Let's face it: laptop webcams stink Fortunately, there is an alternative: if you want to look better on Zoom calls, but don't want to buy new equipment If you're not, you can use your cell phone as a webcam

You can repurpose the same smartphone you use to take pictures of your pets or kids to look better when chatting with clients or business partners iPhone or Android smartphone, Mac or PC, here are some ways to use your phone as a webcam Here are a few ways to use it as a webcam

For starters, you can download the best video chat apps directly to your smartphone; Zoom, Skype, Google Duo, and Discord all have free mobile apps for both Android and iOS devices

However, if you want to use your smartphone as a webcam for your computer, you will need to take a slightly different approach In this case, you download an app on your smartphone, which broadcasts a signal to an app on your computer via Wi-Fi This desktop app tells your preferred video conferencing service (Skype, Zoom, etc) that your phone is a webcam

For more information on using your phone as a webcam, click here Here are some of our favorite apps for converting your smartphone into a video conference camera

Unlike most other webcam software with free trials, iCam's app has a $5 initial fee but offers all the features, including full-resolution video and use of both smartphone cameras iCam's mobile app is available for Android and iOS devices and can be streamed via Wi-Fi or connected directly to a computer via USB

After downloading the iCam app to a smartphone or tablet, the appropriate software needs to be installed on a Mac or PC; Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Skype all recognized my iPhone camera as the source

After downloading and installing the EpocCam Webcam app on my smartphone, I need to download the EpocCam iPhone Webcam Viewer from thewwwkinonicomにアクセスするよう指示されます。その後、MacまたはPCのApp Store to install the appropriate drivers on my Mac or PC, and then install the Both computers must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network; if you are using an iPhone, you can also connect your phone to the computer via USB (15]

Once the drivers are installed, your phone's app will change and an icon of your phone will appear When you launch the app on your notebook, the image from your phone's camera will appear on your computer

Initially, you can only use the rear camera of your iPhone, but if you leave an app rating, you can also use the front cameraThe free version of EpocCam limits the camera resolution to 640 x 480, and the app launches with ads Upgrading to the paid version ($799) allows users to stream at up to 1080p resolution, use pinch-to-zoom, use the iPhone's flash as a light source, and get HDR video

iVCam is free, but is limited to a maximum resolution of 640 x 480 The full version, which removes the company's watermark and ads and enables all features of the app, costs $799 Users of the Google Play store also complain that they must leave a five-star review if they want to try all the app's features

IVCam's mobile app is available for both Android and iPhone, but the desktop software runs only on PCs, making it not an option for Mac users

NDI requires downloading the app to the iPhone and the app and drivers to the laptop The NDI HX app then sends the feed from the smartphone to the NDA app on the PC the NDI HX app sends the feed from the smartphone to the NDA app on the PC the NDI virtual input program allows you to use your iPhone as a camera by using your NDI's virtual input program allows you to instruct your favorite chat app to use your iPhone as a camera

NDI's mobile app has great on-screen tools, including zoom, exposure adjustment, and the ability to use your phone's flash as a light sourceNDI recently made the NDI HX app free - it was $20 - but desktop software for the chat app, available only on PCs

Like its competitors, DroidCam has free and paid versions The paid version, DroidCamX Pro, costs $5 and eliminates in-app ads, increases resolution to 720p, and offers more camera controls, including flipping, mirroring, video rotation, brightness and contrast adjustment, and turning on the smartphone's LED flash for more light

DroidCam, made by Dev47apps, has apps for both Android and iPhone, but the desktop client only works on Windows and Linux systems If you have a Windows machine, it runs 64-bit Windows 10 is required, but if you are using Windows 7 or 8, both 32-bit and 64-bit versions are supported

Smartphones can be connected via Wi-Fi or USB If using an Android phone, DroidCam can be run in the background and used as an IP webcam

There are a few things to keep in mind when using your phone as a webcam:

1 It is recommended that the phone be connected to a power source This is because streaming video from the phone will quickly drain the battery

2 We also recommend choosing one of the best iPhone tripods so you don't have to prop your phone up on a book or other unstable object If you have an Android, don't worry

If you don't want to use your phone, there are other options:

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