Raspberry Pi Camera: Stream Video Anywhere with ngrok | ShillehTek

Video Tutorial (Optional)

Watch first if you want to see how to expose a Raspberry Pi camera Flask stream to the internet using ngrok.

Project Overview

Raspberry Pi + Raspberry Pi Camera: In this Part 2 project, you take the Flask-based Raspberry Pi camera stream from Part 1 and use ngrok to create a publicly accessible URL so you can view the live video feed from anywhere.

This removes the local-network limitation by tunneling your Pis local Flask server (port 5000) to the public internet. The free ngrok URL changes each time you start the tunnel.

Note: This tutorial assumes you already completed Part 1 and have a working Flask video stream running locally on your Raspberry Pi.

• Time: 10 to 20 minutes
• Skill level: Beginner
• What you will build: A public ngrok URL that streams your Raspberry Pi Camera feed from your Flask app

Parts List

From ShillehTek

• No ShillehTek parts required for this tutorial.

External

• Raspberry Pi (4B or any compatible model)
• Raspberry Pi Camera module (or compatible camera)
• Internet connection (better connection reduces lag)
• Computer or phone to view the public stream URL
• ngrok account (free tier works)
• ngrok setup guide for Raspberry Pi: https://dashboard.ngrok.com/get-started/setup/raspberrypi

Note: The commands below assume your Flask app is running on http://localhost:5000 on the Raspberry Pi.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1 - Install and set up ngrok on the Raspberry Pi

Goal: Get ngrok installed on your Raspberry Pi so it can tunnel your local Flask stream to a public URL.

What to do: Create a free ngrok account at https://ngrok.com/.

Then follow ngroks Raspberry Pi setup instructions here: https://dashboard.ngrok.com/get-started/setup/raspberrypi.

Expected result: ngrok is installed and ready to run from the Raspberry Pi terminal.

Step 2 - Start an ngrok tunnel to your Flask server

Goal: Create a secure tunnel from the internet to your Flask app running locally on port 5000.

What to do: On the Raspberry Pi, run this command:

Code:

ngrok http http://localhost:5000

ngrok will print a publicly accessible URL in your terminal output. On the free plan, this URL changes each time you restart ngrok.

Expected result: You have a public ngrok URL that forwards to your Raspberry Pis local Flask server.

Step 3 - Run the Flask camera streaming app (from Part 1)

Goal: Start the Raspberry Pi Camera streaming server so ngrok has something to expose publicly.

What to do: Run the same Flask app you created in Part 1. The only difference called out here is that the route is set to @app.route('/') (base URL) so the ngrok tunnel points directly to the root path.

Code:

import io
import picamera
from flask import Flask, Response

app = Flask(__name__)


def generate_frames():
    with picamera.PiCamera() as camera:
        camera.resolution = (640, 480)
        camera.framerate = 24
        stream = io.BytesIO()
        for _ in camera.capture_continuous(stream, 'jpeg', use_video_port=True):
            stream.seek(0)
            yield b'--frame\r\nContent-Type: image/jpeg\r\n\r\n' + stream.read() + b'\r\n'
            stream.seek(0)
            stream.truncate()


@app.route('/')
def video_feed():
    return Response(generate_frames(), mimetype='multipart/x-mixed-replace; boundary=frame')


if __name__ == '__main__':
    app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=5000, threaded=True)

Expected result: Your Flask app is running on the Raspberry Pi and serving the MJPEG stream on port 5000.

Step 4 - Open the ngrok URL to view the stream from anywhere

Goal: Verify the stream is accessible from outside your local network.

What to do: With both the Flask app and ngrok running, open the public URL shown in the ngrok terminal output on any device (even on a different network).

You may notice some lag. A faster internet connection can help, and ngrok paid plans may improve bandwidth and smoothness.

Expected result: You can view the Raspberry Pi camera stream using the ngrok URL from anywhere.

Conclusion

You extended your Raspberry Pi camera Flask stream by using ngrok to create a publicly accessible URL. With your Flask app running on port 5000 and ngrok tunneling to it, you can view the live stream from any network.

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Want the exact parts used in your next build? Grab project hardware and accessories from ShillehTek.com. If you want help customizing this setup or building a production-ready IoT camera workflow, check out our IoT consulting services.