Make a webcam from your phone via USB. How to connect a camera from a phone to a computer
The camera built into a smartphone or tablet can be used not only for shooting masterpieces and sending them to Instagram. And not even just for video calls. Here are some non-trivial ways to use the miniature camera that is always with us.
1. Surveillance system
If you have an extra phone or tablet under Android control(version 1.2 and higher), then you can turn them into home system video surveillance using the IP Webcam application. By setting up the program at home, you can watch the “live” broadcast via the Internet on your computer or another phone. To save battery, you can choose to broadcast a low-resolution stream. If the device is connected to the mains, you can configure the transmission of higher quality video.
6. Digitize your papers
A tablet or smartphone is a pocket scanner that is always with you. Install the CamScanner HD application, which exists in versions for Android, iOS and Windows Phone 8 – and turn your portable gadget into a full-fledged scanner with the ability to combine and annotate documents, save to a file and text recognition (unfortunately, the Russian language is not supported). For an additional fee, it is possible to save all documents into editable PDFs and store them in a 10-gigabyte cloud.
The Handy Scanner app for Android devices allows you to scan documents or photos and save them to PDF files, which can be sent by e-mail or automatically send to cloud storage Dropbox.
7. Scan film negatives
An ordinary smartphone can act as an improvised slide scanner, allowing you to scan film negatives - of course, with imperfect quality, but quite sufficient, for example, for posting on the Internet.
To do this, you need to install the HELMUT program for devices running Android and find a light source sufficient for a photo “in the light”: it can be either a window on a clear sunny day, or White screen computer with brightness turned up to maximum. The resulting photo can be edited directly on your smartphone using the application or sent to your computer.
8. Google Photo Search
In "desktop" Google search engine There has been such a function as photo search for a long time. Free app Google Goggles brings it to mobile devices.
The Google Goggles program is designed primarily to search for various products, pictures, attractions; it is also capable of recognizing barcodes and QR codes, recognizing texts and translating them into different languages.
What's most impressive about Google Goggles is its recognition capabilities. known species and panoramas, book and CD covers, and even solving Sudoku puzzles! If you come across an incomprehensible phrase on foreign language, point your smartphone lens at it and Google Goggles will translate it for you. The application has all the information power of Google at its disposal.
Quite often in technical support we are asked, is it possible to use a smartphone camera (iPhone or Android) as a web camera? Yes, it is possible, and very simple. You don't even need to connect your smartphone to your computer with a cable. Below we will give step-by-step instructions.
So, here's what you'll need:
- - Smartphone (iPhone/iPad or Android system) with a built-in camera and an active connection to the network via wifi
- - AlterCam program for connecting to a smartphone camera
Smartphone camera as a webcam - how does it work?
The AlterCam program will install a virtual web camera into your system, into which you can broadcast anything - be it video from real webcam(with real-time effects added!), desktop video, or even a pre-recorded video file. In our case, the video source for virtual web The camera will be a smartphone camera. The AlterCam program will connect to the smartphone camera via IP protocol and will take video from it in real time and broadcast it in a virtual webcam. It may sound complicated, but it’s very easy to set up - here it is step-by-step instruction:
The first thing you need to do, of course, is install it on your computer. It's easy and only requires a few mouse clicks. The program will launch automatically after installation.
Now we need to install the IP camera application on the smartphone. For Android smartphones, install this application (it's free). For iPhone/iPad/iPod touch, install the iPCamera - High-End Network Camera application. Not free, but inexpensive, $1 (we couldn’t find a free worker).
For Android: Launch the IP Webcam application on your smartphone. There will be a list of settings, usually by default everything is configured optimally, so scroll to the very bottom and select the item "Run"
For iPhone/iPad: Launch the iPCamera application. When you launch it for the first time, you will need to allow the application to access the camera. Twist the settings using the Configure button - at will (well, at your own peril and risk), by default everything works well.
Launch the AlterCam program on the computer. In the "Camera" drop-down list, select "Add IP camera". Further closer attention is a responsible step.
We connect to the smartphone camera using the AlterCam program. In the dialog for adding an IP camera, enter “IP camera name” - an arbitrary string. The resolution of the IP camera depends on the camera settings in the application on the smartphone. If you do not know the exact value, do not change this setting.
Now the main thing is that the address is indicated at the bottom of the application on the smartphone, exactly transfer it to the “IP camera address” parameter in AlterCam and (ATTENTION!) add it to it "/live" in case of iOS device and "/video" in the case of an Android device as shown in the figure:
Click OK. If everything was done correctly, then an image from the smartphone camera should appear in the AlterCam program. If the picture does not appear, check that the previous steps were completed correctly.
Now you need to choose virtual camera AlterCam is where you are going to use your smartphone camera - in Skype (in settings), in other chats. As you can see, with AlterCam, using your smartphone camera as a webcam is as easy as shelling pears!
By the way, you can add a picture from your smartphone camera as an additional image to the main video. That is, you can select your webcam on your computer as the main video source, and your smartphone camera as an overlay (a smaller picture on top of the main one). Or you can stream desktop video with video from your smartphone camera overlayed on top. In general, AlterCam will fulfill any of your fantasies :) In order to add video from a smartphone camera on top of the main video, you need to click on the “Add IP camera” button on the “Overlays” tab.
I hope you found the article useful. See you again!
Ever since the operating room Symbian systems smartphones can be used as a webcam. Naturally on operating system Android also has this option. In this material you will learn how to use Android smartphone like a webcam by connecting it to USB or .
