How to Use Your Phone as a Webcam (Free Options That Work)

Your phone almost certainly has a better camera than your laptop. Its back camera especially has a bigger sensor, a better lens and much smarter image processing than the pinhole webcam squeezed into your laptop lid. So if your webcam has died, or you’re just tired of looking grainy, using your phone as a webcam is a great free upgrade.

There are a few ways to do it, depending on what you have. Some are built right into your phone and computer now.

Option 1: just use the phone directly

Before setting anything up, ask yourself whether you actually need the phone’s camera to appear on your computer. Often you don’t.

If you want to take a photo, record a quick video, test how you look, or use a filter, you can open a browser camera on the phone itself. Our online camera works in Safari and Chrome on iPhone and Android: open the page, allow camera access, and you get the same filters, timer and recording you’d get on a computer. You can switch between front and back cameras, and on phones that support it, you get hardware zoom and flashlight control too.

Many video call apps also have phone versions. Joining a call from the phone app and propping the phone up is the simplest “phone as webcam” of all.

But if you need the phone to act as a camera for an app on your computer, read on.

Option 2: iPhone + Mac with Continuity Camera

If you have an iPhone and a Mac, Apple has built this in. The feature is called Continuity Camera.

What you need, roughly:

• A reasonably recent iPhone and a Mac on macOS Ventura or later, with the iPhone on iOS 16 or later.
• Both signed in to the same Apple ID, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on.
• Continuity Camera enabled on the iPhone (in Settings, under General, then AirPlay & Continuity, or similar depending on your iOS version).

Then mount the phone, ideally horizontally on top of your monitor or laptop, with the back cameras facing you, and leave it locked. In a Mac app such as FaceTime, Zoom, Photo Booth or your browser, the iPhone should appear in the list of cameras. Pick it, and you’re using your iPhone’s main camera as a webcam.

Continuity Camera also offers effects like Center Stage, which keeps you in frame as you move, and Desk View, which shows the desk in front of you on supported models. Exact features vary by iPhone model.

Option 3: Android + Windows

Windows 11 can use an Android phone as a webcam through its Phone Link and mobile device features. Microsoft has been rolling this out and refining it, so the exact steps depend on your Windows version, but the general idea is:

1. On your PC, open Settings, then Bluetooth & devices, then Mobile devices.
2. Turn on the option to allow the PC to access your Android phone, and follow the setup to link your phone.
3. Enable the option to use the phone as a connected camera.
4. In a video app, choose the phone from the camera list.

Your phone and PC typically need to be on the same network, and the phone needs a reasonably recent version of Android.

Option 4: Android’s built-in USB webcam mode

Recent versions of Android include a USB webcam mode on many devices, especially Google Pixel phones from Android 14 onwards. When it’s available:

1. Connect the phone to your computer with a USB cable.
2. On the phone, tap the USB notification and choose Webcam (sometimes listed under USB preferences).
3. On your computer, the phone appears as a standard webcam. No drivers needed on most systems.

This works with Windows, macOS, ChromeOS and Linux, because the phone presents itself as a normal USB camera. Not every phone maker has enabled it, so if you don’t see the option, your phone may not support it.

Option 5: third-party apps

If none of the built-in options work for your combination of devices, there are well-established apps that do this, typically with a phone app plus a small program on the computer that creates a virtual camera. Look for one with good recent reviews that supports your phone and computer, and be thoughtful about privacy: you’re installing software with access to your camera. Free versions often limit resolution or add watermarks.

Tips for getting a great picture

Use the back camera. It’s almost always much better than the front one. The downside is that you can’t see the screen, so check framing on the computer.

Mount it properly. A small phone tripod, a clip-on monitor mount, or even a stack of books plus a rubber band works. You want the camera at eye level and rock steady.

Landscape, not portrait. Video calls are wide. Mount the phone sideways.

Keep it charged. Streaming video uses a lot of battery and makes phones warm. Plug it in for anything longer than a quick call.

Turn on Do Not Disturb. A notification or incoming call can interrupt the video, or, worse, appear on screen.

Mind the light. A better sensor still needs light. Face a window or a lamp. Our lighting guide covers the essentials.

Checking that it works

Once your phone shows up as a camera on your computer, open the webcam test to check the picture, resolution and real frame rate. If you have several cameras connected (your laptop’s, the phone, maybe a virtual camera from OBS), make sure you pick the right one. The online camera lists every camera it can see and lets you switch between them with one click, which makes comparing them side by side easy.

Which option should you pick?

• iPhone + Mac: Continuity Camera. It’s built in and excellent.
• Pixel or recent Android + any computer: try USB webcam mode first.
• Android + Windows 11: Phone Link’s connected camera feature.
• Just want photos, videos or a mirror: open a browser camera on the phone itself.
• Nothing else works: a reputable third-party app.

Whichever you choose, you’ll probably wonder why you put up with the laptop webcam for so long.