When the pandemic began, we had no idea that video conferencing would be our meetings' new norm. Four years and some change in, I've become a bit tired of looking like a pixelated blob on my Zoom calls (even if I haven't worn makeup and maybe am still in my dressiest PJs). Why use that pesky, tiny, low-quality webcam embedded in your laptop when you have a seriously great smartphone camera in your pocket? It has become really easy to use your smartphone as a webcam these days, and some options don't even require you to plug anything in—maybe this will be the motivation to put a little more effort into my WFH appearance.
The solution that works—whether you have an iPhone, Android, Mac, or Windows, in any combination—is a service called Reincubate Camo. It's compatible with more than 40 video-calling apps. First, download the Camo app on both your Mac or Windows machine and iOS or Android. Then, simply launch the app on your PC and smartphone. Camo supports wireless video transfer, so all you need to do is press the Wi-Fi icon in the Camo app on your phone (after permitting it to use your microphone and camera), a QR code scanner should pop up, and choose "Pair a Device." If you don't want to go the wireless route, plug in a cable from your phone to your computer—make sure it's a data-supported cable.
You should start seeing your rear camera's feed on the Camo desktop app. You get quite a few options to choose from in the Camo desktop app to customize the video feed, and fortunately, much of this is free, but unfortunately, you'll need to pay for Camo Pro for several nifty features, like 4K recording, the ability to switch lenses, and portrait mode. When you open a video-calling app with your iPhone nearby, you'll see a pop-up explaining that you can use your iPhone as a webcam. And voilà—your beautiful face will be crisp in 4k for your next living room meeting.
Trust, these few extra steps make all the difference in the quality of your Zoom meetings. You can also check out our related guides, including the best webcams, how to turn your photography camera into a webcam, everything you need to work from home like a pro, and deals on our favorite work-from-home gear.
