Android 14 update to let you use your smartphone as webcam for PC! Check this out

Laptop webcams are not the best cameras for video calling by all means but the limited space above the display forces manufacturers to rely on sub-par camera sensors. Apple figured a solution last year by allowing MacBook users to use their iPhones as a webcam, if they have a mount for the same. As is the norm, Google is also considering a similar feature with Android 14 that is expected to launch later this year.

Based on codes obtained by Mishaal Rahman, it is said that Android could soon allow the device to be used as a webcam when connected to a PC. The feature will be built-in to the system but it depends on whether Google makes an app to take advantage of this feature, or allows phone manufacturers to build one of their own.

Android 14 to make smartphones turn into webcams

Rahman says that the feature will work as a USB video device class, or UVC. This standard is used by all USB-A powered webcam components and hence, will be easier for manufacturers to implement. Android 14 phones will need to be connected to the PC via a USB cable and the option to connect as a video webcam should pop-up alongside the option to connect as a media device.

Apple had implemented a similar feature with iOS 16, called Continuity Camera. Mac users can simply pair their phones to the Mac and use its cameras for better video call quality. Apple even allows the ultra-wide camera to be used in a top-down mode, which is a handy feature. What remains to be seen is how Android implements the feature, considering there are a plethora of model and variants.

Note that Android phones can be connected to a webcam via their USB ports. This feature has been present since Android 4.3 JellyBean.

Google also implemented another feature inspired by iPhones. The setup process on Android devices now throws a pop-up message, asking whether the user wants to setup their device using an existing phone. We recently tried the feature on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra while transferring data from another Android device.