default) or Raw footage.
3. Pick quality: 1080p, 4K, or Compact for texting.
4. Tap Export, then Share or Save to Photos.

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Highlight reels and face blur

From a match in the library, open Highlight reels. Clips come from your scoring, 6 seconds before each point and 2 after.

• Clip types: points won, long rallies, set point, match point, scoring runs. Tick the ones you want.
• Team: Both teams, Home or Away.
• Frame: wide (16:9) or vertical (9:16) for phones; the score stays in view.
• Original audio: on unless you turn it off. No music is added.
• Face blur: off unless you turn it on. Softens faces it finds, on your phone.

The first time you share a reel, you confirm you have permission to share video of the players, including guardian consent for anyone under 18.

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Rallies only

A shorter copy of your scored footage with the downtime cut out: the time between points, timeouts and breaks. The full scored footage and raw footage stay on the phone, unchanged.

1. Open the match in the library and scroll to Rallies only.
2. Turn on Make a rallies-only export. It’s off by default.
3. With more than one camera, choose the Primary camera. The cut is made from that camera’s scored footage.
4. Adjust Pre-roll (the most time kept before each point) and Tail (time kept after it) if you like.
5. Pick a Join: Hard cuts jump straight to the next rally; Crossfade blends rallies with a short dissolve.
6. Check the before and after length, for example “Scored footage 42:10 · Rallies only 18:05”.
7. Tap Export rallies only. When it’s ready, use Share rallies only or Save rallies only to Photos right there.

Each rally runs from the serve (when the app spots it; otherwise from the pre-roll) to just after the point. Only confirmed points are used: a point suggestion you didn’t confirm doesn’t make a cut.

Warm-up and set breaks are cut only if you ran their clocks on Control. Trimming a single rally isn’t available yet.

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Storage and deleting

Library → Storage shows used and free space, and space per match. A match can be deleted (with confirmation) and goes to Recently Deleted for 30 days, where you can Restore or Delete Permanently.

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Settings: Control

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Settings: Camera

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Settings: Match rules

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Coming next

Not in the app yet:

• Stats Coming
• Livestreaming Coming
• One reel from multiple cameras Coming

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