Good day, brain friends! Today I suggest you familiarize yourself with my guide on how to like with your own hands turn your dusty phone into a great webcam.

I had been nurturing this idea of ​​turning a phone into a camera for about 3 years, but when I bought a 3D printer and read horror stories about the problems with its operation (rotation failure, overheating and fires, etc.), I finally decided to implement it. At the same time, I considered the option of a smoke detector with Wi-fi, Dropcam, but a homemade camera from a phone turned out to be cheaper, so let’s get started!

Step 1: Materials

The list of required materials is quite simple: Android phone, cable, charger and Wi-fi router. My main item was the Droid Razr Maxx, which is fully functional as soon as the charging port is removed.

Also for installation and configuration homemade products I needed a soldering iron, power supply, glue gun and small screwdrivers.

Step 2: Prepare your phone

My phone works great, but the charging socket is ripped out. Therefore, to correct this defect, I drilled a hole for the cable in the phone case, soldered a USB cable to the power contacts, after checking the polarity. In this case, the battery becomes unnecessary; it can be removed, since the phone is powered directly. I checked this with my power supply before installation.

So, I powered the phone directly via a USB cord, secured the cord itself with a glue gun and assembled the case.

Step 3: Software

There are many for webcams free applications, but I chose paid so as not to mess with watermarks on the image, and good programmer I don't mind supporting you.

When you first load the app, you will see a settings screen. There are many settings, but the main ones are as follows:

— Login/Password: since the homemade product is connected to the Internet, it would not be superfluous to assign a login and password.

—Stream on device boot : If your phone decides to reboot, this setting will then turn on the webcam again.

- Start server: Click on the last entry in the list and the video stream will be activated!

Important note - my settings are not canonical, you can use the parameters to configure your phone as a security camera. This app allows you to record video loops, respond to motion, light and sound, can take photos at regular intervals, etc.

Also at the bottom of the settings screen you will see the IP address, in my case it is 10.0.0.21:8080. In principle, the mission is accomplished if you plan to receive a video stream within the same home, but if you want to receive the signal remotely, you will have to work with a router.

Step 4: Setting up a permanent IP address

Setting up a Wi-Fi router for a beginner seems complicated, but in fact it is not, and many manuals on the Internet will help you.

The first step is to find the IP address, for my webcam it is “10.0.0.21:8080”, that is port 8080 on this IP address. In most cases, Wi-Fi router is located in XXX.1, or in my case "10.0.0.1". Just type this into your browser's address bar, you'll likely end up on your router's login page! The IP address can also be found in the router manual or on its case.

If you have never logged into the system via a router, then the password and login are most likely assigned to the standard ones by default (they are indicated in the instructions or the case). I’m sharing my trick: I write down the current password and login on a piece of paper and stick them with tape to the bottom of the router.

Once you are logged in, you need to find your phone and give it a permanent IP address. Standard router procedure issues temporary IP addresses that change every week or so, but you want your webcam to have a permanent IP address. You might have to tinker with this, but it's pretty simple. In the “connected devices” submenu, I changed DHCP to Reserved IP, entered my IP address, and clicked “save”.

Step 5: Enable Online Mode

At this stage we “connect” to the Internet. Your router acts as a gateway between local network and the outside world, and the IP addresses on each side of these gates are different. That is, you need to configure the router so that it connects the external IP with the IP camera. It sounds complicated, but it's not all bad.

Like most routers, to forward ports on my router you need to go to “Advanced” and “Port Forwarding”. We enable “port forwarding”, since this function is disabled by default, go to the browser, and in the search bar enter something like “find out my IP address”. You will receive a set of numbers back. To access the webcam, simply enter this string of numbers into your browser with: 8080 at the end (xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:8080 - where 8080 is the port of my camera 10.0.0.21:8080). In principle, the working webcam is ready! But check the connection from another device, as sometimes there is a bug in the router firmware that prevents you from connecting back to the Internet.

Here is an example of my webcam working, the quality is not very good, apparently I missed something in the settings:

Step 6: Finalizing the brain-model

For my webcam, I printed a bracket on a 3D printer to constantly monitor this same printer. I installed the bracket on the printer, connected the camera, and also installed a smoke detector just in case.

Craft ready, happy observations!

