You’ve likely found yourself in countless video calls over the past few years—whether they’re for work, catching up with friends and family, or streaming your latest gaming session. And like most people using their laptop’s built-in camera, you’ve probably been less than thrilled by the image quality.
I used my DSLR as a webcam for a significant quality boost, but it was clunky and required mounting the camera and running several cables. It was also not very portable. However, these problems instantly disappear the moment you realize the best webcam for your PC is already in your pocket.
Phone cameras beat traditional webcams
Your phone’s sensor and software easily outclass most PC webcams
Your phone was designed with photography in mind. Even mid-range smartphones today include good camera sensors, advanced image processing, and software enhancement features that massively improve image quality over regular USB webcams. As long as your phone is relatively recent, its cameras will likely outperform an external or integrated webcam more often than not. Take this comparison between a 720p photo taken using my Pixel 9a as a webcam and my laptop’s built-in 1080p webcam, for example.
Unless you’ve got a MacBook, chances are the integrated webcam on your laptop isn’t very high quality, regardless of its resolution. It’s one of the main reasons why you’d use an external webcam. If you want that professional look in your video calls, increasing the video quality has a massive effect.
If you know what to look for in an external webcam, you can find one that fixes these problems. However, a good webcam costs anywhere from $50 to $200 and still won’t match the capabilities of your smartphone. You can use a DSLR as a webcam if you have one lying around, but using this setup anywhere other than your desk at home is inconvenient to say the least.
Phone Link can turn your smartphone into a webcam
Microsoft’s free feature makes setup effortless and wireless
There are several ways you can use your Android or iOS smartphone as a webcam on Windows. However, Microsoft’s Phone Link app is the easiest and most hassle-free way of doing so. As long as you have the latest version of Windows 11 and the latest version of the Link to Windows app on both your PC and smartphone, you’re good to go.
You need to set up the Phone Link app on your Windows 11 PC and connect the smartphone you want to use as a webcam. Once done, follow these steps to let Windows access your smartphone’s camera:
- Press Windows Key + I to access the Windows Settings app.
- Head over to the Bluetooth & Devices section and click Mobile devices.
- Click the Manage devices button.
- A new window will pop up. Make sure that your connected phone is enabled and turn on the Use as a connected camera slider.
And that’s it. You can now access your phone’s camera in any local or online app. Note that every time you try to access your phone’s camera from Windows, you’ll get a notification asking you to confirm access. You’ll also see a tiny window on your computer that lets you pause video, switch between the front and rear cameras, and apply effects like background blur, auto-framing, HDR, and more.
Note that Phone Link requires your phone and computer to be on the same Wi-Fi network to function. In my testing, as long as you’ve got a good Wi-Fi signal, the camera performance tends to be excellent with no lag, connection, or quality drops. I’ve tested this method on both public and private Wi-Fi networks, and the results are quite reliable.
There are, however, some limitations you need to be aware of. Using Android phones as a webcam on Windows 11 works better than iOS phones for reasons I can’t quite decipher. The output resolution can also vary depending on the Wi-Fi network and your PC’s capabilities, so don’t expect crisp 4K video.
Another major consideration is battery life. Using your phone’s camera continuously will drain the battery much faster, especially during longer sessions. If you’re streaming or attending a particularly long call, it might not be a bad idea to keep your phone plugged in. Some mid-range and most budget phones also tend to overheat when being used as webcams, so make sure you don’t run your phone too hot.
And if you don’t want to use Phone Link, there are alternatives as well. Pixel phones can be directly used as webcams when connected via a USB cable to Windows 11 machines, so if you’re not keen on using a third-party app, this approach should work well. Depending on your manufacturer, this method may or may not work on non-Pixel devices.
Other apps like DroidCam, iVcam, and Camo also let you wirelessly use your phone as a webcam. They can also offer more features and often better image quality since these apps typically support higher resolutions than Phone Link. However, Phone Link is an all-in-one app for linking your phone and Windows PC, so you’re getting a lot more value over a single connection.
Have great quality video calls anywhere
All you need is your phone and a stable connection
Using your phone as a webcam makes a surprising amount of sense once you realize how easy it is to do so. If you’re already invested in the Windows ecosystem and have a decent phone, the image quality improvement alone is worth the initial setup effort, which isn’t a lot in the first place. Since the connection is wireless, you also get the freedom of placing the camera freely for the best possible framing.
If you’re a professional streamer or content creator, investing in a dedicated high-end webcam or mirrorless camera might still be worth the investment. However, for most people who just want to look better on video calls, your phone is probably the best webcam you can get. And with Phone Link making it easier than ever to set up, there’s really no reason not to give it a shot.