Step No. 1. Install the application on your Android smartphone.
In order to use an Android smartphone as a webcam via USB, you need to install special application. Now there are many applications that implement this feature. In this article we will use DroidCam Wireless Webcam because this application is free and very simple.
Step No. 2. Install the client program on the computer.
Step No. 3. Enable USB debugging on your smartphone.
If you want the image to be transferred from your smartphone to your computer via USB, then you need to enable the USB Debugging function. This can be done in the smartphone settings in the “Developer Options” section. You can read about this in more detail.
If you plan to transfer the image not via USB, but via WiFi, then you can skip this step.
Step No. 4. Launch the DroidCam Wireless Webcam application on your smartphone.
After enabling USB debugging, you can launch the DroidCam Wireless Webcam application. At this point, all you need to do is launch the application. No further action is required.
Step No. 5. Connect the smartphone with via USB cable and launch the client program on the computer.
Next, connect the smartphone using a USB cable and launch the client on the computer. After this, a window similar to the one in the screenshot below should open on your computer. Here you need to select the USB operating mode (second button in the top row), turn on video and sound (video and audio checkboxes) and click on the “Start” button.
After this, an image from the smartphone camera will appear in the program window.
This completes the setup. Now you can use your Android as a webcam via USB. To make sure everything is working, you can open Skype settings.
If you want to connect your smartphone to your computer not via USB, but via Wifi, then when starting the client program you need to select the mode WiFi work and indicate the IP address of the smartphone (can be found in the DroidCam Wireless Webcam application on the smartphone).
It should also be noted that there is a paid PRO version this application. IN paid version applications, you can control the image (change brightness, contrast, etc.) and use 720p video resolution.
Modern Android smartphones are equipped with very quality cameras, often superior in quality to budget webcams. So the Android phone camera can be used as a webcam for a PC or as a video surveillance camera! You can use it for video chatting or any other needs: the smartphone will be detected by the computer as a real webcam.
How to use a smartphone as a webcam over Wi-Fi or the Internet using IP Webcam
For all operations we need the IP Webcam application, this free program allows you to create online broadcasts directly from your Android device. But there is a limitation, view online broadcast Only members of the same network will be able to. In other words, your computer and phone must be connected to the same router via wi-fi, but you can also access the broadcast simply via the Internet; for this you will need the Ivideon program.
How to use a smartphone as a webcam for a computer via a USB cable
Sometimes it happens that there is no way to connect a smartphone and a PC via the Internet, so all that remains is the good old USB cable. To connect your smartphone as a webcam using USB, you will have to use the DroidCamX application. What’s noteworthy is that you can connect via Wi-Fi, and the application is more convenient than the previous one.
Troubleshooting and correct settings
- There is a lot of delay or the video lags a lot
You need to reduce the video stream resolution in the application settings, or change the FPS.
- Video Bad quality or too dark/overexposed
Look in the settings of the IP Webcam program - "White balance", and in DroidCamX - everything is done in the PC client of the program.
If you are the owner android phone or tablet, you can turn it into a real USB webcam. For this you will need standard USB cable and special software.
Using DroidCam Wireless Webcam
On the Internet you can find a huge variety of programs to turn your mobile device into a webcam. One of the extremely popular and easy to use is DroidCam Wireless Webcam. This is a system of two programs: one of them is installed on your Android phone, and the second is intended for a personal computer.
To do this, you need to strictly follow the following instructions:
- To get started, you should download the application from Play Store. Enter its name in the search bar. As store statistics show, more than one million people have already downloaded it. It is also worth noting that this is completely free software.
- Next you should install the program on your laptop or Personal Computer. You can find it on the Internet. There is an installer for Windows and Linux OS. If you have an OS from Microsoft, select the installer for Windows.
- The software for both sides is installed. We will prepare your device for connection. Here you should enable USB debugging mode, so go to the Settings menu and find the About phone option. It will contain the line “Version information”. Go to this submenu. Click the Build Number field several times until a message appears indicating that you are already a developer. In the settings, find the new “For Developers” menu, and then be sure to enable USB debugging.
- Launch the application on your phone. The IP address for wireless connection. If you are connecting via USB, you will not need this information, but any additional actions no need to carry it out.
- The next step involves also enabling the client program on the computer. The application has intuitive interface, while allowing you to create connections not only via cable, but also via Wi-Fi and even Bluetooth. But you won't need it yet. Select the second sign icon USB port. Check the boxes next to “Video” and “Audio”. This will allow the other person to hear and see you during the conversation. You can specify the video quality. At the end of all settings, click the “Start” button.
The interface also allows you to enlarge or reduce the image, adjust the brightness, and even take a screenshot during a conversation. - Try pointing your smartphone camera at yourself to make sure you get the picture.
The setup is complete. The Android phone is now used as a camera directly via USB, but how to activate it in Skype? The answer is simple. To do this you will need to follow a few simple steps:
- Login to your Skype account on the computer.
- Go to main settings. In them, select the “Video Settings” submenu.
- In the source selection drop-down list, select “DroidCam Source 1”.
Now the image in the Skype video chat will be broadcast from your mobile gadget.
To keep the cable out of the way, try simply establishing a Wi-Fi connection. To do this, select the first icon with a characteristic icon wireless communication. Next, enter the IP address of your mobile device. You can find it out on the same name mobile application, which you previously installed on your smartphone. Once the data is entered, click the "Start" button.