The lockdown is over, and Google just came to its senses: smartphones can be used as a webcam without third-party software

It seems that Google is planning to add the ability to use smartphones as a webcam in Android 14. Yes, this is not some kind of revolutionary feature, but it will simplify the task for many, since now it requires specialized software. For example, you can turn your smartphone into a webcam using the Camo utility. In order not to resort to the services of third-party applications, this feature will be built into Android 14. By the way, iOS has had this for a long time thanks to the Continuity Camera function.

Mishaal Rahman noticed some changes in the Android code that indicate that Google is working on a built-in feature that allows you to use your mobile device as a webcam. Its working title is “DeviceAsWebcam”. It is assumed that a smartphone or tablet will connect to a computer and be defined as a class of USB video devices, that is, capable of streaming video. This is the advantage of Google’s feature over Apple’s Continuity Camera, which only works on iOS and Mac devices.

It is worth noting that “DeviceAsWebcam” is listed in the code as a service that will simply transfer video data via USB. This means that Google and other smartphone makers will either need to add a separate app to make this work or create a dedicated feature in the stock camera app.

Source: Trash Box

You may also like