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

Uninterested in wanting like a pixelated blob in your Zoom calls? Why use that pesky, tiny, low-quality webcam embedded in your laptop computer when you have got a critically nice smartphone camera in your pocket? It has turn out to be very easy to make use of your smartphone as a webcam lately, and a few choices don’t even require you to plug something in. We’ve detailed how to do that whether or not you have got an iPhone or Android, on Home windows or Mac.

We even have directions for using a professional camera or GoPro to deal with the identical activity. When you don’t need to fuss with apps, take a look at our Best Webcams information.

Up to date June 2024: We have vetted each choose once more, eliminated older strategies, and added steps for Pixel and Motorola telephones.

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The best way to Make a Video Name With Simply Your Telephone

Earlier than changing your smartphone right into a webcam on your pc, the plain factor is perhaps to attempt utilizing your smartphone to run a video assembly. Providers like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams usually have Android and iPhone apps obtainable. All it is advisable do is set up the app, log in, and use your cellphone’s selfie digital camera and microphone to take part within the assembly.

Whether or not you do that or comply with our strategies beneath, put money into a small tripod to prop your cellphone up so that you don’t need to stability it towards a pile of books. The Joby GripTight is a well-liked and inexpensive tripod with legs that may contort to remain secure on nearly any floor, although a height-adjustable tripod like this is perhaps a greater choice. Lume Cube’s Panel Mini can be a pleasant approach to illuminate your face.

Methods to Use Your Telephone as a Webcam

You need to use a videoconferencing app in your cellphone if you happen to shortly want to sit down in on a gathering and chime in at times, however you’ll want a greater system if you happen to’re presenting and need to share your display. That’s the place it may assist to transform your smartphone right into a webcam.

Normal tip: Make sure that your most well-liked videoconferencing app is closed when putting in a webcam shopper in your desktop PC or laptop computer. You might must relaunch the app or restart your pc to get all of it working.

The answer that works—whether or not you have got an iPhone, Android, Mac, or Home windows, in any mixture—is a service known as Reincubate Camo. It’s suitable with greater than 40 video-calling apps, from Google Meet and Zoom to FaceTime and Discord. The steps beneath will work if you happen to’re attempting to attach an Android to a Mac, an iPhone to a Home windows PC, or vice versa.

Steps to Set Up Camo:

1. Obtain the Camo app in your Mac or Home windows machine. Then obtain the app on iOS or Android. Android telephones must be operating model 7.0 and up, and iPhones must be on iOS 12 or later. It’ll work with Home 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 it is advisable do is press the Wi-Fi icon within the Camo app in your cellphone (after allowing it to make use of your microphone and digital camera), and a QR code scanner ought to pop up. Within the desktop shopper, click on the drop-down menu below System and select Pair a System. You need to see a QR code. Scan it and your cellphone ought to join instantly. Skip to step 4 if that is working.
3. When you do not need to go the wi-fi route, plug in a cable out of your cellphone to your pc—be certain it’s a data-supported cable (not all USB-C cables support data transfer). (When you have points, attempt one other cable.) For Android telephones connecting to a Home windows PC, you’ll must allow USB debugging mode. To do that, head to Settings > About Telephone after which faucet Construct Quantity seven occasions to allow Developer mode. As soon as turned on, you will discover it in Settings > System > Developer Mode, although a number of the navigation menus could differ based mostly in your Android cellphone. Scroll down to search out 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 isn’t working, unplug the cable and plug it again in. Connecting an Android to a Mac? Flip USB debugging off. When 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 Home windows PCs or Macs shouldn’t require extra steps (press Belief if the pop-up seems in your cellphone).
4. You need to now begin seeing your rear digital camera’s feed on the Camo desktop app. When you don’t, and also you’re linked through a wire, unplug the cable out of your cellphone, then restart the Camo app in your pc and cellphone. Plug it again in and you need to see the feed.
5. Go to your video conferencing app’s gadget settings and select Camo because the video digital camera, and your cellphone digital camera’s feed ought to pop up. You too can change the default microphone to Camo if you wish to use your cellphone as a mic.

You get fairly a number of choices to select from within the Camo desktop app to customise the video feed. That features 720p video high quality and zoom choices, and you’ll remove the watermark. A lot of that is free, however sadly, you will must pay for Camo Pro for a number of nifty features, like 4K recording, the power to change lenses, and Portrait mode (iPhone homeowners are seemingly higher off utilizing Apple’s Continuity Digital camera, which we element additional beneath). Camo presents a number of cost choices: a lifetime license ($100), an annual subscription ($50), or a month-to-month subscription ($9).

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

Whenever you open a video-calling app together with your iPhone close by, you’ll see a pop-up explaining that you should utilize your iPhone as a webcam. The primary time I attempted to change the digital camera it didn’t work, however a restart of my cellphone and MacBook did the trick.