How to VJ from Your Phone

I wanted to VJ but I didn't want to carry a laptop. A phone has a GPU, a microphone, a screen, and an HDMI output. That's everything a VJ needs.

I built VJam to make that work. 1,200+ presets. Beat-reactive. Runs in a browser. Plug into a projector with a cable. That's the whole setup.

But there's a catch. Not every phone can output HDMI.

📱 Which Phones Actually Work

To connect a phone to a projector, you need a wired HDMI connection. This requires hardware support called DisplayPort Alt Mode. Not all phones have it.

iPhones: Every iPhone supports HDMI output. All of them. iPhone 15 and newer use USB-C to HDMI. iPhone 8 through 14 use Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter ($49). This is the easiest path.

Android: This is where it gets complicated. Most Android phones do not support HDMI output. You need a flagship from a brand that includes DisplayPort Alt Mode.

If your phone doesn't support HDMI, VJam still runs. You just can't output to a projector from the phone. Options: use the phone screen directly (works for small rooms), cast wirelessly via Chromecast (50–200ms latency — noticeable), or run VJam on a laptop browser instead.

📦 What You Need

• A compatible phone See the table above. iPhone is the safest bet. For Android: Samsung Galaxy S series or Google Pixel Pro.
• An HDMI adapter ($10–$49) iPhone 15+: any USB-C to HDMI adapter ($10–$25). iPhone 8–14: Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter ($49). Android: USB-C to HDMI adapter ($10–$25). Get one with passthrough charging.
• A projector or screen Any projector with HDMI input. A used one costs $50–$150. A TV or monitor works too.
• An HDMI cable 3–5 meters. Keep one in your bag.

⚡ Setup

Five minutes. Maybe less.

1. Open vjam.vercel.app in your browser. Chrome on Android, Safari on iPhone.
2. Tap anywhere to start. Allow microphone access when prompted. VJam uses the mic to detect the beat. Nothing is recorded or sent anywhere.
3. Plug in HDMI. Adapter into phone, cable into projector. Screen mirrors automatically at 1080p.
4. Tap [Full] on the minibar to go fullscreen. Tap the ▾ toggle in the center of the minibar to hide the UI — only visuals on the projector.
5. Play music. The mic picks it up. 1,200+ presets react to the beat.

🎛️ Controls

VJam is controlled by touch gestures and a minibar at the bottom of the screen.

Touch gestures:

Tap	Switch to a random preset
Swipe right	Switch MilkDrop preset
Swipe left	Kill — reset all effects to a clean state
Swipe up	Cycle blend mode (lighten, difference, exclusion…)
Swipe down	Cycle filter (saturate, hue-rotate, contrast…)
Pinch	Open/close the preset browser
Long press	Cycle through saved scenes

Minibar buttons:

[Auto]	Auto-switch presets on the beat. Modes: fast (4 beats), mid (16 beats), slow (32 beats).
[Kill]	Same as swipe left. Resets everything.
[Lock]	Lock the current blend/filter/preset. Tap again to unlock.
[Blnd]	Pick a blend mode directly.
[Filt]	Pick a filter directly.
[Rec]	Record video (MP4).
[Menu]	Navigation hub. Search presets, favorites, scenes, media, text, audio.
[?]	Settings & help. Sensitivity, transition, BPM, No Mic mode.

🎤 Live Tips

• Auto mode is your safety net. Tap [Auto] and the visuals keep changing even when you're not touching the phone. Switch between fast/mid/slow by tapping it again.
• 24 scenes are built in. VJam ships with 24 default scenes (preset + blend + filter combos). You don't start from zero.
• Lock a scene, then play on top of it. Long-press to load a scene, then tap [Lock]. The scene stays locked. Now you can tap to add presets, swipe up/down to try different blends and filters. You're exploring on top of a stable base.
• Kill doesn't destroy the scene. If things get messy, swipe left (Kill). Everything resets — but the locked scene stays. You're back to a clean state without losing your anchor.
• When you're bored, long-press for the next scene. Cycle through your scenes during the set. Each one is a different starting point to riff on.
• Build your own scenes. Found a combination you like? Save it as a new scene. Up to 100 slots. The more scenes you prepare before a show, the less you have to think during it.
• Point the mic at the speakers. 1–2 meters away. Too close and the bass distorts the analysis.
• No music yet? Tap [?] and enable "No Mic" in Settings. VJam generates a synthetic audio signal (oscillators) so the visuals keep moving without a microphone. Useful for testing your projector setup before the music starts.
• Charge your phone. Use an adapter with passthrough charging. WebGL rendering drains the battery in 2–3 hours.

📊 Quick Comparison

Resolume is professional software for festival stages. VJam is for everything smaller. For a detailed comparison, see Resolume Alternative: VJam vs Resolume.

❓ FAQ

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