The Relay vs Camo: which should turn my Android phone into a Mac webcam?

If the webcam is the only thing you want and you care how the picture looks, look at Camo. It is a dedicated video app with image controls, scenes, and recording, a free tier, and a Pro tier. If the webcam is one reason among several to have your phone work with your Mac, The Relay covers it alongside clipboard sync, login codes, notifications, calls, links, and files, with one subscription through Google Play after a 7-day free trial. The Relay's webcam makes the phone's camera and microphone available to Zoom, Google Meet, and FaceTime. Its pages do not describe image controls, so we do not claim any.

Publisher note: The Relay publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Details about other products come from each maker's own pages, checked on 2 October 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm before you buy.

How do Camo and The Relay compare side by side?

A cell says "Yes" only where the maker's own page lists the feature. "Not stated" means the pages we read do not mention it. It does not mean we tested the product and found it missing.

The Camo cells come from its pricing page and its Android webcam guide.

What does Camo do?

Camo is made by Reincubate. A small app, Camo Camera, runs on the phone, and Camo Studio runs on the Mac. Once Camo Studio is running, the Android guide says, you choose Camo Camera in the video settings of your meeting app. The pricing page says Camo works as a standard virtual camera in more than 40 apps, including Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, and OBS.

Its pricing page lists what the free and Pro tiers include. Free is 720p and below, with standard mode. Pro lists resolutions up to 4K, portrait mode, background blur and replace, manual focus, frame rates up to 60 fps, and priority support. The page marks several features "coming soon to Android", so check which exist on Android today. The guide also notes that if you previously enabled USB debugging, you may have to turn it off to connect an Android phone to a Mac.

When Camo is the better choice

• Picture quality and control matter. Camo's pages list resolution, exposure, focus, background, and scene controls. The Relay's pages do not.
• You want to use a cable. Camo lists a USB route for Mac. The Relay has no USB mode.
• You stream or record. Camo lists in-app recording and scenes, and works with OBS.
• You want a free version to keep. It has a free tier. The Relay has a 7-day free trial, then it is paid.
• You also have an iPhone or a Windows PC. Camo lists iPhone and Windows.
• You want to check a price before you commit. Read its pricing page; the figures were not in the text we could read.

When The Relay is the better choice

• You want everything else too. If a Mac with your phone's clipboard, codes, notifications, and calls appeals as much as a better camera, one subscription gets all of it.
• You want no second app just for video. The Relay's webcam is one feature of an app you already run.
• You prefer wireless. Pairing is a QR code shown on the Mac.
• You do not want to choose between tiers. The Relay has no feature tiers: one subscription covers every feature on the phone and the Mac. Camo has Free and Pro tiers, and its pricing page offers monthly, annual, and lifetime choices.

What The Relay will not do

• It does not describe image controls, effects, scenes, or recording, so do not buy it for those.
• It has no USB cable mode.
• It does not mirror the screen or send texts, and it does not place calls.
• It is not remote. Both devices must be on the same network or in Bluetooth range.
• It needs Android 8.0 or later and macOS 13 Ventura or later, with no iPhone, Windows, or Linux version.
• It is not free: after the 7-day trial it is a subscription through Google Play unless you cancel in Google Play before the trial ends. Refunds go through Google Play; see the terms.

How should I choose?

Run a five-minute test with both on a real call. Use the free version of Camo and, for The Relay, use the 7-day free trial and cancel in Google Play before it ends if it is not for you. Set the phone on a stand, open Zoom or Meet, switch the camera, and look at yourself at the size the other side will see. We have not tested either product and make no claim about which looks better. For the full set of options, see the best Android webcam apps for Mac and Camo, DroidCam, or Iriun.

Questions people ask

Is Camo free on a Mac with an Android phone?

Its pricing page lists a free tier, limited to 720p and below, and a Pro tier. Camo Studio runs on macOS 12.3 or later, and Camo Camera on Android 7.0 or later.

Does Camo use the phone's microphone?

Its Android guide says you can select Camo as an audio source and use the phone's microphone as an input. The Relay's phone-as-webcam feature makes the phone's camera and microphone available as well.

Is The Relay's webcam better than Camo's?

We have not measured either and cannot say. Camo documents its image controls and The Relay's pages do not, so on documented features Camo is ahead for video quality and control.

Can I use the phone over USB with The Relay?

No. The Relay is wireless over your own network, with Bluetooth as a fallback.