Android smartphones can now be used as webcams for Windows and macOS
Miscellaneous / / September 25, 2023
The user can use both the main photo module and the front one, switching between them.
Android 14 QPR1 Beta allows use smartphones as a webcam for PC. However, so far this feature has appeared only on some Pixel phones.
Unlike a similar feature in iOS, the solution for Android relies on a wired connection: the smartphone must be connected to the computer via USB. But thanks to this, it can be used as a webcam with both Windows and macOS or ChromeOS.
The new feature can be seen when connecting a smartphone to a PC. In the notification panel, you need to click on the “Charge this device via USB” item, and then select the “Web camera” line in the context menu. After this, the system transfers the user to a new application that allows you to view and configure the video stream sent to the computer. For example, you can select 1x or 2x digital zoom and switch between the front and rear cameras.
After setting up the webcam, you can lock your phone so as not to waste its power - Android will continue to stream video via USB.
For now this function only works on Pixel 7 Pro And Pixel 6 Pro. It is expected that with the release of the stable version of Android 14, it will be available on all smartphones that support the latest OS.
Features of Android 14🧐
- Android 14 will allow you to find even a switched off smartphone
- Android 14 will start displaying battery status
- Android 14 will alert you when apps share your location