All laptops at this time characteristic a built-in webcam. Nonetheless, not all supply good image high quality. Fortunately, if in case you have a Pixel cellphone operating Android 14, you may flip it right into a webcam on your laptop computer. Actually, not simply your laptop computer, you can too use your Pixel cellphone as a webcam on your desktop when its exterior webcam goes kaput.
Hold studying to learn to use a Pixel cellphone as a webcam on Home windows and macOS.
What Do You Must Use Your Pixel Telephone as a Webcam?
You simply want three issues to show your Pixel cellphone right into a webcam on your Mac or Home windows PC:
- A Pixel cellphone appropriate with Android 14 (i.e., Pixel 4a (5G) or later fashions)
- Android 14 (December 2023 characteristic drop) put in in your Pixel cellphone
- A USB-C cable able to carrying information (I had an uninterrupted expertise solely with the unique cable that got here with my Pixel cellphone)
The way to Use a Pixel Telephone as a Webcam on a Mac or Home windows PC
With the fundamentals out of the best way, utilizing your Pixel cellphone as a webcam on your Mac or Home windows PC is easy, and the steps you should observe are principally the identical, regardless of the working system. Right here’s what the method appears like.
Step 1. Allow Webcam Mode on Your Pixel Telephone
First, you should allow the Webcam mode in your Pixel cellphone:
- Join your Pixel cellphone to your Mac or Home windows PC utilizing a USB-C cable.
- As soon as related, swipe down from the highest of the display screen in your Pixel cellphone to entry the notification panel and faucet the Charging This System By way of USB notification. Faucet it once more to entry USB Preferences.
- Lastly, choose Webcam beneath the Use USB For part and authenticate your self utilizing your biometrics or PIN.
After you do that, confirm in case your Pixel cellphone has entered Webcam mode. To do that, deliver down the notification panel in your cellphone, and also you’ll see a notification for Webcam Service, indicating that the Pixel cellphone is functioning as a webcam for the related gadget. You possibly can faucet this notification to preview and configure the webcam output.
Step 2. Set Up the Webcam Output on Your Pixel Telephone
Along with your Pixel cellphone in Webcam mode, it’s essential to preview the output and examine (and configure) its settings earlier than hopping onto a video name to make sure you get the perfect outcomes. To do that, faucet the Webcam Service notification in your gadget, and it’ll deliver up the preview display screen, the place you may see what (and the way) your cellphone outputs.
From this display screen, you can too configure the webcam output. This contains switching between rear and entrance cameras, selecting outputs from totally different lenses (relying in your cellphone’s mannequin), and switching output high quality.
By default, your Pixel cellphone will present you the feed from its entrance digital camera. Nonetheless, if you would like higher high quality, switching to the rear digital camera is a good suggestion. To do that, faucet the digital camera icon with arrows, and also you’ll see the feed from the rear digital camera. When utilizing the rear digital camera, you can too change between lenses. Simply faucet the 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 buttons on the display screen. You can too modify the zoom by hitting the quantity keys in your cellphone.
Lastly, you can too change the output high quality for the webcam feed to prime quality.
By default, your Pixel cellphone will output feed in commonplace high quality to preserve battery, however if you would like the perfect expertise, it’s essential to activate high-quality mode. To do that, faucet the crossed-out HQ icon within the top-left nook (with the cellphone held in portrait orientation), and when this brings up the Excessive High quality Mode immediate, examine off the Don’t Present Once more checkbox and faucet Acknowledge.
Step 3. Set the Webcam in Apps to Use Your Pixel Telephone’s Feed
With the Webcam mode arrange in your Pixel cellphone, utilizing its feed is straightforward. I’ll show how to do that in Zoom, however the course of must be comparable on different apps, too; you simply want to vary the supply for the feed within the app’s settings.
- Open Zoom in your Mac or Home windows PC and log in to your account.
- Click on the profile icon within the top-right nook of the display screen and choose Settings.
- Select Video from the left sidebar.
- Click on the drop-down button beneath Digital camera and choose Android Webcam.
It’s best to now see the feed out of your Pixel cellphone. Regulate the digital camera and lens settings to make sure you’re well-framed within the feed. As well as, in the event you’re utilizing the feed from the rear digital camera, make sure you place the gadget and set the body correctly beforehand for the perfect video conferencing expertise.
Issues to Know About Utilizing a Pixel Telephone as a Webcam
Try to be conscious of some issues about utilizing a Pixel cellphone as a webcam:
- You should utilize your Pixel as a webcam on units that assist the USB video class or UVC. This contains nearly all laptops in addition to many TVs and tablets.
- The laptop computer or PC you join your Pixel cellphone to will proceed charging it whereas it’s getting used as a webcam.
- You possibly can proceed utilizing your Pixel cellphone usually when it’s within the Webcam mode. This contains every little thing from utilizing apps to turning off / locking the display screen.
- At any time when there’s an incoming video name in your Pixel cellphone, otherwise you’re making an attempt to make use of an app that requires the digital camera, it’ll cease the webcam stream out of your cellphone in your related laptop. You’ll see a message that reads “Digital camera Entry Blocked,” informing the identical. The feed resumes after you grasp up or finish the decision in your gadget.
A Excessive-High quality Webcam in Your Pocket
The Webcam mode is an extremely helpful characteristic in Android 14 that permits you to flip the Pixel cellphone in your pocket right into a high-quality webcam on your Mac or Home windows PC if you want it. Not solely is it ultimate for conditions if you don’t have webcam with you, but it surely’s additionally an effective way to raise the standard of your video calls or different video interactions in your laptop.
