How to use your smartphone as a webcam on your PC 

Droidcam is a free app available both for smartphones Android and for iPhone. This allows you to use the photo sensor and the microphone of your mobile to interact with your interlocutors on visio apps such as Microsoft Teams, Skype or Zoom. Be careful however, because Macs are not compatible here: you must be equipped with a machine running in Linux or Windows.

Use an Android phone or iPhone as a webcam on Windows [11, 10]

Laptops are (almost) all with a webcam, an essential device to make video calls with your loved ones or your work colleagues. But this is far from the case for external screens (at least at affordable prices) if you use a desktop computer. This is why use your Android phone or iPhone as a webcam on Windows 11 or 10 can be a practical solution to make video calls !

You have a screen. You have a smartphone (normally). For you Avoid purchasing a webcam, You will be able to use the camera on your Android phone or your iPhone as a webcam on Windows 11 or Windows 10. We will present 2 Freenium solutions to you. That is to say that they are free, but you can buy the paid version if you want to get more settings or better image quality. This is not a free trial period.

In this article, we will show you How to use an Android phone or iPhone as a webcam on a Windows PC using Epoccam and Droidcam applications.

Use an Android phone or iPhone as a webcam on Windows [11, 10]

Via Epoccam

With the Epoccam application on your iPhone (or another iOS device), you will be able to use your iPhone as a webcam on Windows 10 and 11 (and Mac):

1. On your iPhone, download the Epoccam app to the App Store.
2. Open the Epoccam application.
3. If it is not the first time that you turn on the app, open the menu, at the top right, then select Handling.
   
4. Press on To start, Then select the logo Windows.
5. To get the driver for your computer, press Receive the download link by e-mail (English) and send it to one of your email addresses, or click here (French) from your PC.
6. Always on the iPhone, press Following >Following.
7. Switch the switch for authorization Allow access to the camera and validate in the window that appears. Do the same with Allow network access. Validate with OK.
   
8. On your computer, using the previous link, click on Select Your Product and select Epoccam.
9. Make sure Windows is well selected and click on Download Or Download (depending on the link used).
10. Go to the file Downloads and double-click the executable of Epoccam: Epoccam_installer64_3_40.exe.
11. Install it by doing Following >I accept >Install >Close.
12. Make sure your iPhone is on the same Wi-Fi network or that it is connected to USB with installed iTunes on the PC.
13. Open any Windows application that uses your webcam then go to the Video settings of the application and choose Epoccam camera as a camera.
    
14. On your iPhone, you will be able to manage the zoom (in pro version), the mirror effect, the filters, switch between the camera from the front and that of the rear or even activate and deactivate the microphone (in pro version).
    

With the paid version, you can remove Elgato’s watermark and you can film in 1080p instead of 480p, use the micro from the iPhone as a microphone for your windows and other features.

via Droidcam

Droidcam allows you to use the camera of your Android iPhone or phone as a webcam on your Windows 11 or 10 PC (or Linux):

1. On your smartphone, download the right app on the app store or Google Play.
2. Open the right app, press Next >GOT IT.
3. Allow the app to use the camera and the microphone of your phone.
4. On your PC, download the Windows customer from this link then by clicking on Droidcam Customer.
5. Go to the downloads folder and double-click the Droidcam executable: Droidcam.Setup.6.5.2.exe.
6. Install it by doing Next >I agreed >Next >Install >Finish.
7. Open Droidcam Customer.
8. To link your PC and your phone via Wi-Fi: select the icon Wireless, Enter theIP adress And the port which are displayed in the right application on your iPhone or Android phone. Check that the box Video is well checked. Validate with Start.
   

I Note : check Audio If you also want to use the microphone of your Android iPhone or phone.

To establish another connection (with a different phone or using another type of connection), go to the menu Droidcam >Start.

For example, for a wired connection, select the iconUSB. If necessary, select the assembly of number that identifies your iPhone or Android phone in the drop -down list. Validate with Start.

