Since the days of the Symbian operating system, smartphones can be used as webcams. Naturally in the operating room Android system there is also such a possibility. V this material you will learn how to use Android smartphone like a webcam by connecting it then USB or.
Step # 1. Installing the application on your Android smartphone.
In order to use an Android smartphone as a webcam via USB, you need to install special application... There are now many applications that make this possible. In this article, we will be using the DroidCam Wireless Webcam as this application is free and very simple.
Step # 2. Install the client program on the computer.
Step # 3. Turn on USB debugging on your smartphone.
If you want the image to be transferred from the smartphone to the 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 more 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 # 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 number 5. We connect the smartphone with via USB cable and run the client program on the computer.
Then we connect the smartphone using USB cable and launch the client on the computer. After that, a window like the one in the screenshot below should open on the computer. Here you need to select the mode of operation via USB (the second button in the top row), turn on video and sound (checkboxes video and audio) and click on the "Start" button.
After that, the 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. In order to make sure that everything works, you can open the Skype settings.
If you want to connect your smartphone to a computer not via USB, but via Wifi, then when you start the client program, you need to select the WiFi operating mode and specify the IP address of the smartphone (you can find it in the DroidCam Wireless Webcam application on the smartphone).
It should also be noted that there is a paid PRO version of this application. V paid version applications can control the image (change brightness, contrast, etc.) and use 720p video resolution.
If you have an Android phone, but no web camera, and you suddenly need it, then you can use your phone as a web camera. Below I will show how you can do web camera from the phone.
To do this, you need to download a program to your phone - IP Webcam.
After installation, launch this application, your phone should be connected to WiFi networks... At the bottom, click on the start broadcasting button.
On the screen you will see the connection address, for example, in my case - http://192.168.1.145:8080.
We go to this address in the browser.
A window will open where you can set some camera settings, control the recording, watch the video, etc. Go to the drivers menu for chats. There are 2 drivers available, for Linux and for Windows.
Let's start with Linux.
The driver is a script. It can work both via WiFi and via a wire. Moreover, the author strongly recommends using a wire. In order for the script to work when the phone is connected via USB, you need to install ADB on your computer. To do this, we type the command in the terminal:
Sudo apt-get isntall android-tools-adb
And download the script itself from the link.
Unzip it somewhere. After that, you need to edit it a little if you plan to use the camera over WiFi. We find the line with the device address (WIFI_IP =) and change it to the phone address. After that, we save the script and give the right to execute:
Sudo chmod + x prepare-videochat.sh
After that, run the script
./prepare-videochat.sh
On first launch, the script will ask for permission to install additional packages that it needs to work. We agree. After installation, you will have a simulated v4l2loopback camera (/ dev / video0), about which the script will notify you.
For Windows is still simpler. On the same page with drivers, select IP Camera Adapter. On the page that opens, there will be a link. I will duplicate it just in case.
In general, download the program and install it. After installation, launch the Configure IP Camera Adapter and enter the address of our camera in the window, and press the autodetect button to make sure that everything works.
That's it, after that you will have an MJPEG Camera device, which you can select in the program you need.
Almost any owner modern smartphone or a communicator with a built-in camera sooner or later wondered about using the device's camera to broadcast images to the Web. This approach is obvious and completely logical. A webcam in its purest form is still quite an exotic device. And not even for the price, but for those tasks that the user can come up with for it. Of course, with the exception of the most obvious one - video broadcasting when using programs for Internet telephony. All other utilitarian tasks in which a separate camera could be used have not yet become widespread and remain the lot of enthusiasts. At the same time, buying a separate device for transmitting video during communication with a smartphone (communicator) already equipped with a camera (and often two) is at least not entirely logical. In fact, to use a mobile device as a WEB-camera, the only thing lacking was a utility capable of transmitting a real-time image from a mobile phone camera to a client program on a PC. One of the first utilities designed for devices based on Windows Mobile, became the Cool Camera (WebCamera Plus) program by Ateksoft.
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The image received from the camera of the device is transferred to a PC (you can use a connection via Bluetooth, cable or Wi-Fi), from where this image can be used by one of the messenger programs. Feature new version sound support has become, that is, the communicator's microphone can be used for conversation, for example, via Skype. The program has a lot of settings that allow you to get an image of decent quality. The cost of the program is $ 19.9.
Until recently, the WebCamera Plus program had no competitors, but recently Warelex released the multifunctional Mobiola WEB Camera application. A feature of this program is support for a wide range of mobile devices, including RIM Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Symbian_v2 / v3 and UIQ_2 / 3. The utility for each type of device costs $ 19.95, which is almost identical to the cost of the program from Ateksoft.
The module installed on a PC is not universal, therefore the client part for the device comes with the corresponding utility for the PC. Demonstration restrictions also apply to PCs, the program is freely installed on the device and does not require activation.
For Windows Mobile, program features include video resolution change, the ability to save screenshots and record video. The camera image can be rotated in multiples of 90 degrees.
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The client part for Symbian devices allows you to change the video quality and the degree of its compression, as well as adjust the brightness of the image. There are rotation buttons on the PC program panel. Here you can also select the method of connecting the device and the PC (cable or Bluetooth). The program allows you to use any smartphone camera to capture video. That is, you can use both the main camera of the device and front camera... Audio streaming through the smartphone microphone is not supported, so you cannot directly use the phone for Skype conversations.
