Using a smartphone as a webcam – this is how it works

If you do not have a camera on your computer, you can also use your smartphone as a webcam. We will show you what you need and how it works.

Step 1: Install webcam apps on the smartphone

In order to use your smartphone as a webcam, you need one program each on your smartphone and your computer. In the following we will explain the setup procedure of the App IP Webcam. However, this is only available for Android. An iOS alternative can be found at the end of this article.

1. Download and install the free App IP Webcam on your smartphone.
2. Now install the “IP Camera Adapter” on your computer.

Step 2: Set up webcam app on your smartphone

Note that your smartphone and PC must be in the same network if you want to use the webcam function.

1. Open “IP Webcam” on your smartphone. Now you can configure in the “Video Settings” which camera of your smartphone is used and in which quality you want to be recorded.
2. Then go to the “Connection Settings” option and select “Login/Password”. Here you should set a username and password so that you can use the webcam safely.
3. Then scroll to the bottom and press the “Start Server” button. You will then be shown an IP address (for example: http://192.168.178.102:8080), which you should remember.

Step 3: Connect the smartphone to the PC as a webcam

1. Start the “IP Camera Adapter” program on your computer.
2. Under “Camera feed URL”, enter the address that you have noted down from your smartphone. Leave the entry “/videofeed” (for example http://192.168.1.47:8080/videofeed). Now enter your username and password. Then click on “OK”.
3. In the settings of your video chat program – for example Skype – you can now add your smartphone as a webcam. It is displayed as “MJPEG Camera”.

Alternative app for Android: DroidCam

An alternative to IP webcam is the free app DroidCam. The advantage of this application is that it can transmit not only video but also audio. To set up DroidCam, follow the steps below:

1. Install the app. Then download the PC client from the manufacturer’s site and install it on your computer.
2. Make sure your computer and smartphone are on the same Wi-Fi network. Then start the PC client and the cell phone app.
3. In the PC client window you will now see an input mask that prompts you to enter the “Device IP” and the “DroidCam Port”. The corresponding entries are displayed in the app.
4. In the PC client, you can also select whether you want to transmit video only or audio as well by checking the appropriate boxes.
5. Then start the transfer by pressing “Start”.
6. Once connected, you can select DroidCam as your webcam in the settings of Skype or other video chat programs.

Alternative app for iOS:

If you want to use your iOS smartphone as a webcam, the paid App WebCamera is your best option. Cost: 4.99 Euro.

1. Download the app to your smartphone and install the corresponding Mobiola WebCamera Client on your PC.
2. Open the app and select the desired transmission quality. Confirm the selection with “Done”.
3. To start the scan, press the red button.