The best prop phone app for film: how to choose
A prop phone app puts controllable, fictional screens — messages, calls, notifications — on the phone in your shot, so the screen does what the scene needs, when it needs it, take after take. Which one is "best" depends on your devices, your budget and how the scene plays. This guide sets out the criteria that matter and compares the main options on facts their own pages state.
Full disclosure: we make CuePhone, which is not released yet. We haven't tested the other apps on a set, so this is a comparison of published claims, not a review — and we've said where CuePhone stands and where it doesn't.
The short version: need Android? Pick an app that has it. Want to avoid a subscription? Look for a one-time purchase. Whatever you choose, test it on your own camera before the shoot day.
What to compare
- Platform — iPhone only, or Android too? Your crew's phones decide this first.
- Screen types — messages, calls, video calls, notifications, lock screens, maps, feeds. Only pay for what your scene uses.
- Second-device control — can someone off-camera cue the screen without touching the actor's phone?
- Continuity controls — locking the clock, battery and signal, and resetting to the same state each take.
- Connectivity — does it need internet on set?
- Price model — subscription or one-time, and what's free.
The main options, side by side
Facts below come from each app's own page as read on 1 October 2026. Prices and features change; check the source before you buy.
| App | Platforms | Second-device control | Price model (as published) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PropScreen | iOS, Android | Yes — "Director Mode" | Subscription: $9.99/month or $89.99/year; free green-screen tool |
| ScreenProp | iOS, Android | Yes — production and talent devices | Subscription: $9.99/month, up to three devices per account |
| PropCast | iOS (iPhone) | Yes — remote director mode over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth | Subscription: £29.99/year |
| CuePhone (not yet released) | iPhone, iPad, Mac; Apple Watch GO. No Android. | Yes — control device cues the actor phone | Planned: actor phone always free; one-time purchase to prepare scenes; no subscription. Price not announced. |
PropScreen
Lists twelve tools across messages, calls, video calls, notifications, a scripted live-stream view, social feeds, maps, locked video playback, a green chroma screen and a customisable home screen, with a second-device Director Mode. On iOS and Android. A good fit if you want the widest range of screen types on both platforms and a subscription suits you.
ScreenProp
Built around two phones — one for production, one for talent — with messages, calls, video calls and notifications, plus controls to lock the status-bar time, battery and signal across takes. On iOS and Android, at a single monthly price. A good fit if continuity locking and Android support matter.
PropCast
An iPhone app with a scripted typing engine, a remote director mode, status-bar customisation and delay timers for calls and notifications. It states that it works device-to-device without internet. Priced as an annual subscription. A good fit for iPhone-only crews who want offline control.
CuePhone
Our app, and honestly the newest: it isn't released and is still being tested on real sets. It's designed for Apple devices only, with a control device cueing the actor phone using one GO, a reset to the same starting screen each take, and a take log. Its pricing idea is different — the actor phone is always free and preparing scenes is a one-time purchase, with no subscription. If you shoot on Android, it isn't for you. See what CuePhone does and get notified at launch.
So, which should you pick?
Android on set: choose an app with an Android version. Everyone on iPhone and you want offline, device-to-device control: an iPhone-focused app fits. Shooting occasionally and wary of subscriptions: wait for a one-time option or price it against how many days you'll actually use it. New to the whole idea? Start with how to show a phone screen in a film, and shoot a camera test whichever you choose.
Test it on your camera. Screens can flicker or band depending on the phone and the camera. Our free shutter angle calculator helps you set the shutter, but only a test on your own setup settles it.
The phone in the shot, played on cue.
CuePhone prepares fictional phone screens, plays them on cue from a control device and resets for every take. Coming soon to iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Prop phone apps, answered.
What is a prop phone app?
It shows controllable, fictional phone screens — messages, calls, notifications and similar — on a phone in your shot, so a production can time and repeat what the screen does instead of adding it in post.
Which prop phone app is best for film?
It depends on your devices, budget and how the scene plays. Compare platforms, the screen types you need, second-device control and pricing, then test the exact app on your camera.
Are prop phone apps free?
Most charge for the full feature set, some by monthly or yearly subscription, and a few have a free tier with limited tools. CuePhone, not yet released, is planned with an always-free actor phone and a one-time purchase to prepare scenes.
Do I need two phones?
Most use a control device for the crew and a second phone the actor holds, so cues can be triggered without touching the actor's phone.
Is CuePhone available yet?
Not yet. It's in development and being tested on real sets. Leave your email and we'll tell you when it launches.