How to Use Your Android Phone as a Webcam

This article explains how to set up an Android phone and use it as a webcam. The instructions apply to Android 10, 9.0 (Nougat), and 8.0 (Oreo).

How to Use Your Android as a Webcam

Follow the steps below to install and configure the correct software, and then launch your phone as a webcam in chat software like Skype. The whole process takes less than 15 minutes or so.

1. Install your preferred IP webcam app onto your Android phone from the Google Play store. In this example, we're using the DroidCam app.

   

   The latest version of DroidCam, the software used in this article, requires a minimum of Android 5.0. However, you can download APKs for older versions of DroidCam if you need to. Or choose from one of the alternative software applications listed below that works on your version of Android.

2. On your Windows 10 PC, visit the DroidCam downloads page and download the Windows client software. There is also a Linux client if you're using a Linux machine. Run the installation file, accept the agreement terms by selecting I Agree, and select Next to accept the destination folder. You can leave all components selected, or remove Apple USB support if you don't plan on using the software with an Apple device. Then select Install to complete the installation.

   

   If the IP webcam app you chose for your Android doesn't come with Windows client software, install IP Camera Adapter. This is a universal IP camera driver that will connect with your Android's IP webcam app and pass it as a system webcam to software like Skype or Zoom.

3. Once the install is finished, select the Start menu, type DroidCam, and select the DroidCam client. You should see the following screen.

   

4. Now, back on your Android phone, launch the DroidCam app. On the first screen, tap Next and then Got It. Select While using the app to provide DroidCam with permissions to use your camera. You'll also need to select While using the app to provide DroidCam with permissions to use your microphone.

5. Finally, you'll see the main screen of DroidCam which contains your phone's IP address and the port number that the DroidCam software is using. Make a note of these values.

   

6. Back on your Windows 10 PC, type your Android's IP address into the Device IP field, and the port number into the DroidCam Port field. If you want to be able to use your phone's microphone for videoconferencing, then select the Audio checkbox as well. Select Start to establish the connection.

   

7. When the connection is successful, you'll see video from your phone's camera show up inside the DroidCam client software on your PC.

   

   You'll notice there are no controls enabled at the bottom of the client software. These are only available in the Pro version. The only options are to pop-out a video preview window, or stop the video feed. This is because the only real purpose of the client software is to capture your phone's video feed as a webcam source and provide that to any videoconferencing software you use.

8. To use your phone as a webcam in videoconferencing software like Skype, launch your preferred software. Go into the video settings for your videoconferencing application and change the camera selection to one of the DroidCam sources.

   

9. If you want to use your phone's microphone as your videoconferencing mic, then scroll down to the audio setting and select DroidCam Virtual Audio from the list of available communications devices.

   

10. Now you can launch a virtual meeting and your Android phone will provide both the video and the audio input for your meeting.

Why Use Your Phone as a Webcam?

Using your phone as a webcam for your videoconferencing software is very convenient. It lets you get away from your desktop even while you're having a meeting. If you've enabled the microphone on your Android, you can see and chat with all meeting participants wherever you are, making all of your video conferences completely mobile.

Choosing Android Webcam Software

The first step to use your phone as a webcam is to install IP webcam software on your Android device. Ideally, the software you choose should come with companion client software for your computer. Otherwise, you'll need to find special driver software for your computer that works generically with any IP webcam.

You need that software since you aren't connecting your phone directly to your PC as a regular wired webcam.

The best apps you can find on the Google Play store to use your phone as a webcam are:

• IP Webcam: This software requires a universal MJPEG video driver on your PC to connect your phone as a webcam.
• DroidCam: Includes a PC client component to connect as a webcam.
• Iriun 4K: Primarily meant to convert your phone to a webcam and includes PC drivers.

In this article, you learned the steps to set up the software and connect your phone as a webcam using DroidCam. The steps are generally the same regardless of the software you choose, although the software's menus will be different.