PC webcam not working? Here's how you turn your phone into a high-quality webcam
It is as simple as scanning a QR code
It was during the Covid lockdowns in 2020 that I realised my laptop's webcam had stopped working when I had to attend an online presentation from home.
Even when it worked, the quality was very bad. It had all sorts of grains and needed a very well-lit environment. Something I try to avoid at home as it gives me eye strain.
At that point, I immediately took it to Google and found DroidCam, an app you can use to turn your Android phone into a webcam.
While it saved me that day, I figured the procedures were a bit complex with the necessity of writing several server names.
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Then came Camo Studio, a software that lets you do the exact same thing in a much simpler and easier way.
The apps that turn your phone into a webcam need to be installed on both your PC and phone.
In the case of Camo Studio, you need to download and install this on your PC. If you are an Android user, click here to download its mobile app for Android. If you are an iPhone user, click here.
[Since the article has multiple links that need to be downloaded across different devices, here's a handy trick for Chrome users. On mobile, just tap the share icon on the address bar, and it will show you the option "Send to your other devices". On PC, right-click anywhere on the page, and the option will be shown. Or you can just share it on your Facebook and get it from your other device.]
Webcams on Macbooks are usually better, and the latest version of MacOS already has options for users to use their iPhone cameras as a webcam.
You can still click here for the Mac version of the app in case you don't have the latest MacOS or want to use an Android phone as your Mac webcam.
Once you download and install the necessary apps on both your phone and PC, just open the app on your PC, click on "Pair a device" and it will show you a QR code you can scan with the Camo app on your phone.
It's as simple as scanning the code on the PC Camo app with the Camo on your phone. Just make sure both of the devices are connected to the same WiFi (or internet network).
What's fun about Camo is that you can customise your preferences. Starting from the video quality, you can increase/decrease brightness, contrast, highlights, saturation and much more.
The free version of the app allows video up to 720p at 60fps while the paid version supports video up to 4K, if your phone supports it. You can also navigate through different camera lenses of your phone.
Make sure you keep this saved for your future needs, and best of luck with all your future presentations and interviews.
