An Android phone as a webcam for Zoom on a Mac: looking better on video calls

You can use the camera on the back of your Android phone in place of the one above your Mac's screen for Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams. There are three ways to make it show up as a camera on the Mac: Android's built-in USB webcam mode if your phone offers it, a webcam app such as Camo or Iriun, or The Relay, which makes the phone's camera and microphone available on the Mac wirelessly. iPhone owners get this from Apple under the name Continuity Camera. This page is about the working day around it: where the phone and the Mac trip over each other during calls, and what fixes each snag.

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 1 October 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm before you buy.

What does a day of video calls look like?

Picture a day with four or five calls on a MacBook. The laptop sits low on the desk, so its camera looks up at your chin. The window is behind you, so your face is dark. One meeting link arrives by text on the phone. In the middle of the second call the phone rings.

Apple's answer for iPhone owners is Continuity Camera, which requires an iPhone XR or later and both devices signed in to the same Apple Account. An Android phone cannot join that. The setup steps for the Android routes are in how to use an Android phone as a webcam for a Mac.

Moment 1: the picture

Free fix. Plug the phone in. Google's Pixel webcam page says you tap the USB notification and, under "Use USB for", select Webcam. The Android Open Source Project page names macOS among the supported hosts, says phone makers must switch the feature on, and warns that webcam mode does not work with USB 3.0 or later cables on a Mac. If Webcam is not in your phone's USB menu, your phone does not offer it.

App route. Camo says it works as a virtual camera in Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and other apps, with Camo Studio on macOS 12.3 or later and Camo Camera on Android 7.0 or later. Iriun describes itself as a wireless webcam for PC or Mac and lists macOS 12.3 or later.

With The Relay. The phone's camera appears on the Mac as a camera that apps such as Zoom, Google Meet, and FaceTime can select. There is no cable. We have not measured picture quality or delay, for our app or anyone else's, so run a test call before the meeting that matters.

Moment 2: the sound

Free fix. Earbuds with a microphone, connected to the Mac. Note that Google's steps for the USB webcam mode describe the camera only.

With The Relay. The phone's microphone appears on the Mac as a microphone you can select, alongside the camera. Try it against your earbuds in a test call and keep whichever sounds better to the person on the other end.

Moment 3: choosing the phone in the meeting app

In Google Meet, the help page says to click Settings, then Video, where the Camera setting lets you "Select your camera device". Zoom and Teams also let you choose a camera in their video settings, and each app's help pages have the current menu names. If the phone is not listed, quit the meeting app and open it again.

A note on Teams and The Relay. We name Zoom, Google Meet, and FaceTime as examples of apps that can select the phone's camera. If your calls are on Teams, check the camera menu there in a test call before you rely on it. Camo names Teams on its own page.

Moment 4: the phone rings in the middle of the call

With the built-in USB mode, Google says that when you receive a video call or use an app that needs the camera, the "webcam stream pauses" and resumes when you are done.

Free fix. Before a call that matters, turn on Do Not Disturb on the phone.

With The Relay. An incoming call on the phone shows on the Mac, where you can accept or decline it, and the phone's notifications appear as Mac notifications. You can decline without touching the phone on its stand. We cannot tell you how every phone behaves when a call comes in while its camera is in use, so have someone ring you during a practice call.

Moment 5: the meeting link is on the phone

Free fix. If you use Chrome on both with the same Google Account, Send to your devices opens the page in Chrome on the Mac.

With The Relay. Share the link from the phone and it opens in the Mac's default browser. Or copy it on the phone and paste it on the Mac, since the clipboard syncs both ways. See send a link from Android to a Mac.

How do I frame, light, and place the phone?

1. Eye level. Raise the phone until the lens is level with your eyes. A small tripod or a stack of books works.
2. Rear camera. Use the main lens on the back if your setup allows it.
3. Light in front. Face the window. If it is behind you, close the blind and put a lamp behind the laptop.
4. Landscape. Turn the phone on its side so the picture fills the frame.
5. Power. An hour of camera use drains a battery. Keep the phone on a charger.

Then run the test from the webcam guide: a practice call, and a clap to check that sound and picture stay together.

Which route fits which person?

What will The Relay not do for you?

• No cable mode. It is wireless, over your own Wi-Fi network with Bluetooth as a fallback. If your Wi-Fi is weak where you take calls, a USB route is the safer choice.
• No Apple effects. Center Stage, Desk View, Studio Light, and the rest belong to Continuity Camera and an iPhone.
• No picture controls to match a dedicated app. If the webcam is the only thing you want, Camo is built for that.
• No use away from your network. Phone and Mac must be on the same local network or within Bluetooth range.
• Not free. It costs $19.99, paid once, and there is a refund window; see the terms.

It needs Android 8.0 or later and macOS 13 Ventura or later, and comes from the download page.

Questions people ask

Can I use my Android phone as a webcam for Zoom on a MacBook?

Yes. Make the phone appear as a camera on the MacBook through USB webcam mode, a webcam app, or The Relay, then choose it in Zoom's video settings. The phone has to be set up before you open the meeting.

Does it work with Google Meet and Microsoft Teams?

Google Meet lets you select any camera device the Mac offers. Camo's site names Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. The Relay names Zoom, Google Meet, and FaceTime, so test Teams yourself first.

Will a Samsung Galaxy or a Pixel work as a wireless webcam?

With an app, yes, subject to each app's minimum Android version. The built-in USB mode is a different matter: Android's documentation says phone makers have to enable it, and Google's help page covers Pixel phones.