How to Use A Phone Camera As A Webcam

People did not understand the needs and potential of online meetings or classes until the Covid 19 pandemic presented. The technology is developed to benefit the common people, but most people are not ready to transition from their old ways to the online mode.

The problem is not everyone cannot afford a good webcam after buying a costly computer or laptop. One thing to remember is that there is nothing such as an "Android webcam." So you won't need a webcam for your Android phone.

There are many ways to tackle this issue. One of them is to replace it with a mobile camera. If you were having questions about "Will it supports both Android and iOS?" then let me clear out that yes, you can use an iPhone camera as a webcam and an Android phone as a webcam. Don't miss this article if you want to turn your iPhone into a webcam.

Part 1: What You Should Know About Webcam

1. What's the difference between a webcam and a phone camera?

There are not many differences between a webcam and a phone camera. Let me clarify that the purpose of a phone camera is to click pictures and videos sometimes. At the same time, webcams are the opposite, as they are used for shooting videos or attending video conferences rather than clicking photos. A mobile camera is usually internal and inbuilt inside the phone, while webcams can be internal and external.

2. When you need a webcam

Webcams are generally used for attending video calls or online classes. Therefore, if you want to attend an important video call with a good quality camera, you can opt for using your phone camera as a webcam.

Part 2: How to Use iPhone Camera as A Webcam

1. How to use the iPhone as a webcam for Windows

You can use your iPhone's camera as a webcam for your Windows laptop/computer, but one of the best ways is using the EpocCam application on your iPhone.

To use iPhone as a webcam on Windows, you need to keep the switch on your phone and your Windows pc. The steps to use iPhone as a webcam Window 10 are mentioned below-

Step 1- Firstly, you need to open the app store and search the "EpocCamWiFi Virtual Webcam" app.

Step 2- Download and install it on your iPhone. Launch it afterward.

Step 3- Open your laptop/computer, visit your preferred browser and open the website of Kinoni.

Step 4- Toggle to the EpocCam iOS /Android section.

Step 5- Once you have clicked on the EpocCam iOS /Android, many server links will open. During that time, you need to download the link for “Download drivers for Windows 7 and later."

Step 6- After you have clicked on the "Download" option, you will get a file named EpocCamInstaller [version number].exe. You need to download this file on your Windows computer.

Step 7- Once you have downloaded the file, double-tap on it.

Step 8- A pop-up will appear named installation wizard. You have to press the button "Next" a few times.

Step 9- During the installation, the wizard will ask permission to download the Kinomi driver and allow it.

Step 10- Once all the drivers have been installed, you need to restart your computer to ensure it works on your computer.

Step 11- Open the EpocCam on your iPhone.

Step 12- The application will ask permission to use your phone's camera. Without it, the application won't be able to convert the camera of your iPhone into a webcam.

Step 13- Once you have permission, the application will search for a Windows computer near you. Please make sure to connect the iPhone and PC to the same Wi-Fi.

Step 14- Once the search is done, this application will start to stream videos in it.

2. How to use the iPhone as a webcam for Mac

The steps for converting your iPhone camera into an iPhone webcam for your Mac are mentioned below.

Step 1- Download and install "EpocCamWiFi Virtual Webcam," as we mentioned above.

Step 2- To download the drivers on MacOs, visit the EpocCam’s website through your preferred browser.

Step 3- The next thing you need to do is connect your iPhone and MacOS through the same Wi-Fi.

Step 5- You can launch any video conferencing app on your iPhone, and you will notice the camera being used as the webcam in your Mac.

Step 6- If you face any issues with using iPhone as a camera for Mac, then you should check if you are using the browser for the video conference or the dedicated application.

Step 7- If you are using the browser, you need to permit it to use your camera.

With these steps, you can use the iPhone camera on a Mac.

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Part 3: How to Use Android Phone as A Webcam

1. How to use an Android phone as a webcam for Windows

Good quality webcams are not cheap, so people try to incorporate the camera of their Android phone as the webcam of their Windows computer/laptop. The steps for converting your Android phone into a webcam for your Windows computer are mentioned below.

Step 1- You must download the Play Store's DroidCam application.

Step 2- Then, download this application for your Windows computer.

Step 3- While installing the client of this application, you will be requested to grant permission to download the audio drivers.

Step 4- After all the steps are done, start the Windows application.

Step 5- When you open the application on your mobile, you should note that both the applications (on your phone and the computer) must be connected through the WIFI.

Step 6- You will get the IP address of your device on the mobile application, which you need to copy and paste into the Windows application.

Step 7- Before starting the video conferencing, you must ensure that the video and the audio boxes are checked.

Step 8- You will be given the option of using your back camera or the front camera. Choose one as you want.

2. How to use an Android phone as a webcam for Mac

There are many ways through which you can use the camera of your Android phone as the webcam of your Mac, but you might have to follow some steps.

You will need a USB cable in the process, so it's better to prepare it beforehand.

Step 1- Download the Iriun application from the Google Play store.

Step 2- Then, install the Iriun application on your Mac.

Step 3- You need to turn on the developer options on your mobile phone.

Step 4- For turning on the developer options, go to the settings, then toggle to "about phone", and click/tap on the build a minimum of 7 times.

Step 5- Go to the Developer options, turn the debugging options off, and turn on the USB connection. Step 6- Open the Irium application on your Mac.

Step 7- You need to connect your phone's camera with your Mac through a USB cable.

Step 8- Open the Iriun application https://iriun.com/ on your mobile phone and use the USB to connect it with the Mac to get the best video quality.

Step 9- Now, you are ready to open any video conferencing application and use your Android phone's camera as your Mac's webcam.

Conclusion

Not everyone can afford an external webcam, as an average external webcam comes at a very high price. One could be using your phone's camera as an alternative to the internal webcam of your Windows computer/laptop or Mac. This can be time-consuming but surely save you a few bucks as you can use an old iPhone as a webcam. Even though Apple products are less compatible with other devices, in this case, you can surely connect the iPhone camera to Mac.