Your mobile device should have better video quality than your built-in webcam on your laptop or PC. So, here’s a complete tutorial on using your mobile phone’s camera to do online broadcasting, whether it is for live streaming on YouTube, Facebook, Twitch or Zoom.

Getting Started

We shall be using DroidCam app as the mobile app and the DroidCam PC client in this tutorial as it is the most versatile set of software you can find to accomplish this task.

DroidCam app – for Android and iOS

By far, DroidCam is the most diversely compatible app to turn your phone into a webcam. It is probably the only app that could support Android or iOS mobile phones and Windows or Linux for its PC client. By the way, it works with or without its PC client so you don’t necessarily need a PC client if you’re on macOS, although the software client lets you connect your phone camera as an independent device to your PC.

Do note that DroidCam comes with the free (no HD and with ads) and pro paid version (with HD and no ads). For now, let’s download the free version (no ads will appear on your video feed, don’t worry).

This app also allows you to capture the audio from your phone microphone (using the PC client) but from our tests, the audio via the Android version has a repetitive humming noise (no such problem with the iOS counterpart).

DroidCam PC client – for Windows and Linux (for macOS, read on)

The benefit of using the PC client is that allows your PC to recognize your phone camera as a device (like a webcam). This empowers you to livestream directly on YouTube or Facebook without needing live streaming software like OBS Studio.

There’s no Mac version for the PC client at the time of this writing. If you need to use macOS, you need to download the DroidCam for iOS and use it with OBS Studio on your Mac with the DroidCam plugin (section read below).

Using DroidCam app and PC client via WiFi – for Android, iOS, and Windows, Linux (not macOS)

Before you begin, ensure that your mobile device and PC are connected to the same WiFi network. You should also have downloaded the DroidCam app and the PC client. When you run the app, you will see a screen as below. It shows two ways to connect your phone camera to your PC – via the PC client or using your web browser.

Next, you should run the DroidCam PC client and enter the IP address and port number shown on the app in the software client. See the screenshot below. If you don’t see the window to enter the IP address, click on File -> Start.

Once you hit Start, you will see that the DroidCam app on your phone and the PC client begin capturing video. See the screens from the app and PC client software below.

 

The app developer from Dev47Apps named Adam informed me to ensure the WiFi signal is strong while using WiFi as the connection. Otherwise, you can use the USB cable connection between your phone and your PC (PC client software is still required).

Now, you can begin using the camera on your phone while live streaming on Facebook, YouTube or Zoom.

 

 

Using DroidCam app with web browser via WiFi – for Android, iOS, and Windows, macOS and Linux

Again, ensure your phone and PC are sharing the same WiFi network. Once you launched your DroidCam on your phone, you should choose the second option which is to access your phone camera’s feed via your browser. To do this, find a URL written on the app under the text “Browser IP Cam Access” and enter it (with the port number) on your PC browser. You should then be able to see the video being shot by your phone on your web browser. The DroidCam app screen should be displaying the same video feed simultaneously. That’s it!

Using DroidCam app with OBS via WiFi – for Android, iOS, and Windows, macOS and Linux

For Android phone, you need to download the DroidCam for OBS app while for iOS, you can use the standard DroidCam app for iOS. You don’t need the DroidCam PC client to work with OBS but you do need the OBS plugin available for download here.

Once you’ve installed the OBS plugin for DroidCam, run your OBS Studio and choose DroidCam OBS as a source as shown below. Then, click OK to add it as a source on the pop-up window.

Next, you should be able to see a pop-up window as depicted below. Here’re the steps to configure.

1. Select your desired resolution under Resolution dropdown menu.
2. Under the Device menu, you should select Use WiFi.
3. Under the WiFi IP menu, enter your phone’s IP address shown on the DroidCam app on your mobile phone.
4. Ensure the DroidCam port is the same as the port number shown on the app. For Android,  the default is 4747 and for iOS is 1990.
5. Press Activate. If everything goes well, you should be able to see your phone video feed on the large window area. There’s a watermark on the video if you use the free apps.
6. Finally, hit OK to return to OBS Studio main screen.

EXTRA: How to view the video of one mobile phone using another mobile phone

You might not have a PC with you to view the video being captured by your phone camera. So, if you wish to view what is being captured by one mobile phone’s camera on another separate mobile phone, you can use DroidCam for that.

While both phones are connected to the same WiFi network, run the DroidCam app on the Android or iOS phone that acts as the camera. Then, enter the URL shown on the app on the other mobile device’s mobile browser which supposed to be viewing the video feed. You should now be able to see the camera video on the browser.