How to Turn Your Phone Into a Webcam (2024): Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android

Tired of trying like a pixelated blob in your Zoom calls? Why use that pesky, tiny, low-quality webcam embedded in your laptop computer when you may have a severely nice smartphone digicam in your pocket? It has grow to be very easy to use your smartphone as a webcam nowadays, and a few choices don’t even require you to plug something in. We’ve detailed how to do that whether or not you may have an iPhone or Android, on Windows or Mac.

We even have directions for utilizing a skilled digicam or GoPro to deal with the identical job. If you don’t need to fuss with apps, try our Best Webcams information.

Updated June 2024: We’ve vetted each decide once more, eliminated older strategies, and added steps for Pixel and Motorola telephones.

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How to Make a Video Call With Just Your Phone

Before changing your smartphone into a webcam in your pc, the plain factor is likely to be to attempt utilizing your smartphone to run a video assembly. Services like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams typically have Android and that iPhone apps obtainable. All you want to do is set up the app, log in, and use your telephone’s selfie digicam and microphone to take part within the assembly.

Whether you do that or observe our strategies beneath, put money into a small tripod to prop your telephone up so that you don’t have to stability it in opposition to a pile of books. The Joby GripTight is a in style and reasonably priced tripod with legs that may contort to keep steady on nearly any floor, although a height-adjustable tripod like this is likely to be a higher choice. Lume Cube’s Panel Mini can also be a good approach to illuminate your face.

Ways to Use Your Phone as a Webcam

You can use a videoconferencing app in your telephone when you rapidly want to sit in on a assembly and chime in at times, however you’ll want a higher system when you’re presenting and have to share your display. That’s the place it may assist to convert your smartphone into a webcam.

General tip: Make positive your most well-liked videoconferencing app is closed when putting in a webcam consumer in your desktop PC or laptop computer. You may have to relaunch the app or restart your pc to get all of it working.

The resolution that works—whether or not you may have an iPhone, Android, Mac, or Windows, in any mixture—is a service known as Reincubate Camo. It’s appropriate with greater than 40 video-calling apps, from Google Meet and Zoom to FaceTime and Discord. The steps beneath will work when you’re making an attempt to join an Android to a Mac, an iPhone to a Windows PC, or vice versa.

Steps to Set Up Camo:

1. Download the Camo app in your Mac or Windows machine. Then obtain the app on iOS or Android. Android telephones want to be working model 7.0 and up, and that iPhones want to be on iOS 12 or later. It’ll work with Windows 7 (64-bit) or newer, and macOS 10.13 or later. (Camo additionally works with iPads.)
2. Launch the app in your PC and smartphone. Camo helps wi-fi video switch, so all you want to do is press the Wi-Fi icon within the Camo app in your telephone (after allowing it to use your microphone and digicam), and a QR code scanner ought to pop up. In the desktop consumer, click on the drop-down menu beneath Device and select Pair a Device. You ought to see a QR code. Scan it and your telephone ought to join instantly. Skip to step 4 if that is working.
3. If you don’t need to go the wi-fi route, plug in a cable out of your telephone to your pc—be certain that it’s a data-supported cable (not all USB-C cables help knowledge switch). (If you may have points, attempt one other cable.) For Android telephones connecting to a Windows PC, you’ll want to allow USB debugging mode. To do that, head to Settings > About Phone after which faucet Build Number seven instances to allow Developer mode. Once turned on, you will discover it in Settings > System > Developer Mode, although among the navigation menus might differ based mostly in your Android telephone. Scroll down to discover USB Debugging and toggle it on. You would possibly see a pop-up asking whether or not you need to enable USB debugging. If it is not working, unplug the cable and plug it again in. Connecting an Android to a Mac? Turn USB debugging off. If you by no means turned it on, you need to be good to go, or head to Developer mode once more and switch it off. iPhones connecting to Windows PCs or Macs shouldn’t require further steps (press Trust if the pop-up seems in your telephone).
4. You ought to now begin seeing your rear digicam’s feed on the Camo desktop app. If you don’t, and also you’re linked through a wire, unplug the cable out of your telephone, then restart the Camo app in your pc and telephone. Plug it again in and it is best to see the feed.
5. Go to your video conferencing app’s machine settings and select Camo because the video digicam, and your telephone digicam’s feed ought to pop up. You also can change the default microphone to Camo if you need to use your telephone as a mic.

You get fairly a few choices to select from within the Camo desktop app to customise the video feed. That consists of 720p video high quality and zoom choices, and you’ll take away the watermark. Much of that is free, however sadly, you will want to pay for Camo Pro for a number of nifty options, like 4K recording, the flexibility to swap lenses, and Portrait mode (iPhone homeowners are doubtless higher off utilizing Apple’s Continuity Camera, which we element additional beneath). Camo presents a few cost choices: a lifetime license ($100), an annual subscription ($50), or a month-to-month subscription ($9).

Apple’s Continuity Camera permits you to use your iPhone as a webcam in your Mac—no third-party software program required. Your iPhone wants to be on iOS 16 or later, and your Mac wants to be on macOS 13 Ventura or later. (iOS 16 isn’t obtainable for the iPhone 7 or older, so that you’ll want to improve your machine.)

When you open a video-calling app together with your iPhone close by, you’ll see a pop-up explaining that you need to use your iPhone as a webcam. The first time I attempted to swap the digicam it didn’t work, however a restart of my telephone and MacE-book did the trick.