After five years developing MixEffect, I’ve released a new app: SwitchEffect, a software video switcher for iPhone and iPad.

If you use MixEffect, many of the controls will look familiar: Preview and Program, cuts and transitions, upstream and downstream keyers, and multiviews. The difference is where the video processing happens. MixEffect controls an ATEM hardware switcher. With SwitchEffect, your iPhone or iPad runs the production itself.

You can configure the switcher for your show, from a simple setup with a few sources and a playback deck to a larger production with multiple keyers, playback decks, and SuperScene compositions. Add graphics, mix audio, and record or livestream the result.

Free SwitchEffect Camera companion apps let you bring in additional cameras from other iPhones, iPads, and Macs. The Mac version can also share screens and individual windows.

Use MixEffect as Your Control Surface

Here’s something I think MixEffect users will enjoy: you can use MixEffect to control SwitchEffect, without an ATEM in between!

For example, you could run your production on an iPad and operate it from MixEffect on an iPhone. Select a source on Preview, then use Cut or Auto to take it to Program. Both apps work with the same live switcher state.

To try it:

1. Connect both devices to the same local network.
2. In SwitchEffect, open Settings → Automation → ATEM, enable Allow ATEM Control, and start your switcher.
3. In MixEffect, add a New ATEM Switcher connection using the IP address of the device running SwitchEffect.
4. Connect and try selecting sources and performing transitions.

You can also connect Bitfocus Companion using its Blackmagic Design ATEM module and assign controls to an Elgato Stream Deck. See the ATEM control guide for setup details and supported controls.

Available Now

SwitchEffect requires iOS or iPadOS 26 or later. Its production tools are free to use with watermarked output, with monthly, annual, and one-time purchase options to remove the watermark.

I’ll be making videos demonstrating SwitchEffect, including how it works with MixEffect and Companion. In the meantime, you can read the full introduction here or download SwitchEffect from the App Store.