How To use Your Android Mobile as a Webcam to make Video Calls on Your Computer

The confinement in which a large part of the world’s population is plunged has caused a curious upturn in the sale of webcams, to the point of exhausting the stock in some of the most popular models. And all, because the world has found in video calls a way to keep in touch with colleagues, friends, family, and loved ones.

But, what if the quarantine has caught you without a webcam at hand with which to make a video call? If so, you have two options: one, make video calls directly with your smartphone or tablet, and the other, use your mobile as a webcam for the computer .

DroidCam to use the mobile as a webcam (with or without cables)

Although several applications allow you to use an Android smartphone as a webcam for your computer, in this case, we have decided to bet on DroidCam Wireless Webcam, a free application with more than 5 million installations, which allows you to use any Android device as a camera for your computer. Via Wi-Fi or connecting via USB.

Google Play | DroidCam Wireless Webcam

Before starting, it is necessary to bear in mind that the free version of the app has some limitations. For example, it is only possible to transmit video at a resolution of 480p. The different video settings such as mirror effect, rotation, the option to modify the contrast, or the sharpness are not available. The paid version is also available on Google Play; it can be purchased for 4.99 euros.

That said, to configure an Android device as a webcam using Droidcam, the first step is to download the client for Windows or Linux, available from the developer’s website. With the program already installed, these are the steps to follow:

1. If you want to connect without cables, make sure that both the computer and the mobile are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If you will use a USB cable, this is the time to connect the mobile to the PC.
2. To connect, open the DroidCam Client program on your computer, and select the pairing method (Wi-Fi or cable)

• If you use the cable connection, you have to have USB debugging activated on your mobile and, later, accept the notice that will appear on the screen.

1. If you have decided to use the connection via Wi-Fi, open the DroidCam app on your mobile and copy the Wi-Fi IP address of your device in the DroidCam Client window on your computer. If necessary, also enter the corresponding port. Check the video or audio options depending on what you want to stream.
2. In the computer client, tap on “Start”. If all goes well, a window will appear with the video preview of the rear camera of the mobile (in the app settings, you can choose which camera of your mobile you prefer to use).

That is all. Now, you can use your mobile as a webcam to make video calls through applications such as Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet. You just have to select your device during the camera and microphone selection window before accessing the call.

DroidCamX: improved version

If DroidCam falls short, its creators have created another version: DroidCamX. This paid version improves the free version in some aspects: it has no ads, it has 720P resolution, so we will be seen better in video calls, it captures more frames per second so our image will be much sharper and some extra functions such as the mirror mode, activate the flash to illuminate ourselves and something else.