{"id":1881,"date":"2020-04-22T01:05:06","date_gmt":"2020-04-21T19:35:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.gowarranty.in\/?page_id=1881"},"modified":"2020-07-20T20:40:07","modified_gmt":"2020-07-20T15:10:07","slug":"how-to-use-your-android-device-as-a-webcam","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/how-to-use-your-android-device-as-a-webcam\/","title":{"rendered":"How to use your Android device as a webcam"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Useful if you have a spare phone and no webcam for your PC<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A good webcam, let alone any webcam, is tough to find these days. Just to put a time marker on this post: the coronavirus pandemic has moved much of America\u2019s workforce into a work-from-home environment. With so many people in need of basic tech supplies, demand for webcams has surged, and as supplies dwindle, prices have unsurprisingly skyrocketed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<amp-fit-text layout=\"fixed-height\" min-font-size=\"6\" max-font-size=\"72\" height=\"80\"><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My colleague Chris Welch has&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2020\/4\/9\/21199521\/webcam-shortage-price-raise-logitech-razer-amazon-best-buy-ebay\" class=\"aioseop-link\">reported on the trend<\/a>, and many of us here at&nbsp;<em>The Verge<\/em>&nbsp;have spent more time (and money) than we\u2019d have liked just to equip our home Windows 10 or macOS computers with a decent camera. Thankfully, you don\u2019t&nbsp;<em>have<\/em>&nbsp;to fight the online crowd to spend hundreds on a webcam that you may or may not get much use out of when we\u2019re on the other side of this pandemic. There is an alternative: a spare (or your current) Android or iOS phone or tablet you might have.<\/p><\/amp-fit-text>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-blockspare-blockspare-container alignfull blockspare-028f20e9-ead3-4\"><style>.blockspare-028f20e9-ead3-4 .blockspare-block-container-wrapper{background-color:#fff;padding-top:20px;padding-right:20px;padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:20px;margin-top:30px;margin-bottom:30px;border-radius:null}.blockspare-028f20e9-ead3-4 .blockspare-image-wrap{background-image:}<\/style><div class=\"blockspare-block-container-wrapper alignfull\"><div class=\"blockspare-container-background blockspare-image-wrap has-background-opacity-100 has-background-opacity\"><\/div><div class=\"blockspare-container\"><div class=\"blockspare-inner-blocks blockspare-inner-wrapper-blocks\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>Note:<\/p><cite>YOU\u2019LL WANT TO ENSURE THAT YOUR DEVICE STAYS PLUGGED IN, AS THESE APPS ARE BATTERY HOGS<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ll start with how to get your Android phone or tablet to act as a webcam for your computer, and then we\u2019ll move into doing the same with your iPhone or iPad. (By the way, you can also easily&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2020\/3\/31\/21202022\/wyze-firmware-update-webcam-security-camera-transform-solution-guide\">turn a Wyze security camera into a webcam<\/a>, but you\u2019ll likely get far better video quality from your device.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"920\" height=\"526\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.gowarranty.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/1-e1587495773308.png\" alt=\"holding a phone in hand\" class=\"wp-image-1882\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/1-e1587495773308.png 920w, https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/1-e1587495773308-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/1-e1587495773308-768x439.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 920px) 100vw, 920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How To Use Your Android Phone \/ Tablet As A Webcam<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are several apps in the Google Play Store that claim to morph your Android device into a webcam. Out of the few that I tried, DroidCam offered the easiest setup with the most reliable results. I don\u2019t doubt that there are more clever, app-free solutions to get this done, but for the sake of simplicity, this is what we\u2019re going with here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Download and install the free version of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.dev47apps.droidcam\">DroidCam from the Play Store<\/a>. (It requires a device running Android 5.0 Lollipop or newer software.) The developer,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dev47apps.com\/\">Dev47Apps<\/a>, makes a desktop client for Windows 10 and Linux (but unfortunately, not for macOS) that you\u2019ll also need to download onto your computer. (Note: I\u2019m focusing on steps to use it with Windows 10 in this how-to.) Make sure that you&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dev47apps.com\/droidcam\/update\/\">download version 6.2<\/a>&nbsp;since it addresses some issues that might cause a headache if you use an earlier version.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"920\" height=\"613\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.gowarranty.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1884\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/2.png 920w, https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/2-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/2-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/2-675x450.png 675w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 920px) 100vw, 920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>After the Android app is installed, focus on getting the desktop app up and running. During installation, you\u2019ll need to allow the app to install audio drivers. Feel free to uncheck \u201cAlways trust software from DEV47 APPS\u201d if you prefer.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"662\" height=\"442\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.gowarranty.