Camera capture (agent)
OpenClaw supports camera capture for agent workflows:
- iOS node (paired via Gateway): capture a photo (
jpg) or short video clip (mp4, with optional audio) via node.invoke.
- Android node (paired via Gateway): capture a photo (
jpg) or short video clip (mp4, with optional audio) via node.invoke.
- macOS app (node via Gateway): capture a photo (
jpg) or short video clip (mp4, with optional audio) via node.invoke.
All camera access is gated behind user-controlled settings.
iOS node
User setting (default on)
- iOS Settings tab → Camera → Allow Camera (
camera.enabled)
- Default: on (missing key is treated as enabled).
- When off:
camera.* commands return CAMERA_DISABLED.
Commands (via Gateway node.invoke)
-
camera.list
- Response payload:
devices: array of { id, name, position, deviceType }
-
camera.snap
- Params:
facing: front|back (default: front)
maxWidth: number (optional; default 1600 on the iOS node)
quality: 0..1 (optional; default 0.9)
format: currently jpg
delayMs: number (optional; default 0)
deviceId: string (optional; from camera.list)
- Response payload:
format: "jpg"
base64: "<...>"
width, height
- Payload guard: photos are recompressed to keep the base64 payload under 5 MB.
-
camera.clip
- Params:
facing: front|back (default: front)
durationMs: number (default 3000, clamped to a max of 60000)
includeAudio: boolean (default true)
format: currently mp4
deviceId: string (optional; from camera.list)
- Response payload:
format: "mp4"
base64: "<...>"
durationMs
hasAudio
Foreground requirement
Like canvas.*, the iOS node only allows camera.* commands in the foreground. Background invocations return NODE_BACKGROUND_UNAVAILABLE.
The easiest way to get attachments is via the CLI helper, which writes decoded media to a temp file and prints MEDIA:<path>.
Examples:
openclaw nodes camera snap --node <id> # default: both front + back (2 MEDIA lines)
openclaw nodes camera snap --node <id> --facing front
openclaw nodes camera clip --node <id> --duration 3000
openclaw nodes camera clip --node <id> --no-audio
Notes:
nodes camera snap defaults to both facings to give the agent both views.
- Output files are temporary (in the OS temp directory) unless you build your own wrapper.
Android node
Android user setting (default on)
- Android Settings sheet → Camera → Allow Camera (
camera.enabled)
- Default: on (missing key is treated as enabled).
- When off:
camera.* commands return CAMERA_DISABLED.
Permissions
- Android requires runtime permissions:
CAMERA for both camera.snap and camera.clip.
RECORD_AUDIO for camera.clip when includeAudio=true.
If permissions are missing, the app will prompt when possible; if denied, camera.* requests fail with a
*_PERMISSION_REQUIRED error.
Android foreground requirement
Like canvas.*, the Android node only allows camera.* commands in the foreground. Background invocations return NODE_BACKGROUND_UNAVAILABLE.
Android commands (via Gateway node.invoke)
camera.list
- Response payload:
devices: array of { id, name, position, deviceType }
Payload guard
Photos are recompressed to keep the base64 payload under 5 MB.
macOS app
User setting (default off)
The macOS companion app exposes a checkbox:
- Settings → General → Allow Camera (
openclaw.cameraEnabled)
- Default: off
- When off: camera requests return “Camera disabled by user”.
CLI helper (node invoke)
Use the main openclaw CLI to invoke camera commands on the macOS node.
Examples:
openclaw nodes camera list --node <id> # list camera ids
openclaw nodes camera snap --node <id> # prints MEDIA:<path>
openclaw nodes camera snap --node <id> --max-width 1280
openclaw nodes camera snap --node <id> --delay-ms 2000
openclaw nodes camera snap --node <id> --device-id <id>
openclaw nodes camera clip --node <id> --duration 10s # prints MEDIA:<path>
openclaw nodes camera clip --node <id> --duration-ms 3000 # prints MEDIA:<path> (legacy flag)
openclaw nodes camera clip --node <id> --device-id <id>
openclaw nodes camera clip --node <id> --no-audio
Notes:
openclaw nodes camera snap defaults to maxWidth=1600 unless overridden.
- On macOS,
camera.snap waits delayMs (default 2000ms) after warm-up/exposure settle before capturing.
- Photo payloads are recompressed to keep base64 under 5 MB.
Safety + practical limits
- Camera and microphone access trigger the usual OS permission prompts (and require usage strings in Info.plist).
- Video clips are capped (currently
<= 60s) to avoid oversized node payloads (base64 overhead + message limits).
macOS screen video (OS-level)
For screen video (not camera), use the macOS companion:
openclaw nodes screen record --node <id> --duration 10s --fps 15 # prints MEDIA:<path>
Notes:
- Requires macOS Screen Recording permission (TCC).
Last modified on March 22, 2026