I once needed a surveillance camera. Not for the office, but for a radio/video nanny, but it would also be suitable for the office, temporarily of course. There was simply nowhere to get a surveillance camera at that time and we had to improvise.

The first thing that came to mind was to use Viber or Skype. But this is not a solution, because... there are interruptions, and I needed a guaranteed result. Laziness took over and I didn’t reinvent the wheel. I had to look for ready-made solutions on Google Play and came across interesting program « IPWebcam".

This was my salvation at that moment, and now I will tell you how, using this program, you can turn anyone, even old android phone surveillance camera.

“Surveillance camera from phone” program

I already wrote the name of the program above, but I’ll repeat it again: we need to download “IP Webcam”. You can do this in the play market, here is this link - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pas.webcam

After you have installed it, launch it and the broadcast will begin. You will have an informational notification on the “how to connect” screen. It will contain instructions.

How to connect

You will see the IP address of the stream (example: http://199.134.5.4:9070), which you can use to connect from a computer or other phone. There are several ways to connect.

1. Enter this IP in the address bar of your browser on any device and watch/watch.
2. A little more complicated, but much more comfortable method. Install , and paste the stream there.

That's all, this is a simple way to use your Android phone as a surveillance camera.

I completely forgot to say that the application is in Russian, very simple and should not raise any additional questions.

Video example and setup

As always, I’m adding an example in video format where you can see how it works this application and how to use it:

You don't have a webcam and want to use yours as one mobile phone? This opportunity really exists, since almost every phone has a camera. And we will tell you how to use this camera as a webcam. There is nothing complicated about this, and almost everyone can work in this mode modern smartphones and many old handsets that do not have operating systems.

The easiest way to use your phone as a webcam is to use a wired USB connection. By default, the handset will be detected as a modem or a removable storage device. Therefore, we need to install a bunch of software that will make the phone work as a camera, and the computer will perceive the phone as a webcam. As a result, we should have a webcam that works with any application, for example, Skype. As we have already said, to create a bundle we need an application that turns the phone into a camera.

Software for smartphones on Android OS can be found in the application store Play Market. If you have an iPhone, go to the AppStore. For smartphones running other OSes, built-in stores and third-party sources are used. In addition to the program for the smartphone, we will need a response program for the PC– it will receive data from the phone. As soon as you obtain all the necessary software, proceed to install it. After installation, launch the programs and enter necessary settings(if it is needed).

As a result, a webcam should appear in the PC operating system. To check the connection, run any program that works with web cameras - for example, Skype, ICQ or Mail.ru Agent. By going to the camera settings section, you will find the installed “web” and can evaluate the image quality.

Old telephone sets that operate without operating systems. In this case, you will need to find suitable software that works with the cameras of certain devices (everything is strictly individual here).

Please note that some smartphones support connection as a webcam without additional software - to do this, you need to set up a USB connection by selecting the connection method in the settings (charging, file transfer, photo transfer, camera, etc.).

Can I use my phone as a webcam via Bluetooth? Yes, but only if this functionality is supported by the selected applications. And this is very convenient, since the phone will be unconnected to the computer. The only connection will be the power cord connecting the handset to charger – Having the camera and Bluetooth on quickly drains the battery.

To make it more convenient to use your phone as a webcam, purchase Car Holder on a flexible leg - this will allow you not to hold the phone in your hands when working in camera mode. If the image jerks and slows down, try reducing the resolution.

IP camera for video surveillance

Now you know how to use your phone as a webcam - you need to install special applications on the handset and on your PC and connect via USB. This feature will be useful to owners of desktop computers that do not have web cameras. Particularly convenient when using wireless connection via Bluetooth.

Using a smartphone as a webcam is very easy, but it can also be turned into a completely different device - an IP camera for video surveillance. To do this, there are numerous programs in smartphone app stores that allow you to turn your smartphone into an IP camera. The camera is accessed using special programs for PCs working with IP cameras – all devices must be connected to the same internal network.

After downloading and launching the selected application, you need to make sure that the camera itself is turned on and that there is a connection with Wi-Fi network and with the assignment of an IP address. This IP address must be entered in the program that will receive the transmitted signal. The resulting image, depending on your whims, can be recorded on HDD or simply displayed on the monitor screen.

