Getting Started​ with the IVS iOS Broadcast SDK | Real-Time Streaming - Amazon IVS
Install the LibraryRequest PermissionsDisable the Application Idle Timer

Getting Started​ with the IVS iOS Broadcast SDK | Real-Time Streaming

This document takes you through the steps involved in getting started with the IVS real-time streaming iOS broadcast SDK.

Install the Library

We recommend that you integrate broadcast SDK via Swift Package Manager. (Alternatively, you can integrate via CocoaPods or manually add the framework to your project.)

Recommended: Integrate the Broadcast SDK (Swift Package Manager)

  1. Download the Package.swift file from https://broadcast.live-video.net/1.38.0/Package.swift.

  2. In your project, create a new directory named AmazonIVSBroadcast and add it to version control.

  3. Place the downloaded Package.swift file in the new directory.

  4. In Xcode, go to File > Add Package Dependencies and select Add Local...

  5. Navigate to and select the AmazonIVSBroadcast directory that you created, and select Add Package.

  6. When prompted to Choose Package Products for AmazonIVSBroadcast, select AmazonIVSBroadcastStages as your Package Product by setting your application target in the Add to Target section.

  7. Select Add Package.

Important: The IVS real-time streaming broadcast SDK includes all features of the IVS low-latency streaming broadcast SDK. It is not possible to integrate both SDKs in the same project.

Alternate Approach: Integrate the Broadcast SDK (CocoaPods)

Important: CocoaPods is in maintenance mode (security fixes only) and after December 2026, no new packages or updates can be published to the CocoaPods repository. Existing packages will remain available but frozen. We recommend using Swift Package Manager for all new projects.

Real-time functionality is published as a subspec of the iOS Low-Latency Streaming broadcast SDK. This is so customers can choose to include or exclude it based on their feature needs. Including it increases the package size.

Releases are published via CocoaPods under the name AmazonIVSBroadcast. Add this dependency to your Podfile:

pod 'AmazonIVSBroadcast/Stages'

Run pod install and the SDK will be available in your .xcworkspace.

Important: The IVS real-time streaming broadcast SDK (i.e., with the stage subspec) includes all features of the IVS low-latency streaming broadcast SDK. It is not possible to integrate both SDKs in the same project. If you add the stage subspec via CocoaPods to your project, be sure to remove any other lines in the Podfile containing AmazonIVSBroadcast. For example, do not have both these lines in your Podfile:

pod 'AmazonIVSBroadcast'
pod 'AmazonIVSBroadcast/Stages'

Alternate Approach: Install the Framework Manually

  1. Download the latest version from https://broadcast.live-video.net/1.38.0/AmazonIVSBroadcast-Stages.xcframework.zip.

  2. Extract the contents of the archive. AmazonIVSBroadcast.xcframework contains the SDK for both device and simulator.

  3. Embed AmazonIVSBroadcast.xcframework by dragging it into the Frameworks, Libraries, and Embedded Content section of the General tab for your application target.

    The Frameworks, Libraries, and Embedded Content section of the General tab for your application target.

Request Permissions

Your app must request permission to access the user’s camera and mic. (This is not specific to Amazon IVS; it is required for any application that needs access to cameras and microphones.)

Here, we check whether the user has already granted permissions and, if not, we ask for them:

switch AVCaptureDevice.authorizationStatus(for: .video) {
case .authorized: // permission already granted.
case .notDetermined:
   AVCaptureDevice.requestAccess(for: .video) { granted in
       // permission granted based on granted bool.
   }
case .denied, .restricted: // permission denied.
@unknown default: // permissions unknown.
}

You need to do this for both .video and .audio media types, if you want access to cameras and microphones, respectively.

You also need to add entries for NSCameraUsageDescription and NSMicrophoneUsageDescription to your Info.plist. Otherwise, your app will crash when trying to request permissions.

Disable the Application Idle Timer

This is optional but recommended. It prevents your device from going to sleep while using the broadcast SDK, which would interrupt the broadcast.

override func viewDidAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
   super.viewDidAppear(animated)
   UIApplication.shared.isIdleTimerDisabled = true
}
override func viewDidDisappear(_ animated: Bool) {
   super.viewDidDisappear(animated)
   UIApplication.shared.isIdleTimerDisabled = false
}