The video quality of our phones is far better compared to the webcam we commonly use. So, what if I tell you that you can turn your phone into a webcam and mic for your PC to get more quality videos and audio? Yes, that’s possible and it is also completely free. Let’s discuss in detail all the steps you have to take to use the phone as a webcam and mic for a PC.
Get OBS Studio
You have to start by downloading the OBS Studio for video recording and live streaming. It is free and open-source software that anyone can download and start using right away. Go to the OBS Studio website, pick the operating system you are using, and then download and install the software. You can use OBS Studio to just record a video feed from your phone or send it to other apps, like Zoom, Teams, etc.
Send Phone’s Camera Feed to PC
Once OBS Studio is installed successfully, the next step is to send the phone’s camera feed to the PC. To do that, you don’t have to install any software. You will use VDO.Ninja to send phone’s camera feed to PC. Follow the below steps to do it:
- Go to the Ninja website.
- Click “Create Reusable Invite”.
- Customize the different settings (if you want) and then click “Generate the Invite Link”. It will generate a QR code for guest invites and another OBS Browser source link.
- Open the camera from your phone, scan the QR code, and open the provided website.
- Click “Share your Camera” from that website.
- Select which camera you want to use and then click “Start”.
Receive Phone’s Camera Feed to PC
Once you have set up the phone’s camera feed, you have to now receive it on your PC. Follow the below steps to do it:
- Copy the “OBS Browser Source Link” provided by VDO.Ninja earlier.
- Open OBS Studio, click the “+” icon under sources, and then pick “Browser”.
- Give the source the name and then click “OK”.
- Paste the URL you copied under the URL section and set the width and height of your choice, such as 1280×720. Also, tick the “Control audio via OBS”. Once done, click “OK”.
This way, you will see that the video from your phone shows up on your PC. You can adjust the size of the video screen by dragging the corners. You can also use different filters to customize your video.
Stream, Record, or Access as a Virtual Camera
On that you have your phone’s camera feed on your PC, you can do a lot of things with it. OBS Studio allows you to steam, record, or start it as a virtual camera. You can access these options from the “Controls” section located at the bottom right side.
Use Phone’s Video on Other Apps
Click “Start virtual camera” under the “Controls” section from OBS Studio. It will send your phone’s video feed to different applications, such as Zoom, Teams, etc. For example, open Zoom, go to Settings, and then click “Videos”. Under the “Camera” option, select “OBS Virtual Camera”. This way, the Zoom app will display your phone’s camera. Similarly, you can use the same approach to access your phone’s video on any app that involves a camera.
Use Phone as Mic
Just like the Phone’s video, you can also use your phone as a mic. The OBS Studio is already set to record audio. Now all you have to do is transfer this audio along with your virtual camera to the PC. You can do it by installing a “Virtual Audio Cable”. Follow the below steps to use your phone as a mic:
- Download and install the VB-CABLE to have a virtual audio cable.
- In OBS Studio, click “File” from the top left corner and then click “Settings”.
- Click the “Audio” tab from the left sidebar. Under the “Advanced” section, click “CABLE Input (VB-Audio Virtual Cable” from the drop-down menu. Once done, click “OK”.
- In OBS Studio and under the “Audio Mixer” section, click the “Settings” icon next to the “Browser” option and then click “Advanced Audio Properties”.
- Under the first “Audio Monitoring” drop-down menu, select “Monitor and Output”. Once done, click “Close”.
Your Phone audio is now all set to act as a mic for apps on your PC. To test it out, open Zoom, go to Settings, and then click “Audio”. Under the drop-down menu of “Microphone”, select “CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable)”. This way, your phone’s audio will now act as a mic on Zoom. Similarly, you can use the phone’s audio as a mic on other similar apps.
Multiple Camera
The combined use of OBS Studio and VDO.Ninja allows you to add multiple cameras at once by following the same steps discussed above. This way, you can select different camera angles using multiple cameras through OBS Studio.
Feature-Rich OBS Studio
OBS Studio is not just restricted to streaming your phone’s video/audio. It can do a lot more. For example, you can combine the output of multiple cameras, add an image overlay on top of the video, add a video feed on top of the desktop, and many more.
Wrapping Up
Phones come with great resolution cameras, so integrating them as a webcam and mic on a PC can result in high-quality videos and audio. OBS Studio along with VDO.Ninja provides the easiest way to use the phone as a webcam and mic. So, follow the above steps and uplift your video and audio qualities on your PC.
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