Open any Windows application that uses your webcam, go to Video settings and choose Droidcam as a camera.

I Note : The different sources (source 2, source 3, etc.) correspond to the number of configured connections.

On your smartphone, you can choose the front or behind camera and make certain image settings.

Droidcam also has a paid version with more settings.

✓ Congratulations : You now know how to use an Android phone or iPhone as a webcam on Windows [11, 10] with Epoccam and Droidcam for free ! ��

How to use your smartphone as a webcam on your PC ?

Discover four simple, even free tips, depending on your equipment.

Posted on November 4, 2022 at 7:00 p.m

Solution 1 – Droidcam

Droidcam is a free app available both for smartphones Android and for iPhone. This allows you to use the photo sensor and the microphone of your mobile to interact with your interlocutors on visio apps such as Microsoft Teams, Skype or Zoom. Be careful however, because Macs are not compatible here: you must be equipped with a machine running in Linux or Windows.

To connect the mobile phone to the computer, then just a simple USB cable. You can also use Wi-Fi if you wish, but it is at the risk of meeting some latencies in case your box makes its own.

• Download Droidcam on the App Store
• Download Droidcam on the Google Play Store
• Download Droidcam for Windows

Solution 2 – IVCAM

Ivcam principle is quite similar. The service offers you to choose your ipad, Your iPhone or Android 4 smartphone.At least 4 to replace your computer webcam. Additional features are moreover, such as the possibility of saving the video flow to watch it again later. With Ivcam, users can also enjoy a mirror effect, practice to avoid being blocked by copyrights as part of a projection.

• Download Ivcam on the App Store
• Download Ivcam on the Google Play Store
• Download Ivcam for Windows

Solution 3 – Camera continuity (Apple)

Now let’s move on to a solution for Mac and iPhone, native. Announced in June 2022, the latter called on the assets of Continuity To deport the phone sensor of the phone to Facetime For macOS, the screen used remaining that of the computer. Apple advises here to come and install the mobile on the back of the slab of a macbook (for example), with a dedicated support.

Several brands are already collaborating in the creation of these small accessories, including Belkin, which offers its product for sale on the Apple Store. It’s up to you to see if you prefer this three -dimensional model available on GitHub. As for the question of configuration, everything is explained in this dedicated tutorial. Please note, iPhone are not all compatible.

Solution 4 – Epoccam

Epoccam, which closes this chapter, is perhaps for us the most ergonomic solution. The design is intuitive, obs compatibility is included and it is even possible to use the flash of your smartphone. Some tools like HD are however paid, With the pro package.

How to use an Android phone as a webcam with or without USB

Due to the pandemic, many people are currently working at home. Of course, this means that people will have to use webcams to be virtually present during meetings and events.

Webcam prices increase due to the rise in demand, so it may not be possible for you to open your wallet to buy a new webcam. In addition, if you only need a webcam occasionally, the purchase of a dedicated webcam could be a loss of money.

Whatever your reasoning, if you are not ready to spend money on a webcam, you can always use your Android phone as webcam for your PC. Indeed, using an application, you can transform your phone into a webcam for free.

You can do it wirelessly or using a USBET cable each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. In this article, I will show you these two ways to use your Android phone as a webcam for PC.

Use an Android phone as webcam for wireless PC.

If your PC and your phone are on the same network, you can use an Android application to connect both devices and use the phone camera as webcam. The application will record your Android phone as a webcam for the PC, so that all applications that check the availability of webcam on your PC will use the camera on your Android phone instead.

Before explaining to you how to install it, it is good to know the advantages and disadvantages of wireless connection:

Benefits :

• This is a wireless connection, so you have a total control over how you move and position the camera of the phone. You can even take it to another room.
• It is easier to set up because it does not require special authorizations.

Disadvantages:

• There will be an inevitable latency due to the limits of the functioning of the wireless connection.
• The intensity of wireless signals (those of the device, not those of the Internet) can have an impact on the quality of the video, resulting in higher latency and images of images.