Practice of use
We launch the client part of the WEB-camera on the PC, then activate the application on the smartphone and connect to the PC through one of the available connection types (for example, via a cable). Then we launch Skype and select the WEB-camera in the video settings. We save the settings. Now, when answering any call, your interlocutor will see the image broadcast from the device's camera.
Use without additional devices mobile phone as a WEB-camera is not very convenient. As a rule, none of the devices is provided with a fixation stand. Even the devices that are supplied with desktop stands (of those that we managed to test, these are Nokia N91 and Sony ericsson p990i), it was not possible to use it directly. The Nokia N91 lacks a front camera, the Sony Ericsson P990i has a front camera, but the driver does not allow enabling it for video transmission. Therefore, the question of the advisability of purchasing one of the described programs remains. You will have to decide on your own which of the ways is most acceptable for you - to purchase a separate WEB-camera with an existing clamp, or to use the camera of a mobile device for video transmission and solve problems with the manufacture of the mount. The cost of the program, in any case, will be comparable to the cost of a separate WEB-camera, so the purchase of the program can be recommended only to those who are ready to spend time making a phone holder from improvised means.
As for the video quality, especially in communication programs, any of the described programs allows you to get a fairly clear picture, especially taking into account possible restrictions on traffic transmitted over the network. It is possible to use the camera of a mobile device in video surveillance systems only theoretically, since any stationary WEB-camera will cope with the task of image transmission, while having a number of advantages in price and ease of mounting. In my opinion, the use of a smartphone (communicator) as a device for video transmission is justified only if you do not use video communication very often and are ready to spend time making a holder for your phone. For devices based on Windows Mobile, the Ateksoft program is preferable, as it has built-in microphone support. For Symbian / UIQ devices, there is no alternative to Mobiola WEB Camera.
Articles and Life Hacks
To send an mms message, chat on Skype, or do video recording, you need a video camera, and if you have a PC, a web camera, so it is advisable to know how to make a webcam from a camera from a phone... Today, an ordinary web camera can be bought at various retail outlets that sell computer equipment. However, in order to save money, you can also use a camera from a cellular device as a camera. Cameras of expensive phone models take pictures of pretty good quality.
The sequence of converting a mobile phone video camera into a web camera
First, use a USB cable or Bluetooth to connect the device to a stationary computer and download the required software on the PC. For such a transformation on mobile device and a personal computer you need to install certain utilities. Then you should save the image after filming a video in a specific folder in the phone and remember the contents and name of this folder. After turning on the camera, you need to record the desired video and save the picture in a folder. In the list of files in the folder, you need to find the newly created file and copy the entry to the PC.
To control the video camera of the phone with personal computer you will need a special Mobile Web Camera application, which consists of two components:
- an application installed on a mobile device,
- a driver for a computer that provides compatibility with other programs for receiving video files.
The popular webcam can be used when communicating on individual social networks, to make video calls, and also as a camera.
Applications to help make a webcam from a mobile phone camcorder
If the telephone is seriously damaged (the speakers are broken or the screen is broken), but the video camera is functioning perfectly, then this is a good option. How to make a webcam from a phone camera if the Android OS is installed in the device? A number of applications have been developed for such a system, for example, DroidCam or Webcam for Android. Such a utility can function while using wi-fi or Bluetooth. The programs have gained popularity due to their high performance and the ability to use an auto-dimmer and a front camera. The user can easily find on the Internet step-by-step instructions offered by the developer on the use of a specific program.
The procedure is generally accessible and simple. Some utilities are paid, but they are of better quality and can work via USB. After the performed operations old phone can acquire a second life.
Sometimes there are situations when we need to follow someone or something. I'm not talking about spying or spying, you may just be asked to look after a small child, or you may need to track your cat's behavior in the kitchen. Obviously for everyone similar situations a camera is required. And in order not to spend money on it, you just need to install the free IP Webcam application on your Android, which will turn your smartphone into a wireless camera with a huge number of options for viewing the resulting video.
So what do we need? Consider the simplest option: a home WiFi net, a crazy cat in the kitchen, you are at work in your room. We just launch IP Webcam on android and take the address and port of our camera that appears on the screen. We install the smartphone camera in the desired position. Now we just enter this address in the browser, select the option “Use browser built-in viewer” and watch the behavior of our furry animal without looking up from the computer. The app is compatible with tinyCam Monitor, so you can watch videos from another android. Alternatively, you can watch videos through VLC Player and any other streaming software. All video viewing options are visible on the screen.
You can manually set the login and password for connecting to the camera to exclude undesirable persons from connecting to it. It is also possible to select a port for connection, change the video resolution and quality.
When using a WiFi network, the quality and transmission speed are very pleasing, the delays are minimal and allow you to observe even small details in real time. With the sound, everything is not so happy, since the delays sometimes exceed 5-7 seconds. In the case of using 3G, everything depends on the quality of the signal and the speed of your tariff.
Which application do you use? What are its advantages? Share your experience in the comments.
