Using a smartphone as a webcam: Android, iOS

In the event that your computer doesn't have an inbuilt camera or your webcam simply doesn't work, it is possible to use your smartphone's webcam and link it to your computer using an application. For numerous reasons which we will discuss below, this can be a useful solution to a cumbersome problem and so in this article we will explain how to synchronise your smartphone's camera to your computer.

There are numerous reasons that you may need a working webcam and why this workaround might come in useful. One of them is to have a proper, larger image of meetings. Another important reason is that to access the video conferences of most programs, you need to have an app installed on your phone while on your computer you can simply use your internet browser to access it. Follow the steps below to enjoy webcam access on your computer via your mobile device.

1. Check the wifi network

Ensure that both your computer and your smartphone are connected to the same wifi network. If your phone is using mobile data, synchronisation wil not work.

2. Download the mobile app

Download and install the DroidCam Wireless Webcam application for your mobile phone. You’ll need to allow permissions to access your peripheral devices including both the camera and the microphone, as well as your wifi connection to sync with your computer.

• It’s available here for Android
• It’s available here for iOS

3. Install the software on your computer

Click here and enter the web version of this program. You will see the DroidCam program with the option to download for both Android and iOS. When you download it to your computer, you will get a ZIP file that you will have to unzip and install.

Note that it is necessary to accept all the installation requirements including the sound driver, which you will also have to install as indicated.

4. Opening the application

Once you have everything installed on both devices, open the application on your phone. Some user guidelines will open up and once you have finished reading them, another screen will appear containing key information and steps for any future connections.

A black screen containing important information will then appear. The first screen is about the Wifi IP. At this point you should open the DroidCam app on your computer and in the white window that appears asking you to fill in the Device IP, fill in the number that appears on your phone on the Wifi IP screen. Check the video box and click Start.

If you would also like to use your phone’s audio, just check the Audio box as well as the video box just before you click Start.

The image captured by your phone's camera will be reflected on your computer screen. At this stage, you can confirm that the process is working and frame yourself. There’s a menu with zoom options, as well as a tool to rotate sideways or adjust brightness and luminosity.

5. Start a video call

You can now activate any video call program (Zoom, Jitsi, Meets etc) on your computer and the call recipients will be able to see you live. In the app configuration on your mobile, you can select whether you want to use the front or back camera to transmit the image.