Many people are working from abode right now due to the pandemic. Of course, this means people will have to employ webcams to be virtually present in meetings and events.

Webcam prices are rise due to the higher demand, so information technology may non be feasible for you to open your wallet for a new webcam. Furthermore, if you need only to use a webcam occasionally, buying a defended webcam could be a waste product of money.

Whatever your reasoning, if y'all are not set to shell out greenbacks for a webcam, you tin always use your Android phone as a webcam for your PC. That's right, with the help of an app, y'all can plow your phone into a webcam for gratis.

You can do this wirelessly and using a USB cable, and each method has its own upsides and downsides. I'll show both of these ways to use your Android telephone every bit a webcam for PC in this mail.

Use an Android phone as a PC webcam Wirelessly.

If your PC and phone are on the aforementioned network, y'all can use an Android app to connect both devices and use the telephone camera as a webcam. The app volition register your Android phone as a webcam for the PC, so all apps that check your PC for webcam availability will use your Android phone camera instead.

Before I tell you how to gear up information technology upward, it'south good to know the good and bad side of wireless connection:

Pros:

  • It'southward a wireless connection, and then you lot accept full command over how you lot move and position the phone camera. You tin fifty-fifty take information technology to some other room.
  • It is easier to gear up upward every bit no special permissions are needed.

Cons:

  • In that location will be unavoidable latency due to the limitation of how wireless connection works.
  • Wireless signals strength (the device signals, not the internet) can touch on the quality of the video, leading to higher latency and frame skips.

Now that you know the good and bad sides, let's meet how to utilise an Android phone equally a webcam for PC. In that location are many Android apps to make it happen, but I will use DroidCam every bit it's the nigh reputable app for this purpose, and it'due south straightforward to utilise.

Tip: If you aren't about a WiFi connection, y'all can besides employ your telephone'due south hotspot feature to create a wireless connection. Just connect your PC to your phone's hotspot and follow the above instructions (mobile data non required).

Using DroidCam to set up wirelessly

Y'all demand to gear up DroidCam on both your PC and your Android phone. Download the app on your telephone and download the PC client from the developer's website.

Launch the apps on both PC and phone, and then follow the below instructions.

  • Make sure both PC and telephone are connected to the aforementioned network.
  • On the phone app, yous will see Device IP and DroidCam Port values. Keep these details in front end.
  • Now on the PC customer, select Connect over WiFi and enter the Device IP and DroidCam Port values you encounter on the phone app.

Afterward, just hit the Start button, and the video from your phone will start showing in the DroidCam interface. If you need to use the webcam with whatsoever app/service, only select DroidCam as your webcam in its interface.

Use Android as webcam for PC wirelessly

The PC client needs to stay open to proceed using the phone as a webcam. Nevertheless, you lot can shut the phone app every bit it will keep working in the background. To end a session, either shut the PC customer or tap the menu at the top-left corner on the phone app and select Stop.

Use Android telephone as a PC webcam using a USB cable

If you don't want any latency at all, then using a wired connection is much ameliorate. As USB cablevision connection isn't affected by external factors, unlike wireless connection, information technology offers the best quality without latency.

The pros/cons of this method are just the opposite of wireless connection. Yous get a better connectedness with no latency, but you cede the liberty to move the telephone around as the USB cablevision's length on a leash limit information technology. In that location is some other caveat, though; you have to enable USB debugging on your telephone to make it work.

The same DroidCam app tin also make the connexion over a USB cable then that we volition use it for this method. The requirements are a bit dissimilar; just follow the below process.

Enable USB debugging

USB debugging makes it possible for a PC to access more secure sections/features of your phone, including command over the camera. You have to enable it to make this setup work, only unfortunately, the USB debugging on Android phones differs depending on the manufacturer and Android version.

The main gist is to enable developer options in your phone and then enable USB debugging within it. I am going to prove you how to enable USB debugging in Samsung and Xiaomi phones (the 2 most pop manufacturers), merely if you take a dissimilar phone; you volition accept to search online for the exact instructions:

Warning: Enabling USB debugging tin can exist a security risk as this feature tin can be used to steal data from a telephone connected to the PC. Ensure yous don't connect to a public PC later on enabling USB debugging and immediately disable it when you are washed using it.

Enable USB debugging on Samsung phones

  • Go to Settings > About phone > Software data and tap seven times on the Build number option in succession to enable developer options.
  • A new Programmer options entry will become available in Settings at the bottom. Open up it and enable the USB debugging option inside.

Enable USB debugging on Samsung phone

Enable USB debugging on Xiaomi phones

  • Go to Settings > Well-nigh phone > All specs and tap 7 times on the MIUI version option, and developers' options will be enabled.

Enable Developer mode in Xiaomi

  • Now tap on the Additional settings pick in the Settings then become to Developer options and enable USB debugging.

Enable USB debugging in Xiaomi phone

Once USB debugging is enabled, follow the beneath instructions to use DroidCam to use your telephone every bit a webcam for PC over a USB connexion.

Using DroidCam for USB cablevision setup

Connect a USB cable to your PC and your phone and turn on the DroidCam app on both PC and phone. On your PC, click on the Connect over USB push button and click on the Refresh button to notice the USB connexion.

After a short delay, the app should discover the USB connection and show information technology in the drop-downward carte. Select it and click on the First push button to start using your Android phone as a webcam.

Use Android as webcam for PC over USB

Similar to the wireless connexion, yous can select DroidCam as a webcam inside apps that require one.

Ending words

Using an Android phone as a webcam wirelessly should be the go-to solution for almost users as Wi-Fi access isn't uncommon, and the latency isn't even noticeable in most cases. I personally found the best operation when I connected the PC and phone via hotspot instead of my WiFi router. For those who want a perfect connectedness, the USB connection should suffice.