Beam splitter teleprompter with an iPhone: mirroring and remote control

Updated October 22, 2026 · 4 min read

With a beam splitter teleprompter you look straight into the lens while you read: the text appears in front of the lens and the camera doesn't see it. Your iPhone or iPad is the screen. Here's what you need to know to set it up and run it on your own.

How a beam splitter teleprompter works

A glass teleprompter has three parts: the camera, a partially reflective glass set at an angle in front of the lens, and a screen lying underneath, facing up. The glass reflects whatever is on the screen toward you and, at the same time, lets light through to the camera. You see the text floating in front of the lens; the camera sees through the glass and doesn't record the text.

The result is what you want when you talk to camera: your eyes are exactly where the lens is, so viewers feel you're talking to them.

Why the text has to be mirrored

A reflection flips the image. If you put normal text on the screen, you'll see it backwards in the glass, right to left. That's why the teleprompter has to mirror the text horizontally: it draws it backwards so the reflection reads the right way round.

Some rigs also need a vertical mirror, for example when the screen sits in a different position or the reflection bounces off more than one surface. If your text comes out upside down, that's why. In practice, you want an app that lets you pick either one, or both.

Setup, step by step

Put the camera on the tripod and frame the shot before you add the glass.
Mount the glass in front of the lens, centered, with the reflective side facing you.
Lay the iPhone or iPad in its holder under the glass, screen facing up.
Turn on mirroring in the app and check from your position that it reads correctly.
Make the type bigger and narrow the column: you'll be farther away than with the phone in your hand.
Check the camera image: there should be no visible text and no light reflections on the glass.

iPhone or iPad

With an iPhone, the whole rig is light and fits in a backpack; it works well for short shots and short distances. With an iPad you see more of the script at once and can stand farther back without straining your eyes. If you have both, the comfortable setup is preparing and editing the script on one and reading on the other, with your scripts synced between them.

Light and reflections

Lights pointed at the glass reflect in it. Place them to the side or above, at about 45°.
A dirty glass shows up in the shot: clean it before every session, just like the lens.
Lower the screen brightness until you read comfortably without the text showing on camera.

Running it without touching the screen

With the iPhone lying under the glass, you're not going to reach over to pause. You have three options:

Let it follow your voice. The text moves when you speak and holds still when you ad-lib or stop. Nothing to touch.
A Bluetooth pedal or keyboard. The arrow keys change paragraph and the space bar pauses. Your hands stay out of the shot.
Another iPhone or iPad as a remote. Over local Wi‑Fi, with no internet and no account, paired with a code and with an encrypted connection. From the remote you can start and pause, jump to the previous or next paragraph, restart, mark “No good”, drop a marker for your editor and start or stop recording.

Quick checklist before you roll

Camera framed and focused through the glass.
Mirroring on and checked from your position.
Large type, narrow column, brightness set.
No light reflections on the glass.
Remote, pedal or keyboard paired and tested.
A ten-second test take checked with headphones.