Remote video surveillance

Some applications can work with special services that allow broadcasting from a smartphone via the Internet. This remote video surveillance scheme works as follows:

• We create an account on one of the services;
• We install the monitoring program and configure it to work with the selected service;
• We connect to the service from a laptop or another phone and observe what is happening in front of the smartphone with the camera turned on.

That is, if you have a smartphone lying around and you don’t know what to use it for, You can do simple system video surveillance for home monitoring– you will see what children or pets are doing in your absence. It is also possible to control the areas adjacent to the house by installing a smartphone on a window - installation on the street can damage the device, which is not designed to work in such difficult conditions.

Articles and Lifehacks

To send an MMS message, chat on Skype or shoot video, you will need a video camera, and if you have a PC, a web camera, so it is advisable to know how to make a web camera from a phone camera.

Today, a regular web camera can be bought at various retail outlets that sell computer equipment. However, in order to save money, you can also use a camera from a cellular device as a camera.

The cameras on expensive phone models take pretty good quality pictures.

Sequencing

• First, use a USB cable or Bluetooth to connect the device to desktop computer and download the required software to your PC.
• For such a transformation to mobile device and personal computer you need to install certain utilities.
• Then you should save the image after shooting the video in a specific folder on your phone and remember the contents and name of this folder.
• After turning on the camera, you need to record the desired video and save the picture in a folder. In the list of files in the folder, you need to find the newly created file and copy the entry to your PC.

To control your phone's video camera from personal computer will require special Mobile application Web Camera, consisting of two components:

• application installed on a mobile device,
• A driver for your computer that provides compatibility with other programs for receiving video files.

The popular web camera can be used when communicating on certain social networks, for making video calls, and also as a camera.

Applications that help you make a webcam

In case if telephone set received serious damage (broken speakers or broken screen), but the video camera functions perfectly, then this is a good option.

If the device has Android OS installed, then a number of applications have been developed for such a system, for example, DroidCam or Webcam for Android.

A similar utility can function while using wi-fi or Bluetooth. The programs have gained popularity due to their high performance and the ability to use automatic brightness control and front camera.

The user can easily find it on the Internet step by step instructions, proposed by the developer for using a specific program.

The procedure is generally accessible and simple. Some utilities are paid, but they are of higher quality and can work via USB. After the operations performed old phone can get a second life.

Modern people have long been accustomed to the fact that a smartphone is a multifunctional device with which you can solve a wide range of problems. But the user may not even be aware of some of the capabilities of his mobile gadget. For example, in a situation where a webcam is required for video communication, it can be replaced with an Android phone camera.

Turning your phone into a webcam is useful if you need to:

• Make an urgent video call on Skype, but you’re not at hand standard camera, or it is broken;
• Install an additional webcam for Internet broadcasting;
• Create remote surveillance using your phone.

Even a phone with a broken screen can be used as a webcam. The main thing is that the front or main camera module is in working condition. For different ways To connect your phone you will need:

• USB cable;
• Wi-Fi hotspot;
• Programs for pairing your phone and computer or laptop.

Method 1. How to use your phone as a webcam via USB

You can connect your smartphone as a webcam to a PC or laptop using a regular USB cable. You will need some software to set up a video call. The most popular and convenient is the Android application DroidCam Wireless Webcam, which can be downloaded for free in the digital store Google Play. You also need to install the DroidCam program on your PC.

Given software will work in conjunction: the Android application will configure the phone as a webcam, and the PC program will receive and process the signal from the mobile device.

Let's consider step-by-step setup phone:

1. Install the DroidCam Wireless Webcam application on your smartphone;
2. Open the page http://www.dev47apps.com/ in your browser, download the distribution and install it on your computer or laptop;
3. Enable developer mode on your phone. You can read about how to do this in our article “The 10 most useful hidden features of Android”;
4. Launch the USB Debugging feature. To do this, in the phone settings, select the “For Developers” menu item and press the button in the corresponding item.

1. Launch the DroidCam Wireless Webcam application;
2. Connect your smartphone to your computer via a USB cable;
3. Launch the DroidCam client on your computer;
4. Click on the USB connection button;
5. Click on the Start button.

An image from the phone's camera will appear on the client's screen. In the settings of the DroidCam Wireless Webcam application, you can select the front camera as the main one for connection, and also assign the phone’s microphone to capture sound.

