This shouldn’t surprise anyone but laptop webcams are dreadful to work with. If you routinely attend virtual meetings or take video calls on your computer, you may be considering investing in a good external webcam to improve the quality of your video feed. Luckily, you don’t have to splurge any extra money as you already have a great camera on your smartphone. Even the best webcams for your laptop pale in comparison to your smartphone’s camera. In this article, we show you how to use your iPhone or Android phone as a webcam on your Mac and Windows PC.
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Table of Contents
Use Continuity Camera to use your iPhone as a webcam
Apple offers a native way for its users to use the iPhone as a webcam for Mac. This feature is only available on devices that run iOS 16 and macOS 13 Ventura or higher. You also need to make sure that your Mac and iPhone are logged in to the same iCloud account and are connected to a common WiFi network. For Continuity Camera to work, Bluetooth should be enabled on both devices. Here’s how you can use Continuity Camera on your Apple devices.
Step 1: Unlock your iPhone and go to Settings.
Step 2: Tap on ‘General’ and select ‘AirPlay & Handoff’.
Step 3: Turn on Continuity Camera and Handoff.
Step 4: Mount your iPhone on your Mac. There are several MagSafe mounts you can buy for your iPhone.
Step 5: Launch your desired calling app on your Mac.
Step 6: Set your iPhone as the video source. You can also choose to use your iPhone’s mic for the call.
Step 7: Select the ‘Desk View’ option to use the ultrawide lens. If you want to blur your background, choose the ‘Portrait’ option.
Use your Android phone as a webcam
Since Android does not have a native method that allows the phone’s camera to be used as a webcam, you will have to rely on a third-party app to carry out this particular task. Luckily, there are tons of apps to choose from. Here’s how you can use your Android phone as a webcam with Reincubate Camo.
Step 1: Install Camo Studio on your Windows laptop and the Camo app on your Android phone.
Step 2: Launch Camo Studio on your Windows device and make sure it is connected. Camo will list all the webcam options for your device.
Step 3: Launch the Camo app on your Android phone and tap on ‘Get Started’.
Step 4: On the Camo Studio client for your Windows laptop, click on the plus icon to open the pairing window. You will see a QR code in this window.
Step 5: On the Camo app for your Android phone, tap the wireless connection button and scan the QR code displayed on your laptop.
Step 6: Now that the two devices are connected, you can use your Android phone as a webcam.
Instead of a wireless connection, you can also use a USB cable to connect your Android phone to your Windows laptop with Camo. Before you proceed, make sure you have enabled USB debugging from Developer Settings. A wired connection provides lower latency and keeps your phone charged while it is being used as a webcam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use your phone as a webcam?
People tuned into the Apple ecosystem can use their iPhone as a webcam for their Mac with Continuity Camera. Android users have to rely on third-party apps like DroidCam and Camo for the same task.
Is DroidCam free?
DroidCam can be downloaded for free from Google Play Store. Its Windows client is free to download and use as well. Some third-party webcam applications may require a subscription to unlock premium features.
Can you use DroidCam without WiFi?
DroidCam and other third-party webcam applications work over a WiFi connection as well as a wired USB connection. Before you proceed with the latter, make sure you have enabled USB debugging on your smartphone.
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Conclusion
This is how you can use your iPhone and Android phone as a webcam on your Mac or Windows laptop. Apps like Camo, DroidCam, and EpocCam work on PCs as well as Macs. While a wireless connection is more convenient, to make sure you don’t experience any latency issues, connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable.
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