Kapal
A minimal, secure viewer for your Frigate NVR system.
Kapal is a lightweight and privacy-focused iOS and iPadOS app built specifically for users of the Frigate NVR (Network Video Recorder) system. Designed with simplicity, performance, and security in mind, Kapal lets you connect to your Frigate server and monitor your camera feeds with ease, without unnecessary bloat.
Key Features:
- Live Camera Grid: View all your cameras in a clean, real-time grid layout.
- Minimal Mode: Hide borders, labels, and UI elements to maximize visibility. See more cameras at once with less scrolling.
- Full-Screen Playback: Tap any feed to enter fullscreen live view.
- Picture in Picture: Keep a live camera visible while using other apps or navigating around your device.
- Event Review: Browse and replay past detection events directly in the app.
- H.265 / HEVC Support: Watch supported H.265 / HEVC live streams and Event Clips directly in Kapal.
- Privacy-First Design: Built natively with no analytics, trackers, or data collection.
Whether you’re reviewing a single feed or monitoring multiple zones, Kapal keeps the interface fast, clean, and efficient.
Disclaimer:
Kapal requires an existing Frigate NVR system to function. H.265 / HEVC support is still evolving and compatibility may vary depending on your camera, stream configuration, and Frigate/go2rtc setup. If an Event Clip does not play correctly in Kapal, it may still work in a dedicated video player such as the VLC mobile app.
Update
v1.9
Jul 14, 2026 · Kapal 1.9
Kapal 1.9 is here—and it’s one of our biggest updates yet! A Completely Revamped Live Camera View The portrait camera experience has been rebuilt from the ground up. Your live vide…
Update
v1.8.1
Jun 30, 2026 · Kapal 1.8.1
Kapal+ Health Alerts are here. Offline camera alerts have been expanded into a new Health Alerts section, now with low-storage warnings for your Frigate storage locations. This upd…
Update
v1.8
Jun 27, 2026 · Kapal 1.8
New Feature: Timeline (Kapal+) Timeline is now in Kapal+ as an early release, and I’m genuinely excited to finally ship it. It’s already usable and already useful, and we’re commit…
Update
v1.7.5
May 30, 2026 · Kapal 1.7.5
Fixed additional connection issues that prevented some users from connecting to their servers over certain connection types.
Update
v1.7.4
May 29, 2026 · Kapal 1.7.4
This update resolves an issue introduced while tightening app security. I went a bit too far, and Tailscale unfortunately became a casualty. Apologies for the disruption, and thank…
Update
v1.7.3
May 27, 2026 · Kapal 1.7.3
Kapal 1.7.3 — Snapshots, Sharing, and Smarter Alerts A massive thank-you to everyone using the Roadmap in Settings to submit ideas and vote on what comes next. Every single feature…
Update
v1.7.2
May 18, 2026 · Kapal 1.7.2
What’s New in Kapal This update fixes an issue where some videos would stop playing after 5 seconds. Onboarding has also been improved, especially for users who need to enter a use…
Update
v1.7.1
May 16, 2026 · Kapal 1.7.1
I appreciate your ongoing support and a big thank you to those who reach out with suggestions! Bug fixes and quality improvements: - Improved support/contact flow for a smoother he…
Update
v1.7
May 12, 2026 · Kapal 1.7
What’s New This update comes to you from a laundromat in Miami while I’m on vacation, because apparently that is when I decided to finally wrap up Kapal’s H.265 / HEVC support. Mai…
Update
v1.6.1
Apr 4, 2026 · Kapal 1.6.1
Added logic to automatically refresh the Events tab so data stays fresher. Thank you to the user who suggested this change.
Update
v1.6
Mar 29, 2026 · Kapal 1.6
One of the last visual tweaks I wanted to ship after recently refreshing the Cameras feed and System menu was the Events experience, and this update delivers that.
What’s new in this update
Update
v1.5
Mar 11, 2026 · Kapal 1.5
This update is proof that one email can spiral into a full revamp: a simple request turned into rebuilt onboarding and much better server management.
What’s new and improved:
•Fixed cases where Kapal could show “no cameras” even though you were connected and cameras were still loading
•Better connection handling: Kapal now detects disconnects while you’re using it and prompts you instead of requiring a quit/relaunch
•Cleaner settings layout (system options moved out of Camera Settings into the System view)
•Server URL testing when you add a server to confirm connectivity and help you choose the most secure option available
•Added a Support button during onboarding if you hit issues getting your server authorized
•Plus a pile of smaller polish and consistency fixes throughout the app
Update
v1.4.2
Jan 20, 2026 · Kapal 1.4.2
What's New
Birdseye Auto-Hide
Birdseye can now automatically show and hide based on activity. When set to "Only With Detections," Birdseye appears when objects are detected on any camera and disappears when activity stops. Find this option in Settings → Birdseye → Visibility.
Update
v1.4.1
Jan 16, 2026 · Kapal 1.4.1
Smarter Streams, Faster Loading
This update improves how Kapal connects to camera streams and makes setup cleaner.
Update
v1.4
Jan 5, 2026 · Kapal 1.4
What’s New in Kapal
First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who has given Kapal a shot. Building this has been a labor of love, and seeing others find it useful really keeps me going.
Update
v1.3
Dec 19, 2025 · Kapal 1.3
What's New
- Fixed authentication issues with various Frigate server configurations including reverse proxies, URL redirects, and token-based auth setups
- Live camera streams now automatically reconnect when returning to the app after being in the background
- Event thumbnails and snapshots load more reliably with automatic retry on failure
- Added image caching for smoother scrolling in the event browser
- Camera grid now refreshes periodically even when live preview is disabled
- Fixed text visibility in dark mode on camera cards
Update
v1.2.1
Dec 11, 2025 · Kapal 1.2.1
This update brings new customization options and navigation improvements to Kapal:
- Object Overlays: Added a new setting to show or hide the red object detection tags on your camera previews.
- Swipe to Dismiss: You can now swipe down to close the full-screen camera view.
- Cloudflare Support: Added preliminary support for Cloudflare Tunnels.
Update
v1.2
Oct 14, 2025 · Kapal 1.2
Faster browsing, smarter filters, and a smoother experience
What’s new
- Faster event loading: Events now appear quicker so you can start browsing right away.
- Smarter filters: Camera and object filters are built automatically in the background and stay accurate without extra steps.
- Date range filters: Easily pick a start and end date (with simple defaults like “start of day” and “end of day”) to narrow what you see.
Update
v1.1
Sep 2, 2025 · Kapal 1.1
This update introduces full compatibility for Frigate 0.16, powerful new filtering options, and a streamlined user experience.
Key Updates:
Release
v1.0
Aug 1, 2025 · Kapal 1.0
Kapal
A minimal, secure viewer for your Frigate NVR system.
Kapal is a lightweight and privacy-focused iOS and iPadOS app built specifically for users of the Frigate NVR (Network Video Recorder) system. Designed with simplicity, performance, and security in mind, Kapal lets you connect to your Frigate server and monitor your camera feeds with ease, without any unnecessary bloat.