Endoscope Camera / USB OTG

Review by eFreeware

If you own a USB endoscope, borescope or inspection camera and want to see its feed on your phone, this app is built for exactly that job. Endoscope Camera / USB OTG, from Shadow soft, turns an Android device into the display for a wired camera you plug in, so you can look inside a drain, a pipe or any other space you can't easily reach. It is free to install and has passed 100,000 downloads.

The appeal is narrow but clear. Someone dealing with a slow or blocked drain can push a camera down the line and watch what is happening on the screen in front of them, rather than hiring a plumbing service or buying a dedicated drain camera. The developer pitches the app as a way to avoid expensive repair bills, and for anyone who already has a compatible camera lying around, that framing makes sense.

The app holds a 3.5 average from 488 ratings, which is a middling score rather than a ringing endorsement. It has been on Google Play since March 2024, with the most recent update dated July 2026. I would treat it as a utility: you install it when you need it, you use it for the job at hand, and you judge it on whether the picture appears and the files save.

Plugging a camera into your phone

The core of the app is a connection between your phone and an external camera over OTG USB. USB and endoscope cameras are covered, along with borescopes and sewer inspection gear. If your device falls into one of those groups and ends in a USB plug, this is the category of app you would look for.

The described workflow is short. You open the app, insert the camera's USB connector into the phone, tap the camera icon and confirm. From there the developer says you should be able to see the feed and start using it. The connection is meant to take seconds rather than a setup process.

What I like about that approach is that it keeps the app out of the way. The camera is the content. What you get on screen is whatever the attached camera is pointing at, which is the point of a tool like this.

Photos, video and the built-in gallery

Once the feed is live, the app can capture still photos and record video. That covers the two things most inspections need: a quick image of a specific spot, and a moving record of a length of pipe or a cavity as the camera travels through it. Captures are described as high quality, though the result will depend on the camera attached and the light it provides.

Saved files land in a gallery inside the app. Photos appear first, and a swipe to the left moves you to the videos. From there you can open a clip and choose which player handles playback.

Managing files is done in the same gallery. A long press on a photo or a video brings up a delete option, so you can clear out a failed attempt or a clip you no longer need without leaving the app. It is a small thing, but it keeps the whole inspection in one place.

Where the app is at its most useful

Drains, pipes and hard-to-reach areas are where this app makes the most sense. A homeowner with a recurring blockage can run a camera down the line, capture stills of what is caught there, and decide whether the problem is something to tackle directly or something to hand to a professional with evidence in hand.

The same applies to anyone who already works with a scope: checking behind a wall, inside a duct, under a floor, or in any cavity where a phone screen is easier to read than a small handheld viewer. Because the app stores photos and video, those captures can be kept as a record or shown to someone else later.

I would not read the app as a general-purpose camera replacement. It is a viewer and recorder for an external device, and its value tracks the hardware you connect to it.

Camera, cable and connection requirements

The first requirement is hardware. Without an inspection camera attached, the app has nothing to show. It is not a camera in its own right, and the developer's instructions assume you already have a device to plug in.

It is also worth checking your phone itself before you plan around this tool.

The app is free, carries ads and offers in-app purchases. The rating sits at 3.5 from 488 ratings, which suggests a mixed response rather than universal satisfaction, and that is the number I would weigh when deciding whether to try it.

Who this tool is built for

The clearest fit is someone who already owns a USB inspection camera and wants a straightforward way to view and record its output on an Android phone. That includes homeowners chasing a drain problem, people doing their own maintenance, and tradespeople who want a phone-based screen for a scope they already carry.

It also suits anyone who prefers to keep captures on the phone rather than on a separate viewer, since the gallery handles viewing, playback and deletion in one place. The app is free to install, so the cost of trying it against a camera you already own is low.

If you do not have a compatible camera, the app has nothing to work with. The developer's framing is specific: this is a bridge between a phone and an external camera, and it is best judged on how well it performs that one task.

A focused viewer for wired inspection cameras

Endoscope Camera / USB OTG does one job and does not pretend otherwise. For anyone who already owns the hardware, that is a useful and inexpensive combination.

You need a compatible camera, and the app is ad-supported with in-app purchases attached. The 3.5 average from 488 ratings is a sign that results vary, so I would go in with modest expectations and judge it on your own setup.

My recommendation is for the practical case: a homeowner or tradesperson with a USB scope in a drawer and a phone in a pocket. Install it, plug the camera in, and see whether it earns a permanent spot. If the hardware side lines up, the app is a reasonable free way to put an inspection camera to work.