Method 2. How to use your phone as a webcam over Wi-Fi

The DroidCam Wireless Webcam program allows you to configure your phone as a webcam via a Wi-Fi connection. To do this, follow steps 1 and 2 from the above instructions. Then go through the following steps:

1. Start Wi-Fi on your phone;
2. Open the DroidCam Wireless Webcam application;
3. Open the DroidCam program on your PC;
4. Click on the Wi-Fi connection button;
5. In the Device IP line, enter the number that will be displayed on the main screen of the Android application in the WiFi IP item;
6. Check the Audio and Video checkboxes;
7. Click Srart.

After this, the application will capture the video signal from the phone's camera and transmit it through the client to the computer. Free version The application only connects the phone and PC, and also contains advertising. Paid application DroidCam doesn't show advertising banners and allows you to customize the video: set the contrast and brightness, change the resolution, and so on.

Please note! On the Internet you can find many recommendations for applications that allow you to use your phone as a webcam. The second most popular program is the USB Webcam Android application. It should work similarly to the DroidCam utility, that is, you need to download the application to your smartphone and the PC program from the official website. The problem is that, although the application is still available on Google Play, the client developer’s website has ceased to exist, and downloading the distribution from a third-party source risks introducing a dangerous virus to your computer.

Method 3. Turn your smartphone into an IP camera for remote video surveillance

This method is suitable for those who do not want to limit themselves by length USB cable or home Wi-Fi signal reception area. You can turn your smartphone into a webcam, while being at the other end of the city, using the IP Webcam Android application, which can be downloaded for free from Google store Play. To output a video signal from your phone to a PC or Skype, you will need a special adapter, which can be downloaded from the official website.

To set up your phone as a webcam you need:

1. Install the application on your smartphone;
2. Install the adapter on the computer;
3. Set up a camera for video capture in the application;
4. Set video resolution and quality;
5. Change additional settings: video orientation, focus and flash mode, white balance, color effect and so on;
6. Select “Start broadcast” in the application.

• Via browser;
• Via VLC player;
• Via Skype.

To watch the video in your browser, type in search bar Device IP address and port. This information You can find out by clicking the “How do I connect” button in the application. Indicate that you are connecting directly and select the connection method: via mobile network or Wi-Fi. In a pop-up window, the application will indicate the required number, for example, 192.168.0.39:8080. Next, on the video broadcast page, select the viewing and listening mode.

• Install the distribution;
• Open the player;
• In the top menu, select “Media”;
• Click "Open URL";
• Enter a line with the address specified in the application and add the word videofeed, for example, like this: http://192.168.0.39:8080/videofeed ;
• Click Play.

To connect to a broadcast on Skype:

• Open the adapter program;
• Enter an address similar to the one used for the VLC player;
• Specify the resolution 320x240 (if the signal does not connect, increase the resolution to the next level, for example 640x480);
• Click "Apply";
• In Skype, open Video Settings;
• In the “Select webcam” selector, select MJPEG Camera.

The IP Webcam application differs from DroidCam Wireless Webcam in expanded functionality and more simple connection, which does not require installing additional drivers for your phone.

While studying ways in which a phone can be turned into a webcam, we used a gadget model from the Fly company.

Why Fly

Since 2003, the British company Fly has been a stable manufacturer of high-quality smartphones, in which engineers try to take into account all the requirements of modern users. The company's main emphasis is on creating budget smartphones that are not inferior in quality to mid-range models. price category. Even in a gadget for 7-8 thousand rubles, the user will find a powerful 4-core processor, a capacious battery, great camera, high-quality IPS screen, and all framed in a stylish design.

We turned our smartphone into a webcam for a while. Since testing took quite a lot of time, we needed a gadget with a capacious battery, a large screen, a high-speed Internet module and a fast processor. And the Cirrus 9 smartphone ticked all the boxes. The large 5.5-inch IPS screen made it very convenient to manage application settings and study instructions for managing programs. A powerful 4-core processor at 1.25 GHz provided stable work system while downloading and launching several applets simultaneously. The 4G LTE module made it possible to instantly download the largest application, and a capacious 2800 mAh battery kept the smartphone in a state of full combat readiness all this time.