How to use your Android phone as a webcam for streaming

Galaxy S20 Plus Back Top Half Source: Andrew Martonik / Windows Central

If you're into streaming, you don't have to fork out for a webcam if you've got an Android smartphone in your pocket. Even mid-range phones volition have a meliorate camera than most webcams, and we're going to show you how to use it instead. Really, what ameliorate time to go into streaming, and to experiment with different ways to do but that, than when you're stuck "working" at home?

Products used in this guide

Keen Android telephone: Samsung Galaxy S20 ($i,000 at Amazon)
Getting it mounted: Manfrotto Smartphone tripod mount ($11 at Amazon)
Cheap tripod: AmazonBasics mini tripod ($half-dozen at Amazon)
The vital app: #LiveDroid (Gratuitous)

This procedure doesn't crave whatever specific Android phone. OBS is the streaming software used, but the bones principle is the same for XSplit and Streamlabs OBS also.

How to utilise your Android phone as a webcam for streaming

Ensure your Android phone is continued to Wi-Fi for the best results.
Download the #LiveDroid application from the Google Play Store.
Open #LiveDroid on your phone.
For all-time effects, tap run in background because it's more than efficient and lets you lot run it with the display turned off.
On your PC, open upwards your streaming software.

Source: Windows Central
Add new source to your scene.
Choose browser source.
Enter the URL given to you by LiveDroid every bit the browser source accost.

You can now position the window as you would any other webcam for your stream. The bones setup process, equally detailed above, is the same for everyone, merely operation will vary depending on your hardware and the adequacy of your wireless network. To go the all-time for your situation, yous'll take to practise some trial-and-error testing of settings in both #LiveDroid and your streaming software.

In our testing, #LiveDroid proved to be the best awarding because information technology provided an nearly indistinguishable difference in latency compared to a regular USB webcam connected to the same PC.

OBS Source: Windows PrimalOn the left is the smartphone; on the right is the Razer Kiyo webcam under the aforementioned lighting weather.

Effort these settings every bit a good place to start:

Select camera — 0.
Frame per second — 15,000 ~ 15,000.
Resolution — 1280 x 960.
Quality: 100.

How to mount your telephone as a webcam

Smartphone tripod Source: Windows Central

The biggest drawback to using your phone equally a webcam is having to mount it in such a way that you would a regular USB webcam.

One piece of cake and relatively affordable way of doing so is by using a smartphone holder with a tripod mount and then clipping your smartphone to whatsoever tripod with a standard mount. Information technology doesn't have to be huge or flashy, and even a low-cost mini-tripod will do the trick.

A skillful webcam can be expensive, and for the more serious streamer, that's nonetheless going to be a ameliorate all-around solution. Only using this method yous can get a very good result from the phone in your pocket, and in almost every case, your phone'south photographic camera will produce a ameliorate result. It will handle exposure and dynamic range better, and you could get a much more than professional-looking video.

Our tiptop equipment picks

All you really need to utilize your Android phone equally a webcam is the free #LiveDroid application from the Google Play Store.

Webcam for complimentary

#LiveDroid

A free app with incredible performance.

This app performed ameliorate in our testing than apps that cost real coin, and information technology gives you USB webcam-matching performance.

It's simple to prepare up, and equally long equally you're happy playing around with the settings until you get it right for your item setup, y'all'll be extremely impressed with the results.

Additional equipment

If you demand a way to mount your phone to use equally a webcam, or even if yous're looking for a new telephone, check these out.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Cloud Pink Cropped

Samsung Galaxy S20 ($ane,000 at Amazon)

It'south expensive, but Samsung has had great ties with Microsoft in recent years, and the S20 is ane of the all-time phones around correct at present.

Tripod mount

Manfrotto smartphone tripod mount ($11 at Amazon)

An easy way of setting your phone up as a webcam is by using a smartphone mountain for a tripod. This option from Manfrotto is sturdy, from a reputable make and very affordable.

Mini Tripod

AmazonBasics mini tripod ($half dozen at Amazon)

If you don't have a suitable tripod, there'south no need to get crazy. This mini tripod from AmazonBasics is affordable and volition get the task washed nicely.

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