How to use a teleprompter on your phone
Short answer
Put your script in a teleprompter app, set a scroll speed close to your natural speaking pace, and place the text right below the front camera so your eyes stay near the lens. Do a practice read, then record. Read in short phrases, pause at full stops, and let the scroll follow you rather than chasing it.
Step by step
You need:
- Your Android phone
- A phone stand or tripod at eye level
- Your script
- Optional: a Bluetooth remote or a glass teleprompter rig
- Write the script for speaking. Use short sentences and everyday words. Read it out loud once and rewrite any line you trip over.
- Load it into a teleprompter app. Type it, paste it, or share it from your notes or document app. Check the word count and estimated reading time before you record.
- Set the text size and speed. Choose a text size you can read at arm's length and a speed close to how you normally talk. Leave wide margins so your eyes move less from side to side.
- Put the phone at eye level. Mount the phone on a stand so the front camera is level with your eyes, about an arm's length away. A camera below your chin makes you look down at the viewer.
- Keep the text close to the lens. Place the reading line just under the front camera. The closer your eyes are to the lens, the more it looks like you are talking to the viewer.
- Do one practice read. Read the whole script once without recording. Adjust the speed so the line you are reading stays near the top of the screen.
- Record in short takes. Record a section, check it, then record the next one. Short takes are easier to redo than one long video.
Watch it on YouTube
How to read without looking like you are reading
Viewers notice a teleprompter when the eyes sweep left to right on every line or when the voice goes flat. Both are easy to fix.
- Narrow the text. Wide margins and a medium text size keep your eye movement small.
- Sit or stand a little farther from the phone. The farther you are, the smaller your eye movements look on camera.
- Read a phrase, then look at the lens as you say the end of it.
- Pause at full stops. A natural pause sounds more confident than rushing to the next line.
- Smile or nod where you would in a normal conversation. The script gives you the words; your face still has to do its job.
Choosing a scroll speed
Speed is easier to set in words per minute than on an abstract slider. A relaxed conversational pace is somewhere around 130 to 150 words per minute for many people, but there is no correct number. Start there, read a paragraph, and nudge it up or down until the scroll stays a little ahead of you.
If the text runs away from you, slow it down instead of speaking faster. If you keep waiting for the text, speed it up a little.
Writing a script that is easy to read aloud
- One idea per sentence.
- Write numbers the way you say them, for example "about two thousand" instead of "1,987".
- Break long paragraphs into short ones so there is a natural place to pause.
- Mark words to stress with capitals or a note, and spell out names that are hard to pronounce.
- Cut anything you would not say to a friend.
Phone only or a glass teleprompter rig?
For selfie videos, a phone on a stand is enough: the script sits under the front camera and you record with the same phone. For a separate camera, a teleprompter rig puts the phone under an angled glass in front of the lens. The glass reflects the screen, so the text must be mirrored to read correctly.
Common problems
- The text jumps or stutters: choose an app that scrolls smoothly at a fixed speed instead of a slider that is hard to repeat.
- You lose your place: use a reading line or highlight, and pause the scroll with a tap or a remote.
- The script shows up in the video: check that the app only shows the text on screen and does not record it.
- The phone gets hot or stops: close other apps and record shorter takes.
Questions people ask
Can I use my phone as a teleprompter while recording on the same phone?
Yes. A teleprompter app that shows the script over the front camera preview lets you read and record on one phone. Place the reading line close to the lens so you look at the viewer.
How far should I sit from the phone?
About an arm's length works for most people. Farther away makes your eye movement less visible, as long as you can still read the text comfortably.
How do I stop my eyes from moving while reading?
Use a narrower column of text, a medium font size and a little more distance from the phone. Reading short phrases and looking up at the end of each one also helps.
What does mirroring the text do?
It flips the text so it reads correctly after reflecting in the glass of a teleprompter rig. Without a rig, keep mirroring off.
Is there a free teleprompter app for Android without a watermark?
Yes. Some free teleprompter apps, Glidecue among them, let you read and record without adding a watermark to your video.
