Do you have a computer or laptop without a webcam? Have you ever used a computer without a webcam but need one? Well if you have an android device connected to the same network as your computer you can now use your android devices camera as a webcam. We will be downloading two programs in order to achieve this or three if you don’t already have skype. IP-Webcam for PC and android, we will then configure the android app and then the PC app and test with Skype. Before we start you will need to download three applications unless you already have Skype you can skip this step. **Its also important to note that this may drain your battery so you may want to charge your device when using the camera.**

Skype

http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-windows/downloading/

Download and install the programs below

IP-Webcam for your pc; http://ip-webcam.appspot.com/

IP-Webcam for your android device; https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pas.webcam&hl=en_GB

Android Device.

Once you have both applications installed open IP-Cam app on your android device.

Go to video performances and select the video resolution. Select the Resolution you would like to use. Now go to quality and select the quality you would like to use.

Ensure the ‘Use front facing camera’ is ticked.

**Please not that if you have a poor connection the higher the settings the more the picture will lag**

Now go back to the main menu and scroll down to ‘Login/password’ and set a username and password. This is so no one else can connect to your phone and view your camera. I have selected @DanOrbitsIT as the username and 1234 for the password. Once you have chosen a username and password click ok.

     

Once you have that entire setup scroll to the very bottom of the home menu and start the server.

You should now be shown your front camera. On the bottom there will be an IP address and a port number. Keep note of this as we will need this once configuring the IP-Webcame on the PC.

PC Configuration.

Once you are on your PC or Laptop and you have installed the IP-Webcam  run the program.

You will now need to enter the IP address given at the bottom of the screen on your android device and the port number followed by the username and password we set up earlier. If you don’t have one you can leave this blank.

 

Now you want to click auto detect. This will auto detect the video quality we set up earlier. click okay, apply and okay and it should now disappear. We now want to open up Skype. Within Skype go to Call > Video > Video settings. If this option isn’t available click on a contact within Skype and it should now be available.

Within Video settings click on select webcam and select MJPEG Camera. You should now see yourself through your phone.

Concratulations!! You have successfully turned your android device in to a webcam.