Use your Android phone as a webcam for your Mac
The best camera you own is in your pocket, and your video calls are using the one in your laptop lid. The Relay makes your Android phone’s camera and microphone appear on your Mac as a camera and a microphone, so any calling app can pick them.
The best webcam is
in your pocket.
Your Android’s camera and mic show up as native devices in Zoom, Meet and FaceTime. No mount, no dongle, no lag.
The best webcam is
in your pocket.
Your Android’s camera and mic show up as native devices in Zoom, Meet and FaceTime. No mount, no dongle, no lag.
iPhone owners get this free. Now you do too.
“Use your iPhone as a webcam for Mac”Needs an iPhone signed in to the same Apple Account as the Mac.
Your Android phone’s camera and microphone appear on the Mac as a camera and a microphone. Choose them in the app you are calling from, the same way you would choose any webcam.
Works with Android 8.0 or later and macOS 13 Ventura or later. Your data travels directly between your phone and your Mac over your local network.
Three steps. Then it just works.
- 1Install on both
Put The Relay on your Android phone and on your Mac. It needs Android 8.0 or later and macOS 13 Ventura or later.
- 2Scan to pair
Open it on both. Scan the QR code on your Mac with your phone. The two are now paired over your own Wi-Fi.
- 3Pick the camera
In Zoom, Google Meet, or FaceTime, open the camera menu and choose The Relay camera. Do the same in the microphone menu if you want the phone’s mic.
What it will not do
- —Both devices need to be on the same local network, or in Bluetooth range. It does not work across the internet when your phone is somewhere else.
- —It is wireless. There is no USB cable mode.
- —We have not published resolution or latency figures. Try it on your own network within the refund window.
- —If your phone supports Android’s built-in USB webcam mode and you are happy with a cable, that route is free.
People ask
Can I use my Android phone as a webcam on a Mac?
Yes. With The Relay installed on both, the phone’s camera and microphone appear on the Mac as a camera and a microphone that apps such as Zoom, Google Meet, and FaceTime can select.
Is this Continuity Camera for Android?
It does the same job. Continuity Camera is Apple’s feature and only works with an iPhone. The Relay gives an Android phone the same role: the Mac’s webcam and microphone.
Does it work with a Samsung Galaxy or a Google Pixel?
It works with Android phones running Android 8.0 or later, which includes current Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones, and a Mac running macOS 13 Ventura or later.
Do I need a cable or a mount?
No cable. The phone and the Mac connect over your local network. A stand or a stack of books to hold the phone at eye level helps, as with any phone camera.
Are there free ways to do this?
Some phones have a USB webcam mode built into Android, and apps such as Camo and Iriun do webcam only. The Relay is for people who also want the clipboard, files, codes, notifications, calls, and links to work between the same two devices.
GUIDES ON THIS
Use an Android Phone as a Webcam for a Mac: Your Options
How to use an Android phone as a webcam for a Mac or MacBook: Android's built-in USB webcam mode, Camo, Iriun, DroidCam, and The Relay, with a five-minute test.
Android Phone as a Webcam for Zoom on a Mac: Look Better
How to look and sound better on Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams on a Mac with the Android phone you already own: picture, sound, framing, and what gets in the way.
Use an Android Phone as a Microphone for a Mac
How to use an Android phone as a microphone on a Mac: which tools actually offer it on macOS, where to select it in Sound settings, and how to test before a call.
Use an Android Phone as a Webcam in Zoom on a Mac
How to pick an Android phone as the camera and microphone in Zoom on a Mac: the exact Zoom settings from Zoom's support pages, and fixes when the phone is not listed.