Now that you know good and bad sides, let’s see how to use an Android phone as a webcam for pc. There are many Android applications to get there, but I will use Droidcam because it is the most famous application for this purpose and it is simple to use.

Advice : If you are not close to a WiFi connection, you can also use the Hotspot function of your phone to create a wireless connection. Just connect your PC to your phone hotspot and follow the above instructions (mobile data is not necessary).

Use DroidCam to establish a wireless connection

You must configure Droidcam both on your PC and on your Android phone. Download the application to your phone and download the PC customer to the developer website.

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

• Make sure that the computer and the phone are connected to the same network.
• On the phone application, you will see the values ​​of theIP of the device and Port of Lawcam. Keep these details in mind.
• On the PC client, select Connect to wifi and enter the values IP of the device and the Port of Droidcam that you see on the phone application.

Then press the button To start up, And the video of your phone will start to appear in the Droidcam interface. If you need to use the webcam with an application or a service, simply select Droidcam as a webcam in its interface.

The PC client must remain open to continue using the phone as a webcam. However, you can close the phone application because it will continue to operate in the background. To stop a session, close the PC client or press the menu in the upper left corner of the phone application and select Stop.

Use an Android phone as a webcam for PC using a USB cable

If you don’t want any latency, it is best to use a wired connection. USB cable connection is not affected by external factors, unlike wireless connection, it offers the best quality without latency.

The advantages and disadvantages of this method are completely opposed to those of wireless connection. You get a better connection without latency, but you sacrifice the freedom to move the phone because the length of the USB cable limits it. However, there is another drawback: you must activate the USB debug on your phone to work.

The same right application can also establish the connection via a USB cable, which is why we will use it for this method. The required conditions are slightly different; Just follow the procedure below.

Activate USB debugging

USB debugging allows a PC to access more secure sections of your phone, including camera control. You must activate it so that this configuration works, but unfortunately, the USB debugging on Android phones differs according to the manufacturer and the version of Android.

The main thing is to activate development options in your phone, then activate USB debugging inside it. I will show you how to activate USB debugging on Samsung and Xiaomi phones (the two most popular manufacturers), but if you have a different phone, you will have to search the exact instructions online:

Warning : Activation of USB debugging can present a risk for safety, as this function can be used to steal information from a phone connected to the computer. Be sure not to connect to a public PC after activating USB debugging and deactivate it as soon as you have finished using it.

Activate USB debugging on Samsung phones

• Go to Settings >About the phone >Software information And press the option 7 times in a row Build number To activate development options.
• A new entry ” Developers’ options “will be available in Settings down. Open it and activate the option of USB debug who is there.

Activate USB debugging on Xiaomi phones

• Go to Settings >About the phone >All characteristics And press the option 7 times MIUI version, and the options for developers will be activated.

• Then press the Settings option additional in the Settings, Then go in Developers’ options and activate debugging USB.

Once the USB debugging is activated, follow the instructions below to use Droidcam to use your phone as a webcam for PC via a USB connection.

Use of DroidCam for the configuration of the USB cable

Connect a USB cable to your PC and your phone and activate the DroidCam application on the PC and the phone. On your PC, click the button Connect by USB and click the button Update To detect USB connection.

After a short time, the application should detect the USB connection and display it in the drop -down menu. Select it and click the button To start up To start using your Android phone as a webcam.

As with wireless connection, you can select Droidcam as a webcam in the applications that need it.

End words

The use of an Android phone as a wireless webcam should be the choice of choice for most users, because Wi-Fi access is not uncommon and latency is not even noticeable in most cases. Personally, I got the best performance by connecting the PC and the phone via a hotspot instead of my WiFi router. For those who want a perfect connection, the USB connection should be enough.

For more than 9 years, Karrar has written on everything related to Windows and Google, emphasizing safety improvement and the search for means to optimize the use of our devices.