How to Use Android Phone as Webcam on Windows 11

Not satisfied with the webcam on your Windows 11 computer or don't have a webcam at all? No need to worry because you can use your Android phone's front or rear camera as a webcam on your Windows 11 PC with the help of Microsoft's Phone Link app. Find out more in the following article!

What You Need to Use Your Android Phone as a Webcam on Windows 11

Before we begin, let's go through some prerequisites to use your Android phone as a webcam on Windows 11.

• Currently, only Windows 11 computers running the Release Preview , Dev , or Canary builds of the Windows Insider program are supported.
• The latest version of the Link to Windows app on both your phone and computer.
• Your phone must be running Android 9.0 or later. Not sure which version your phone is running? See how to tell which version of Android you have to find out.

How to configure Windows 11 to use Android camera as webcam

To get started, you'll need to set up the Phone Link app on your Windows 11 PC and connect it to the Android phone you want to use as a webcam. Once you've done that, follow these steps to let Windows 11 wirelessly use your Android phone's camera as a webcam:

1. Press Win + I to open the Settings app .
2. Go to Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices .
3. Click the Manage devices button .
4. Under My devices , turn on the switch next to Use as a connected camera .

How to Use Android Phone as Webcam on Windows 11

Once everything is set up, you can start using your Android phone as a webcam in any app on your Windows 11 PC. You can also check the camera output in Windows by opening the Settings app and navigating to Bluetooth & devices > Camera > Windows Virtual Camera .

You should now see your phone's camera feed on Windows. This will also open a small window on your computer that lets you switch between the front and rear cameras or pause the video. From the same window, you can apply various effects like background blur, auto-framing, soft focus, and HDR.

Similar camera controls will also appear on your Android, along with a notification that says "Your camera is connected," indicating that your camera is in use. It's worth noting that if you manually lock your Android phone or receive a phone call while using it as a webcam, the camera feed will automatically pause.

You can use your Android as a webcam in any video conferencing app, like Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Zoom, and more. Once you're done using your phone as a webcam, just close the camera control window and select Disconnect to confirm.

In our experience, the camera performance was excellent across a variety of apps, and there was no lag despite the wireless connection. Once you've set it up, using your Android device as a webcam is as simple as changing the default camera device in your video conferencing app, as long as both devices are connected via Phone Link.

How does this compare to Apple's Continuity Camera feature?

At first glance, Microsoft's new feature that lets you use your Android device as a webcam on Windows looks a lot like Apple's Continuity Camera feature. However, there are some notable differences.

For example, you can’t use your Android phone’s microphone for communications, unlike an iPhone on a Mac. The good news, however, is that you don’t have to lock your Android phone when using it as a webcam on Windows. This means you can continue using apps on your phone without interrupting the camera feed, which isn’t possible when using an iPhone as a webcam on a Mac.