I use a program called Bluestacks to view my cameras an my lap top is this the best program or is there something better?
You’ll probably be fairly satisfied with Bluestacks over the alternatives.
The main downside of Bluestacks is that it is a little bloated and resource-hungry. It uses up a lot of RAM and processor, partially because it is designed to run games well and those use up a lot of processor and RAM.
If you have Windows 11, you can technically “Sideload” The Wyze App as a Windows app directly onto the computer using “Windows Subsystem for Android” and that uses a lot fewer resources. But Microsoft just announced they are basically doing away with it, so it may not be working forever that way. MS suggested already installed things would continue to work, but they won’t allow new installs. This implies that Subsystem for Android isn’t being removed entirely, but it’s hard to say. Here is what it looks like on my Windows computer:
I can resize it to any shape I want, move it around, etc. It only takes up the shape of the Wyze app instead of a bunch of other space.
Others have found ways to install Google Play on Windows and then they load every Android app and get updates. But again, that also uses Windows Subsystem for Android, and it’s ultimate fate is unclear.
There are other Android emulators similar to Bluestacks that may be better for some people. I have liked “Android Studio” better in a lot of ways, but it’s not quite as simple as Bluestacks. However, it does look pretty cool as it emulates specific phone models. Here is an example of how Android Studio looks on my Windows screen:
I can even resize that phone and just move that little phone around my screen or to my other monitors.
A lot of people like using the Tiny Cam app instead of the Wyze app. This lets you see several cameras at a time. like up to 25 cameras all on the same screen (if your router and bandwidth and computer can handle that many). If you run Tiny Cam Pro in Server mode, you can even get RTSP streams for all the cameras to be able to view them in a browser instead of another app.
You can use other 3rd party RTSP converters to see them on your computer too. Popular options include Scrypted and Docker Wyze Bridge.
The above options are Free (except Tiny Cam Pro has a small 1 time charge, but regular Tiny Cam is free). There is a paid option, and that is, if any of your cams have Cam Plus on them, then you can view them through a browser at https://my.wyze.com/live We often call this the Wyze Web Portal.
I have used all of the above. I guess I technically still use all of the above.
I like the native Windows subsystem for Android the most because it is so quick and acts like a normal app alone, but it does have some bugs and it is harder to update, so I won’t recommend it. Bluestacks takes a ton of resources, and that can be painful and hard on the computer. The Wyze portal works really great for some cameras and not as well for others, but it is probably the most convenient if you have cam plus. If you have the technical skill, then Scrypted is probably the coolest option out there.
Overall, Using the Wyze app on Bluestacks is a pretty simple and user-friendly option though. If you’re satisfied with it, and it meets your needs, then it’s all good. If you are tempted to try some other options, then above are the most common alternatives, though it is not an exhaustive list. There are many, many android emulators, for example. In my screenshot, you will see I also have one called “Gameloop” for example.
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Thanks, I’ve been running Bluestacks for a while. It is pretty simple. I was just wondering what else was out there.I only have 3 cameras on it and it works pretty good. Updates are easy.
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Yeah, it’s the easiest free solution for most people right now. You picked a good option.
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