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1885\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/3.png 662w, https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/3-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 662px) 100vw, 662px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Once the Windows app is running, you\u2019ll see options near the top of the app window that will let you connect your device wirelessly or via USB. It\u2019s actually easier to connect via Wi-Fi so that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to focus on. Thankfully, it\u2019s on that setting by default.<\/li><li>Below those options, you\u2019ll see a box where you need to input your Android device\u2019s IP address. At this point, open up the DroidCam app on your Android phone or tablet. It will then show your device\u2019s IP address. Go back to your PC and input that address in the field called \u201cDevice IP.\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"779\" height=\"520\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.gowarranty.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/4.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1886\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/4.png 779w, https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/4-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/4-768x513.png 768w, https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/4-675x450.png 675w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 779px) 100vw, 779px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>There are two things to do before you hit \u201cStart\u201d in the desktop app. First, be sure both boxes for \u201cvideo\u201d and \u201caudio\u201d are checked. If only video is checked, your phone\u2019s microphone won\u2019t pick up your voice.<\/li><li>Next, click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the Android app to open the settings. There, in the \u201ccamera\u201d section, you can choose whether to use the front-facing or back-facing camera. Your back-facing camera is almost guaranteed to be more capable than your selfie cam, so I recommend using that. Most of the other default settings are set to the ideal choice, so you can leave them.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DriodCam: The Good &amp; The Bad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pros: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Free to start and surprisingly capable at no cost<\/li><li>No watermarks<\/li><li>Lets you use either front-facing or rear-facing cameras<\/li><li>You can minimize the app while still using the webcam<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cons:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Only works with Android<\/li><li>No macOS support<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"345\" height=\"604\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.gowarranty.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/5-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1888\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/5-1.png 345w, https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/5-1-171x300.png 171w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 345px) 100vw, 345px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Finally, hit \u201cstart\u201d in the desktop app to initiate the connection. You should see a preview of the video feed on your PC screen. If you don\u2019t see it, ensure that both your PC and Android device are on the same Wi-Fi network or LAN. My PC is wired to the internet, but it still works wirelessly with my phone because they\u2019re on the same network.<\/li><li>Now, simply open up your&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2020\/3\/25\/21188571\/free-videoconference-app-how-to-choose-zoom-skype-slack\">preferred videoconferencing app<\/a>, like Zoom, Google Meet, or Skype. In the video settings within each app, switch the default camera to \u201cDroidCam Source 2\u201d or \u201cDroidCam Source 3.\u201d One of those should mirror what you see in the DroidCam Client window.<\/li><li>To make your device\u2019s microphone the default input in your videoconferencing app, go to the microphone section in your videoconferencing app (it may be referred to as audio input), and select \u201cDroidCam Virtual Audio.\u201d Once you do that, it should work as intended.<\/li><li>A quick aside: if you\u2019re using the front-facing camera for video duties, and for some reason need to grab your phone-turned-webcam to send a text or browse through your contacts, DroidCam won\u2019t stop you. You can collapse the app without interrupting the camera feed.<\/li><li>Now, if you\u2019re using a phone, you\u2019ll want to figure out a way to position it at your desk to get a webcam-like angle of your face. For some, this could be the most difficult step. Though, a simple solution for me came in the form of a car dashboard mount that I already had.&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2RQJzIf\" target=\"_blank\">I own this model from iOttie<\/a>&nbsp;in my car, and it easily affixed to my glass monitor stand. Its grip spread wide enough to fit a Nexus 6P in a hard case, so practically any phone should fit. The company also makes a model with a suction cup, which should work with most desks.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You may also notice several additional DroidCam X Pro controls in the screenshot below; you\u2019ll need to pay $4.99 to access those. You can do that if you wish to support the developer, but you may be happy with the free version, which doesn\u2019t display watermarks or make you jump through too many hoops.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Useful if you have a spare phone and no webcam for your PC A good webcam, let alone any webcam, is tough to find these days. Just to put a time marker on this post: the coronavirus pandemic has moved much of America\u2019s workforce into a work-from-home environment. With so many people in need of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2156,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1881","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1881"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2650,"href":"https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1881\/revisions\/2650"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gowarranty.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}