How to turn your old Smartphone into a Webcam

Got an old smartphone lying around? Chances are that it might just be on a shelf and collecting dust. But did you know that you could put it to good use by converting it to a webcam? I mean, our phones have way superior cameras than our laptops, so why not? Here we’ll show you a guide on just how to do that.

There are many programs that you may use such as Droidcam, IvCam, and EpocCam. For this guide, we’ll be showing you how to use Iriun. We chose Iriun because it is one of the few webcam apps that is found on both iOS and Android, as well as on macOS and Windows. In addition, the free version of Iriun, already delivers great video quality and gives you all the features that you essentially need in a webcam.

We’ll have each step highlighted below but in general, you would want to begin by heading over to Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store and download the Iriun app. Next, you would want to download Iriun on your Mac or PC by visiting iriun.com. Once Iriun has been both downloaded on your phone and PC, make sure that your computer and phone are both connected to the same Wi-Fi.

Once connected to the same Wi-Fi, you can now open the Iriun app on your computer and phone. To get the best connection, plug your phone into your computer whilst having Iriun opened on both devices. You should be able to see the name of your device detected on the Iriun program on your computer. To use your phone as a webcam, open whichever video streaming or video call service you like and select Iriun Webcam on the list of cameras detected. Then you’re good to go!

To switch to your back and front camera or flip the orientation, you can access those settings on the Iriun app on your phone. To change the resolution depending on your phone, you can access this setting on the Iriun program on your computer once connected.

Here’s a neat tip! You can use your phone as a webcam wirelessly! It does this by connecting over Wi-Fi. It may connect automatically once Iriun is open on your phone and computer. You may also just disconnect your phone after establishing a connection via USB and it should still be connected over Wi-Fi. Just note that your video quality may not be as great or stable as when using a cable connection.

Step 1: Install Iriun on your Phone

Step 2: Install Iriun on your Computer

Step 3: Ensure that both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi

Step 4: Open the Iriun app on both devices

Step 5: Connect your phone to your computer via USB

Step 6: Check for the device on the Iriun app on your computer

Step 7: Enjoy using Iriun!

Iriun running on iOS/Android/MacOS/Windows

Iriun Webcam in Zoom

Iriun Webcam in Google Meet

Iriun Webcam in Zoom and OBS Studio

And there you go. We hope that his guide has helped you upgrade your video call experience on your laptop, considering that most built-in webcams have poor quality. The best part is you can use your current smartphone or an older one lying around, so you don’t have to spend for an upgrade. If you have other tips or recommendations, let us know in the comments below.